Director, Strategic Philanthropy 

WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY

Purpose. You’ll be doing rewarding work that supports and empowers girls. 

Community. Be a part of an amazing team (staff and supporters!) who are passionate about our mission. 

Work you’ll love. A creative and collaborative environment where we value your unique skills and insights.

Our impact is growing. It is our deeply held belief that girls have a right to determine and own their futures, including who, when, and if they marry. We know that supporting girls and protecting their choice can change the world, and you can be part of the growing team making that happen. 

Totally remote. Work from anywhere in the United States.

WHO WE ARE

VOW for Girls champions the girls around the world without the rights, resources, and choices to decide their own futures. We channel the positive power of celebrations to raise funds, drive awareness, and change the futures of girls everywhere. We do this by building an inclusive community – including individuals, families, philanthropists, foundations, corporate partners, people incorporating our mission into their celebrations, event industry professionals, and more – who invest in the power, voice, and choice of girls everywhere. Using the funds we raise, VOW partners with local leaders worldwide to eradicate the causes of child marriage and create opportunities for every girl to be unstoppable. Together, we expand her access to education, amplify her leadership opportunities, and work to shift local social norms that limit her future. We invite philanthropists and values-aligned companies and individuals to join us in this work, bringing much-needed funding and resources to end the global child marriage crisis, which is hindering more than 12 million girls’ futures each year. When a girl gets to decide her future, the world benefits. We’re changing how the world sees girls—so that every girl can change her world. VOW for Girls was founded in late 2018 by global human rights activist Mabel van Oranje and Ford Foundation President Darren Walker.

JOB DESCRIPTION 

VOW is seeking a Director, Strategic Philanthropy to build out and lead our fundraising pipeline with individuals, families, and private foundations. Reporting to the Senior Vice President , Philanthropy & Partnerships, the Director will develop and manage an active portfolio of high-net-worth individuals and foundation stakeholders, with a special emphasis on maximizing flexible revenue and core support for the organization’s operations. The Director will model best practices around prospect/donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies, and foster a collaborative, innovative approach to engaging and growing relationships with supporters.

The Director will design strategies for positioning VOW within foundation portfolios, demonstrating value and opportunity, and identifying opportunities for shared impact. They will be able to see the long-term vision for the organization and be able to develop a comprehensive, innovative, and actionable strategic plan for VOW’s Philanthropy & Partnerships department with a focus on raising millions to support VOW’s operations.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Fund Generation & Relationship Management

• Establish annual and long-range funding goals and benchmarks for a managed portfolio of individuals and foundations, maximizing flexible funding from the portfolio while modeling best-in-class, innovative approaches to pipeline development and funder management.
• Synthesize VOW’s campaigns, initiatives, and projects into clear, compelling proposals and reports for individuals and foundations that serve to communicate VOW’s effectiveness as a global movement builder, strongly making the case for both flexible/core funding and programmatic funding.
• Support the involvement of the CEO and Senior Vice President and Board members in high-level, high-touch individual and foundation solicitations and relationship management with briefing materials, agendas, background research, and appropriate follow-up.
• Facilitate the involvement of VOW’s Board members and volunteer leaders in relationship-building and relationship-management activities as required and appropriate.

• Monitor and report on all key performance metrics (including funds raised, engagement, future commitments), providing updates and insights to internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and pacing towards targets and goals.
• Adopt a data-first perspective and accurately manage CRM records to develop and maintain relevant knowledge management processes that contribute to comprehensive tracking of, and reporting on, VOW’s individual and foundation stakeholders.
• Lead the organization to be more ambitious, creative, strategic, and data-driven in its approach to fundraising. 

• 7 years of high-net-worth individual and foundation development/fundraising experience and a proven track record of closing multiple six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Experience meeting and exceeding ambitious team and personal fundraising goals and performance indicators, as well as participating in financial projections, reporting, and scenario planning.
• Proven ability to define and implement critical near-term and long-term fund generation strategies concurrently.
• Experience leading complex funder relationship development and management strategies in a global context: experience of philanthropy, foundation, and family offices in North America is essential; experience in donor engagement, solicitation, and management in other important funder markets relevant to VOW would be useful (e.g., UK, Europe).
• Ability to lead on translating broad organizational vision and strategies into specific objectives and operational delivery plans while being able to respond quickly to changes in short-term priorities.
• Your experience demonstrates an intuitive understanding of how large organizations work and an ability to quickly speak the language of different stakeholders across various disciplines. 
• Equally comfortable in both strategy and execution with a high-quality standard and the ability to manage multiple projects at a time while paying attention to details. 
• Active leader at the organizational level, sharing knowledge and interest in emerging concepts and practices in the field of strategic philanthropy and/ or foundation relations, and are able to identify philanthropic sector trends and opportunities to inform VOW’s approach to external stakeholder engagement.
• Incredible communicator. You have strong, persuasive, and compelling interpersonal skills with superior written and oral communication and presentation abilities, including experience speaking to and writing for sophisticated individual philanthropists and foundation executives.
• You want to help build an organization, taking VOW from an early-stage startup to a global philanthropic initiative. You thrive in fast-paced, ambitious environments. You work hard and you have fun while you do it.
• You have a passion for gender equality and girls’ rights coupled with the spirit and drive of a social entrepreneur. Exceptional judgment and emotional intelligence. You’re a careful listener and can read the room. You demonstrate personal integrity and dedication.
• You are prepared to travel on occasion.
• Bachelor’s Degree or combination of education and relevant experience is required.

• VOW offers a generous benefits package, including:

• Health & Wellness
• Comprehensive health insurance (we pay 100% of employee premiums for individuals and 65% of premiums for families); plus vision and dental insurance options
• Flexible Spending (FSA) and Health Savings (HSA) account options with the monthly fees covered 100% by VOW
• Free memberships to One Medical (primary care) and TalkSpace (online mental health support) including 12 video counseling sessions annually
• A 20% discount on KindBody services (gynecological and family-building care)

• Time off & Flexibility
• Three weeks of PTO
• A week-long office closure at year-end
• 13 paid holidays as well as personal days and sick/safe leave
• Remote work from anywhere in the US (we provide flexible schedule options and a stipend to help outfit your home workspace)

• And More
• Quarterly in-person gatherings of the full VOW team
• 24/7 employee assistance service to help with confidential healthcare navigation support, work-life solutions, financial solutions, legal assistance, or mental health support
• 401K with a match of 1% that vests immediately
• $1,000 annual stipend for professional development

• Location is flexible within the U.S. VOW for Girls is based in New York City, and we are open to candidates who are located near a major international airport and willing to travel as needed.
• Please note that you must have the right to work in the U.S. prior to your first day.

• Application deadline is May 10, 2024.
• Apply by clicking below to share your updated resume and cover letter telling us why you’d be an exceptional candidate for this role.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

We’re glad you asked. We believe in a transparent and efficient process for candidates interested in VOW for Girls. Here is what to expect:

Applications are only accepted via the link above. If this presents a hurdle for you, please contact us at careers@vowforgirls.org. 

Applicants will be screened based on experience, strength cover letter, and position requirements. 

The interview process for top candidates will include a minimum of a Zoom conversation with the hiring manager and a 45-minute panel Zoom interview with 3-4 VOW team members. 

Finalists will be asked to share writing samples relevant to the position.

Finalists might be asked to travel to meet with the Sr. Vice President, Philanthropy & Partnerships in person. Travel costs will be covered by VOW for Girls.

We endeavor to communicate with applicants along the way and will share updates as the interview process progresses. 

DON’T MEET EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT?

We still encourage you to apply! Studies show that women, non-binary applicants, and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. However, at VOW for Girls, our diverse backgrounds, perspectives, identities, and talents help us thrive.

VOW is committed to racial equity and social justice and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We actively seek applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities to provide a wide range of perspectives, ideas, views, and insights into the strategy, policies, culture, and ambitions of VOW for Girls.