Development Representative

Organization:

It has been said that 90% of the world’s products are designed for 10% of the world’s wealthiest population. Technological advancement has changed billions of lives—but billions more are still being left behind without reliable access to essentials like clean water, sanitation, and basic healthcare. If today’s engineers can create self-driving cars, what if we put that same ingenuity toward solving one of humanity’s greatest challenges: global poverty?

That’s exactly why Design Outreach (DO) exists: to create life-sustaining solutions that alleviate global poverty. We are a team of passionate, creative professionals who believe engineering can do more than solve problems—it can change lives. Guided by our four core values—excellence, faith, compassion, and collaboration—we engineer high-quality, sustainable technologies designed specifically for the unique contexts and needs of developing countries, and we partner with local governments and communities to ensure our solutions continue to create impact long after we are gone.

Through technologies such as LifePump™ and MaxLife™, we have already reached more than 1 million people with safe, reliable water. But we’re just getting started.

Today, 1 in 4 people around the world still lacks basic access to safe water, resulting in women and children spending hours every day making long, difficult, and often dangerous journeys to collect water—a crisis that takes children out of school, limits economic opportunity, and undermines health, dignity, and wellbeing. But there is hope. We’ve seen firsthand what happens when communities have solutions that are designed for their context, built to last, and created in partnership with the people they serve.

That’s why we’ve set a God-sized goal to reach 10 million people by 2030. But we can’t do it alone. We’re looking for people who are passionate about serving others, energized by solving meaningful problems, and ready to use their talents for something bigger than themselves. Join us in engineering hope and building a brighter future for millions of people around the world.

Position:

The Development Representative plays a vital role in fulfilling DO’s vision to see marginalized and low-income communities transformed physically, economically, and spiritually. This individual reports to the Major Gifts Coach and is responsible for managing a robust portfolio of major donors. The role includes identifying and cultivating prospects, building and maintaining relationships with high-capacity donors and foundations, facilitating proposals for major gift requests, and closing large-scale gifts to help the organization reach its short- and long-term financial goals.

doutreach.

Key Responsibilities:

• Schedule, complete, and log 12 meetings per month in DO’s CRM.

• Raise $350,000 annually to support the mission of DO.

• Under the direction of the Major Gifts Coach, manage a robust portfolio of major donors,

including developing and executing fundraising strategies to help ensure DO reaches its

short- and long-term financial and organizational goals.

• Develop and execute strategy for growing DO’s number of donors giving $10,000 or

more by cultivating new donors and moving existing donors to that giving level.

• Introduce new potential donors to DO through personal networking and referrals from

current donors.

• Nurture and cultivate relationships with existing major donors and major donor prospects

in the individual’s donor portfolio through in-person meetings, events, phone calls, and

various other touch points, getting to know each individual and their specific passions,

needs, and desires for their personal philanthropy.

• Serve as a liaison for DO by identifying, engaging, and reengaging major gift prospects

locally, nationally, and internationally.

• Conduct wealth assessments and other research to identify major gift prospects.

• Secure and maintain large one-time, recurring, and posthumous gifts of various kinds,

including cash, stocks, bonds, etc.

• Log all donor interactions in DO’s CRM system.

• Prepare and personalize proposals for major gift solicitation, present proposals with

clear financial requests, and close gifts, utilizing DO’s CRM system to keep detailed

track of each request.

Position Details:

• Forecast and achieve quarterly and annual fundraising goals, securing major gifts and

growing the organization’s donor base in the $10,000 range.

• Manage and engage donor portfolio with personalized, authentic stewardship that

inspires and values each individual’s unique passions and philanthropic goals.

• Collaborate with Major Gifts Coach on strategy development to increase and diversify

major giving sources, developing a robust pipeline of major funders and opportunities

that support DO's mission and vision.

• Work with Major Gifts Coach to ensure major gifts program is meeting organizational

priorities and foster alignment across Stewardship, Field Programs, and Engineering

Solutions teams.

• Actively identify and vet new funders and funding opportunities.

• Foster meaningful relationships with internal team members and external funders to

ensure alignment with organizational goals and objectives.

• Act as an integrated team member within the Stewardship Department, serving as a

bridge between Annual Fund efforts, LifePump Campaigns, and other initiatives, and

contributing to a collaborative development culture.

• Collaborate with Stewardship Department to enhance donor experience programs and

deepen connections.

• Contribute to strategy development for improving donor retention and engagement,

streamlining donor cultivation cycles, and achieving higher donor acquisition and renewal rates.

Develop and coordinate comprehensive proposal requests, including the creation of

direct mail and other personalized correspondence, to engage potential donors and

solicit their support.

• Engage donors and prospects with compelling narratives that highlight the impact and

significance of their giving.

• Work with Communications and Marketing, ensuring donor and prospect outreach are

on brand, on message, and on strategy.

• Compose and dispatch personalized acknowledgment letters promptly upon receiving

gifts, expressing gratitude and reinforcing the value of donor contributions.

• Plan and oversee donor engagement and fundraising events to achieve revenue and

donor relations goals.

• Strategically utilize Salesforce and other CRM programs to meticulously and efficiently

maintain accurate and up-to-date records of donor interactions, proposals, and acknowledgments.

Requirements:

• Understands and supports the mission of a Christ-centered organization dedicated to

sharing the Gospel through word and deed.

• Passion and agreement with Design Outreach’s vision and mission as outlined in the

case for support and employee handbook.

• Kingdom- and abundance-minded when working with ministry partners.

• Ability to work effectively with donors, volunteers, and allied organizations, many of

whom may be motivated by a deep commitment to serving Jesus Christ.

• Passion for international ministry, particularly in communities facing extreme poverty.

• Strong interpersonal skills, intuition, empathy, and trustworthiness, with the ability to

cultivate deep, meaningful, and authentic relationships with organizational partners.

• Strong organizational, project management, problem-solving, and multitasking abilities to

meet quarterly and annual goals.

• Ability to boldly and graciously request and close 6-figure gifts, inspiring donors with the

impact of their gift and personal connection to the cause.

• Outstanding communication (written, oral, presentation) and interpersonal skills.

• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office Suite computer skills.

• Ability to commit an average of 40 hours total per week minimum.

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in fundraising, sales, marketing, communications,

relationship development, community engagement, or a related field. Direct fundraising

experience is not required; transferable experience is welcomed.

• Ability to travel 4-7 nights per month as needed for cultivating donor relationships,

including 1 or more international trips annually.

• Experience with Salesforce preferred.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in related field.

Salary/Benefits:

• $55,000-$65,000 plus benefits. As a rapidly expanding organization, there are many

growth opportunities available.

Timeline:

• Position start date is negotiable, and interviews will be ongoing until position is filled.

• Please send cover letter/resume to Isaac Ezell at isaace@doutreach.org.