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Position: Senior Major Gifts Officer, West

Senior Major Gifts Officer, West
News Literacy Project
West Coast (SoCal/Los Angeles/Bay Area preferred)

About News Literacy Project

The News Literacy Project (NLP), a nonpartisan education nonprofit, is building a national movement to advance the practice of news literacy throughout American society, creating better informed, more engaged, and more empowered individuals — and ultimately a stronger democracy. NLP is the leading provider of news literacy education to students primarily through our signature e-learning platform, Checkology®, and to the public through our website, RumorGuard™.

Our vision: News literacy is an integral part of American life, and people of all ages and backgrounds know how to identify credible news and other information and understand the indispensable role a free press has in a democracy, empowering them to play a more equal and active role in the civic life of the country.

The Opportunity

This is an extraordinary opportunity for an experienced major gifts fundraiser to join a growing nonprofit that is helping to protect American democracy by combating the proliferation of misinformation in an increasingly digital era.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Development, this newly created position is a senior frontline fundraiser who will manage a West-coast based portfolio and closely support NLP’s founder, CEO, and other senior leaders on priority donor and partner relationships. This role will also work closely with the Major Gifts Officer, East and the Development Operations team.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Portfolio and Prospect Management

  • Develop and steward an active portfolio of 75-125 major donors and prospects (individuals, family foundations, corporate, and select institutional funders) to cultivate, solicit, and close gifts in support of NLP’s organizational priorities.
  • Cultivate meaningful donor connections through strategic in-person or virtual meetings (approximately 12-15 personalized encounters monthly).
  • Lead proactive and continuous prospect research to identify, qualify, and cultivate new prospects that expand regional pipelines.
  • Develop and execute strategies to identify existing donors with additional capacity and secure increased philanthropic support by deepening their engagement.
  • Collaborate with the development team to craft compelling, personalized collateral and proposals to cultivate, solicit, and steward relationships with a focus on multi-year commitments.
  • Implement major gift cultivation and stewardship plans, including major gift pipeline growth activities, in coordination with senior leadership.

Donor Engagement

  • Leverage existing events and lead new initiatives to curate and execute new West Coast in-person events focused on recruiting new prospects and strengthening donor engagement (i.e. panel discussions, cocktail receptions, salons, fireside chats, and other donor-directed initiatives).
  • Assist in developing and planning substantive virtual experiences for donors.
  • Collaborate closely with the SVP of Development and team to refine and implement cutting-edge stewardship practices for annual fund and Visionary Circle members, ensuring each interaction is meaningful and impactful.

Data Management

  • Ensure timely capture of fundraising data, share pertinent information with peers and senior leadership, and maintain impeccable donor records, including email communication, meeting notes, follow ups, written engagement, solicitation strategies, and giving projections.
  • Analyze and communicate major gift donor data, maintain accurate records and communications, and collaborate with staff and leadership to develop engagement strategies for optimal donor relations.
  • Develop annual revenue projections based on donor and prospect profiles, capacity, and engagement strategies.
  • Candidate Profile

NLP recognizes that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

Passion for the Mission

A mission-driven fundraiser, you are excited by an opportunity to use your professional skills to join us in contributing to a thriving, more news-literate America. You see the deeply rooted connection between news-literacy and a robust, equitable democracy, and view this role as an opportunity to bring fresh fundraising solutions to a team that is collaborative, action-oriented, and aligned with NLP’s Theory of Change.

Major Donor Portfolio Development

An innovative fundraiser, you excel in both establishing and cultivating strong, meaningful relationships with high-net-worth donors. You bring a collaborative approach to your work with senior leadership, ensure an exceptional donor experience, and have a proven track record of closing five- and six-figure gifts from individuals, corporate donors, and/or foundations. A skilled and timely communicator, you identify potential funding opportunities, quickly understand what motivates them, and build productive philanthropic relationships. Currently, approximately 60% of NLP’s pipeline consists of existing donors to steward and qualified leads to cultivate—you see this as an opportunity to build and expand your own portfolio and leverage your entrepreneurial spirit within a supportive, team-oriented environment.

Flexible and Adaptive

As NLP navigates a period of rapid growth, we have enhanced team capacity by building out a newly restructured department. You see this as an opportunity to learn under the guidance of a collaborative Senior Vice President of Development and are excited to partner with a Senior Major Gift Officer (East), four experienced NLP development team members, and another new team member in role that will be determined and defined as the organization continues its growth trajectory. You are eager to participate in the SVP’s team workshops to review and refine processes, ensure swift implementation, and work collaboratively to build a culture of continuous improvement. Overall, you feel compelled to play this pivotal role in shaping NLP’s development strategies, share your input and ideas, and exhibit flexibility and adaptability as the team develops new ways of working together.

Storytelling and Narrative Development

As a storyteller, you leverage your verbal and written communication skills to develop compelling donor materials and pitches that inspire action and support. You look for and listen to internal drivers, connect prospects with organizational mission, and articulate your organization’s vision and mission into narratives that inspire a call to action. You develop clear and compelling communications, tailor your approach to donor interests and motivations, and effectively communicate the significance of philanthropic support.

Collaborative Spirit

You understand that collaboration is at the heart of our team’s success. You recognize that annual fundraising goals are a shared responsibility, and you actively work closely with others to achieve it. While you manage your own portfolio and personal fundraising targets, you leverage the collective strength of your teammates, leadership, board members, and partners. You know that supporting each other is essential, and you are prepared to step in and help others as needed to ensure we meet our collective goals.

In addition, strong candidates will offer:

  • A data-driven mindset is encouraged.
  • Experience growing and scaling a regional team is highly desirable
  • Experience with Microsoft Office suite, fundraising databases and tools (preferably EveryAction and Wealth Engine), and working knowledge of tools like Notion, is strongly preferred.

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time position. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary range for this role is $140,000-150,000. This role is eligible for a bonus of up to 10% for exceptional performance.

NLP also offers outstanding benefits, including bonus, health and dental insurance, a 401(k)-plan match and more. For an overview of our generous benefits package, check out our HR benefits summary.

This is a US-based remote position. This position requires frequent travel across the West Coast, particularly SoCal, for in-person meetings. NLP has an office in Washington, DC, where this person may also be expected to travel on occasion (for staff retreats, etc.).

The News Literacy Project welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. We offer equal opportunity in employment for all qualified persons and prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, disability unrelated to job requirements, genetic information, military service or other protected status.

We deeply value diversity in the workplace and strongly believe that a diverse team enriches our organization and strengthens our ability to realize our mission (read/print NLP’s Organizational Values [PDF] and Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion [PDF]).

Contact

Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Molly Brennan, Malissa Brennan, and Gina Wrolstad. Express interest in this role by filling out our Talent Profile or emailing the search team directly at [email protected]. All inquiries and discussions are strictly confidential.

Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

About Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group

Koya Partners, a Diversified Search Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.

Diversified Search Group is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.

Learn more about Koya Partners l Diversified Search Group via the firm’s website.