Development Director

Are you passionate about connecting individuals and organizations to issues that they care about and want to support? Can you integrate individual, corporate, and event-based fundraising to support women and nonbinary journalists, diversity in the news media, and press freedom?  Do you thrive when sharing the stories of remarkable individuals who risk it all to make the world a better place? Can you point to a track-record of making important connections that lead to significant funding? If the answer to those questions is yes, you could be our perfect candidate.

As Development Director, your role will be to work directly with the Executive Director to lead the IWMF’s efforts to raise support among foundations, individuals, and corporations by creating and implementing a strategy and work plan to meet our fundraising needs. This will include:

• Participating in guiding the growth and development of the IWMF as a member of its senior leadership team.
• Creating a multi-year strategy for donor cultivation and solicitation informed by data collection and knowledge of our donor base.
• Fostering and building relationship with existing donors, including small-dollar and major givers, corporate sponsors and foundation contacts.
• Traveling to meet potential funders, as well as maintaining and cultivating relationships with existing partners in LA, NY and DC.
• Supporting the IWMF Board of Directors on fundraising activities on behalf of the IWMF.
• Overseeing and managing year-round Courage in Journalism Awards fundraising campaign, including cultivating leadership, overseeing event planning, solicitation, cultivation, consultant, and consultant management. Annual awards events take place in New York, Washington, DC and Los Angeles.
• Overseeing planning for and executing three fundraising events in 2023 in Los Angeles.
• Developing and managing fundraising and advisory committees that support the IWMF’s development efforts.
• Liaising with IWMF communications and programs departments, as well as leadership to develop content and event programs.
• Developing materials for solicitations and proposals.
• Preparing grant reports for foundations and IWMF leadership.
• Ensuring compliance with all reporting requirements to donors and relevant agencies.
• Overseeing the development and maintenance of a donor database.
• Managing development coordinator and executive coordinator (half-time on development).

The Development Director’s role is broad, requiring someone comfortable with juggling many activities.  It will require diplomacy and quick action coupled with long-term strategic implementation, and involvement in all aspects of the IWMF’s operations including, but not restricted to, programs, communications, networking, and events.

If you are a bold, experienced development leader able to build on and nurture our committed funding base to increase support for the IWMF’s mission, we welcome your application.

Qualifications: Eight to 10 years of relevant work experience. Previous fundraising and management experience essential. A proven track-record of high-level fundraising and experience cultivating corporate sponsors and major donors. Must be eligible to work in the United States. Candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

Skills and Values:

• Cultural competence and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Proven senior level managerial, problem solving, and organizational development skills.
• Self-starter who is organized, flexible, able to successfully manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Experience working with high-level contacts in a diplomatic and professional manner.
• Excellent fundraising skills.
• Solutions oriented approach a must.
• Knowledge of the news media and development industry a plus.
• Fluency in English, including excellent written and oral communications skills.
• Passion for IWMF’s mission, enthusiasm, entrepreneurial spirit, ability to motivate others and a sense of humor required.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Employment Type:

Full-time. IWMF headquarters are located in Washington, DC. Work location flexible; IWMF staff works remotely.

Compensation:

Commensurate with experience. Starting salary for IWMF Directors is $100,000. IWMF also provides excellent benefits, including a 401(k) program with employer matching incentive, individual health insurance (80% paid by the IWMF), short- and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, the opportunity to establish a flexible spending allowance, and a generous leave policy, including paid leave between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  IWMF staff work remotely with a “global office” policy and flexible schedule options. Opportunities for professional development, advancement, and travel.

About the IWMF:

The International Women’s Media Foundation breaks barriers for women journalists to promote a diverse and representative news media. We challenge established narratives by offering resources and opportunities to women and nonbinary journalists and draw attention to gender disparity in the news industry. The IWMF is only organization that offers emergency support, safety training, global reporting opportunities, and funding for both staff reporters and freelancers, all specifically tailored for women. The IWMF’s priority areas fall into four thematic areas: safety, opportunity, equity, and recognition.

The IWMF prioritizes Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging across all our programming and fundraising initiatives, as well as in our day-to-day operations. We are a women-led organization with 50% of senior leadership and 41% of staff positions held by women of color.  We believe our strength as an organization is directly tied to the diversity of voices on our team.

What we do

• In 2022, we have awarded $600,000+ in reporting grants to 200+ journalists worldwide, resulting in 340 stories and 15 journalism awards (and counting!).
• Our Emergency Fund served as a necessary lifeline of support in times of crisis, assisting over 1,100 journalists from 23 countries the past two years. Our emergency assistance work expanded to include support to Afghan journalists fleeing crisis, providing over $1,500,00 to over 600 journalists in need. The IWMF also continued the US Emergency Fund and the Black Journalists Therapists Relief Fund, providing over $137,000 to U.S.-based journalists in need; over $160,000 supporting Black journalists’ mental health; and over $215,000 to women journalists in distress globally.
• This year our safety trainings reached 600+ journalists and we partnered with 20+ newsrooms to provide customized safety support.
• Via our Courage in Journalism Awards, we have honored 114 women from 60 countries since 1990.

For more information about the IWMF, please visit www.iwmf.org

Please submit applications online here: https://iwmf.submittable.com/submit/243345/2022-development-director. Applications will not be accepted via email.