Director of Development and Partnerships

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What You'll Do

We are seeking an experienced Director of Development and Partnerships to join Bellingcat as we build and scale US operations to $10M over the next five years. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and implementing fundraising and earned income strategies, systems, and operations. You will also play a leadership role not only building and maintaining relationships with donors and coordinating with the fundraising team based in the Netherlands, but also in creating partnerships that meaningfully scale Bellingcat's work here in the US The ideal candidate will have prior experience creating a fundraising function for a highly impactful, visible, and entrepreneurial organization.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Strategy and Leadership

• As our inaugural Director of Development, create and implement a comprehensive US fundraising plan to support our mission and goals
• Build a development function that enables the organization to not only produce world-changing reporting, but also train journalists on open source intelligence methods, enabling meaningful action at the community level
• Create a strategy to grow and diversify US revenue streams, ensuring that we have a robust pool of both individual and institutional donors in accordance with Bellingcat's fundraising policy
• Develop programs and strategies to manage a portfolio of donors, including stewardship, solicitation, and recognition activities, with an eye toward meaningful donor engagement

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Win ongoing funding by investing in the cultivation of key foundations that align with our mission and work
• Work closely with the editorial and operations team to create compelling proposals, grant applications and donor reports, leveraging organizational assets to attract new donors and keep them engaged
• Build and maintain donor database and lead data analysis to inform fundraising strategies and enable strategic decision-making
• Continuously evaluate the shifting trends in philanthropy, with the goal of adapting Bellingcat's fundraising strategy to the latest context

Partnerships and Earned Income

• In collaboration with the Executive Director, ensure seamless relationship management, excellent execution, and overall stewardship of current and potential partnerships
• Map and monitor the broad fields in which Bellingcat operates (local journalism, education, etc), identifying opportunities for creative connections that deliver impact and generate revenue
• Lead all aspects of research, analysis, and subsequent action to identify, pursue, and secure new, high-impact opportunities
• Create systems for coordinating multiple concurrent partnership initiatives

Operations and Research

• Drive the moves management process by working closely with the Executive Director to track the donor pipeline, setting the agenda for regular pipeline meetings, and managing progress toward key metrics.
• Drive the donor identification and qualification process by providing comprehensive screening and research of prospects, elevating new potential donors and opportunities to deepen relationships with existing donors.
• Manage and maintain database reports, dashboards, tracking systems and lists to monitor fundraising performance, prospect analysis and portfolio upkeep.
• Recommend and implement best practices in pipeline management, including but not limited to workflow process management, database upkeep and automated prompts for excellent relationship stewardship.

Who You'll Work With

• You will report to the US Executive Director.
• You will collaborate on a daily basis with the Netherlands-based fundraising team. Additionally, you'll have frequent touchpoints with the US Board of Directors and Bellingcat's Europe-based Editorial team.

• At least seven years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, preferably for a globally-focused organization
• Experience closing 5-6 figure gifts and managing a portfolio of $1M+ per year, with a track record of successful fundraising, including grant writing, individual giving, and major gifts
• Track record of building new systems and strategies in an entrepreneurial context, with an eye for continuous improvement and ongoing innovation
• Ability to build and foster strong relationships with donors and prospective funders
• Strong project management skills
• Knowledge of, and experience with, major foundations and the grant development process
• Expertise in the latest trends and innovations in the broader philanthropy space; maintains, develops and incorporates that expertise as circumstances change
• Passion for Bellingcat's commitment to using open source research methods to investigate a variety of subjects of public interest.
• Experience writing fundraising appeals, reports, and other development-related materials for print and digital platforms for targeted audiences
• Effective verbal and written communication across varied audiences including internal staff, board members, donors, and other external stakeholders

Location and Travel Requirements

This is a remote position. Due to frequent collaboration with colleagues in Europe, Bellingcat requires that the incoming Director be based in the Eastern time zone. There is a strong preference for candidates based within easy reach of an international airport (and ideally New York City, where the US Board frequently meets).

Bellingcat anticipates that the incoming Director will travel 30-35% of the time. Most travel will be domestic, though there will likely be two trips per year to Europe.

Bellingcat is not able to support US visa sponsorship for this role.

Compensation

Salary for this role is expected to be $160k – $200k annually, commensurate with experience.

Our team is international, from a wide range of backgrounds, and we always welcome and appreciate new perspectives and life experiences. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, origin, religion, age, gender or sexual orientation.