Philanthropy Officer

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and life insurance

403(b)/retirement matching

Flexible Spending Account

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) seeks a Philanthropy Officer to manage a portfolio of existing donors and attract new supporters in the West Coast region, with significant travel. This role reports to the Chief Development Officer and collaborates with the development team and leadership.

The position requires 30–40% travel, strong communication skills, and a passion for FIRE’s mission. Occasional evenings/weekends may be expected as part of donor engagement.

Qualifications

• A four year undergraduate degree is required.
• 3–5 years of development experience, with personal solicitation of major gifts preferred.
• Willingness to travel 30–40% and attend events.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to articulate FIRE’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Maintain relationships with a portfolio of supporters to solicit upgrades and continued annual support.
• Cultivate and solicit donor prospects to grow FIRE’s donor base.
• Update donor records and establish performance metrics for portfolio management.
• Create proposals, pitches, emails, and newsletters in collaboration with staff.
• Consult with program staff to understand needs and communicate impact to donors.
• Attend events to represent FIRE and engage with donors and allies.
• Support broader fundraising efforts to add donor outreach capacity.

Skills

Donor relations

Prospecting

Communication skills

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

This position can be based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or Washington, D.C., where FIRE operates on a hybrid work schedule that allows for a mix of in-the-office and remote work for eligible employees. It is also open to exceptional remote candidates living in the assigned region of California or the Pacific Northwest.

About FIRE

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of all Americans to free speech and free thought—the most essential qualities of liberty. FIRE educates Americans about the importance of these inalienable rights, promotes a culture of respect for these rights, and provides the means to preserve them.

Position Description

FIRE is seeking a Philanthropy Officer to manage a portfolio of existing donors and work to attract new supporters in the West Coast region.

This position requires a significant amount of travel; approximately 30-40% of the job will be on the road. Occasional work on weekends and evenings should be expected.

The Philanthropy Officer will report directly to FIRE’s Chief Development Officer, while working closely with the rest of the development team and occasionally with FIRE’s President and CEO. Additionally, the Philanthropy Officer will consult with FIRE’s other department heads to keep abreast of all programming initiatives. The duties for this position include, but are not limited to:

• Maintain an active relationship with a portfolio of current supporters in order to solicit upgraded and continued annual support. This position will personally direct the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of these supporters through sustained communication, events, in-person meetings, research, and coordinated moves management. The portfolio will include major donors in the California and West Coast region.
• Work with the development team to cultivate and solicit donor prospects to grow FIRE’s donor base, by researching friendly contacts, seeking out new leads, writing prospect correspondence, and seeking meetings.
• Update donor records/profiles on a regular basis, and establish and maintain performance metrics, including overall portfolio management;
• Work with FIRE’s development and program staff to create written proposals/pitches, slide decks, email solicitations, donor emails, and newsletter articles.
• Consult with program staff as needed to understand program needs and impacts and be able to communicate that to donors.
• Attend FIRE and non-FIRE events to represent the organization and interact with donors, potential supporters, and allies.
• Add valuable donor outreach capacity to the development team by supporting the organization’s overall fundraising efforts.

The expected start date for this position will be ASAP.

Qualifications

A successful candidate will have a good work ethic, be a self-starter, and have the ability to work independently. Most importantly, the candidate must demonstrate a knowledge and passion for FIRE’s mission and an ability to articulate that passion in a way that will make others enthusiastic about our cause. A candidate must also be able to demonstrate:

• A four year undergraduate degree.
• 3-5 years experience in development, preferably with personal solicitation of major gifts.
  • Applicants with non-development yet relevant experience in fields like law, policy, or advocacy are also encouraged to apply.
• A goal-oriented mindset and the ability to directly ask supporters for money.
• A high-level of interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• An understanding of how to personalize FIRE’s mission and stories.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to be compelling, a good listener, and be able to think on their feet;
• A willingness to travel often.
• A working knowledge of donor prospecting methods (preferred, not required).
• A working knowledge of donor database platforms like Salesforce (preferred, not required).

Salary and Compensation

The projected salary range is $80,000-$100,000 based upon experience and education level. FIRE conducts periodic evaluations where employees may receive raises or bonuses for outstanding and excellent work. FIRE also offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes employer-paid comprehensive health, dental, and life insurance for employees, a Section 125 Flexible Spending Account option, matching retirement contributions, and a generous paid time-off plan.

Applications

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

FIRE is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

As part of FIRE's hiring process, all candidates receiving a conditional offer of employment will be required to undergo a background check as permitted by and in compliance with federal, state, and local law.