New Partnerships, Development

FIRE•Philadelphia, PA

4d•$50,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

FIRE is looking for an entrepreneurial, curious, and highly motivated individual who loves our mission and wants to introduce it to people who have not yet discovered us. In this role, you will identify individuals with the potential to become significant philanthropic partners ($10,000+), figure out what aspects of FIRE’s work will resonate with them, and create thoughtful ways to bring them into our community. You will have considerable ownership over how you build FIRE’s prospect pipeline. One day you might uncover a promising donor through research; another, you might map a connection through FIRE’s existing network, craft a personalized introduction, attend an event, or develop a strategy for reaching prospective supporters in a new city. Your goal is to turn promising names into relationships, and relationships into donors who are excited to advance FIRE’s mission. There is no single background that we are looking for to fill this role. You might be early in your career and eager to prove what you can do, or you might be a seasoned development professional looking for an opportunity to build something. What matters most is that you believe in FIRE’s mission, are energized by finding and connecting with new potential supporters, and have the drive and creativity to turn opportunities into results. If that sounds like you, we want to hear from you!

Requirements

Must believe deeply in FIRE’s mission and be able to communicate that enthusiasm in a way that gets other people excited about our work.
A good work ethic.
A self-starter.
Ability to work independently.
An entrepreneurial, results-oriented mindset.
Organized enough to turn hustle into results.
Excellent interpersonal instincts.
An understanding of how to personalize FIRE’s mission and stories.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
The confidence to initiate.
Resourcefulness and intellectual curiosity.
Persistence and follow through.
Legally authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

A working knowledge of donor database platforms like Salesforce (preferred, not required).
A working knowledge of donor prospecting methods (preferred, not required).

Responsibilities

Find FIRE’s next major donors. Identify, research, and qualify individuals with the capacity and inclination to make significant gifts to FIRE, using prospect research, relationship mapping, AI, and good old-fashioned curiosity.
Turn prospects into relationships. Build and manage a portfolio of prospective donors, develop individualized strategies for engaging them, and conduct thoughtful outreach through emails, letters, phone calls, meetings, referrals, events, and other creative approaches.
Open doors through FIRE’s network. Work with existing donors, board members, staff, and other friends of FIRE to uncover connections, secure warm introductions, and expand the universe of people who know and support FIRE’s work.
Create compelling ways to introduce people to FIRE. Learn what motivates individual prospects and develop personalized emails, letters, presentations, briefings, and other materials that connect their interests with the parts of FIRE’s mission most likely to resonate with them.
Know the landscape and spot opportunities. Keep a finger on the pulse of the news, issues, debates, and influential people relevant to FIRE’s mission. Use that knowledge to spot emerging opportunities, identify potential supporters, and find creative ways to introduce FIRE to people who should know us.
Build and continually improve FIRE’s new donor pipeline. Partner with Philanthropy Officers and Development leadership to move promising relationships forward, determine when opportunities should transition to forward-facing fundraisers, track results in Salesforce, and experiment with new tools and approaches to make FIRE’s prospecting more effective.