Job Description

About Friends & Waterfront Park 

Friends of Waterfront Seattle (Friends) is the nonprofit partner to the City of Seattle, responsible for helping to fund, build, steward, and program the park — today and into the future.   In addition to raising $110M by 2024 to fund park construction, Friends will provide funding and manage the programming and operations of the future Waterfront Park through a joint-delivery partnership with Seattle Parks & Recreation. Park construction has begun following the Viaduct’s removal and the first piece of the park — Pier 62 — is now open. 

Waterfront Park is situated on the land of the Coast Salish Peoples, who have resided here since time immemorial and continue to thrive. With respect and humility, we acknowledge the history of the waterfront, the dispossession of land from the Coast Salish people and, most importantly, the strength and resilience of Native people and their culture through this history to the present. This acknowledgement serves only as a first step in honoring the land that we occupy and the first peoples of that land. Friends recognizes the work to build and repair relationships with Native communities will be long and evolving. 

The construction of Waterfront Park is underway and scheduled to be completed in 2024. Designed to provide green spaces,  elevated views, and recreation opportunities, Waterfront Park will be a place where residents and visitors can connect with nature and each other. As the nonprofit responsible for sustaining and programming the park in perpetuity, Friends exists not only to care for the physical aspects of the park, but to foster deep community engagement. We strive to create spaces where diverse ideas, programming, and people come together to make the Waterfront much more than a beautiful park.  

Friends of Waterfront Seattle recognizes and acknowledges historic and existing systemic racism embedded in our city. Friends is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization by prioritizing racial equity inside the organization and in the public spaces we operate. Our goal is to continually cultivate inclusive spaces where all people — specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as underserved communities — are invited and welcome to  engage with and enjoy Waterfront Park. 

In order to realize a bold vision for community engagement and create spaces where everyone feels safe and valued, Friends believes that DEI work belongs to everyone at the organization and must be integrated into operations at every level.  

The Role 

The Philanthropy & Stewardship Officer is a key member of the philanthropy team and works in collaboration with colleagues across the organization to engage and steward supporters of Waterfront Park. This newly created role is an opportunity to be part of a growing team that is tasked not only with completing a $200M comprehensive campaign, but with building a robust, community-focused philanthropy program that will sustain Waterfront Park in perpetuity.  

Reporting to the Associate Chief Philanthropy Officer, the Philanthropy & Stewardship Officer has two core areas of focus: 1) To create and implement a comprehensive donor stewardship and recognition program to support fundraising goals and activities for Friends’ $200M Campaign for Waterfront Park Seattle; and 2) To serve as a gift officer for FWS; identifying, cultivating, and soliciting a portfolio of prospects and donors that generates five-figure+ gifts. 

Position Responsibilities: 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

• Contribute to an inclusive workplace culture and adhere to FWS Community Agreements. 
• Engage in regular conversations about race and equity through all-staff meetings, trainings, and a DEI book club. 

• Work with the philanthropy team to incorporate Community-Centric Fundraising Principles into fundraising efforts, recognizing that this will take time and continue to evolve. 

Donor Stewardship 

• Support gift officers and Campaign volunteers in developing meaningful cultivation and engagement activities for donors and prospects.  
• Manage stewardship and recognition programs for major donors, providing excellent relationship management and prompt follow–up.   

• Plan and implement donor cultivation and stewardship events, such as house receptions, site tours, and fundraisers; help identify and cultivate potential new event hosts and sponsors. 
• Collaborate and engage the program team in donor cultivation and stewardship to bring the philanthropic potential of Friends’ work to donors. 
• Manage and regularly update donor recognition opportunities. Work with donors to ensure they understand recognition plans. Oversee development and placement of recognition/tribute signage.  
• Field inquiries from donors about their gifts, acknowledgements, and gift documentation and demonstrate exemplary customer service in all exchanges.   
• Oversee occasional donor surveys; review and analyze results to guide better stewardship practices.   

Frontline Fundraising 

• Build, qualify, cultivate, and solicit a portfolio of 100 current and new donors and prospects capable of making gifts at the $10,000+ level.  
• In coordination with the Associate Chief Philanthropy Officer, plan, develop, and implement a targeted, integrated cultivation strategy for assigned donors/prospects that builds a pipeline for strategic gifts, primarily from new high-net-worth donors and prospects.  
• Act as principal donor strategist for each prospect in the portfolio with specific responsibility to develop a written donor strategy and relationship record of all interactions.  

• Provide complete and accurate activity and moves management reports on a regular basis that include detailed call and activity reports, revenue forecasts, data analytics, and other accomplishments.  
• With the Associate Chief Philanthropy Officer, assist in setting and meeting annual revenue goals for major gifts prospects. 
•  Develop and maintain positive, collaborative working relationships with Friends’ senior leadership team, board, and volunteers.  
• Attend program and fundraising activities as needed, including in the evenings and on weekends. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience. 
• 3-5 years of fundraising or equivalent experience. Prior experience with capital or comprehensive campaigns would be an advantage. 
• A commitment to incorporating the practices and ethos of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) in all facets of your work. 
• Ability to develop and maintain long-term relationships with high-level donors and volunteer leadership. 

• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills 
• Deep interest in understanding a range of diverse cultural differences and the ability to work effectively with people from a range of social, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. 
• Excellent time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and deliver quick turnaround in an environment demanding high energy, attention to accuracy and detail, discretion, flexibility, and superior work.  
• Ability to handle sensitive information in a confidential manner and to tactfully handle stressful situations and to negotiate and resolve conflicts, while observing organizational protocols.  
• Ability to be an innovative and resourceful problem-solver, eager to take initiative to handle requests and resolve issues quickly with minimal supervision. 

• Ability to work collegially as a member of a team and help ensure coordinated, integrated, and efficient workflow. 
• Ability to use Windows-based software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with Salesforce CRM a plus.  

Compensation and Benefits  

The Philanthropy & Stewardship Officer role is a full-time position. The annual salary range for this position is $70K-$80K. Vacation, health care and dental coverage, and transit pass are paid by the organization. Ability to participate in defined contribution retirement plan with 3% match by the organization.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: community centric, donation, donor, and Fundraising. Salaries: 60,000 - 80,000.

685 total views, 0 today

Apply for this Job