Lead Funder Organizer

 
 

Overview: 

The Lead Funder Organizer will contribute to the overall success of the organization by meaningfully engaging our institutional funders, writing and submitting compelling grant proposals, and increasing philanthropy’s understanding of abolition, environmental justice, and Black liberation. This individual will play a critical role in the organization’s ability to move our institutional funders and the philanthropic sector to be bolder in their commitment to shifting practices and creating community-led solutions. This position will report to the Resource Mobilization Director.

We aim to create a collaborative and joyous workplace, and seek someone committed to social justice and ready to dig into building an all Black-led organization. In the first year of this role, the Lead Funder Organizer will participate in our strategic planning activities as it relates to supporting our work around resource stewardship and our financial independence. 

About Black Visions: 

Since 2017, Black Visions has been putting into practice the lessons learned from organizations before us, as well, our direct experience in building within the Movement for Black Lives, in order to shape a political home for Black people across Minnesota. Through our intentional growth process, we aim to center our work in healing and transformative justice principles, sustainability, and developing Minnesota’s emerging Black leadership to lead powerful campaigns. By building movements from the ground up with an integrated model, we are creating the conditions for long term success and transformation. 

Mission: Black Visions is a Black-led, Queer and Trans centering organization whose mission is to organize powerful, connected Black communities and dismantle systems of violence. 

Vision:  Black Visions believes in a future where all Black people have autonomy, safety is community-led, and we are in right relationship within our ecosystems. 

Black Visions is currently in a period of growth, accountability, and development. All prospective applicants must be willing to grow with the organization as we move into our next iteration. 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES 

Funder Education and Organizing

  • Educate, inform, and as appropriate also challenge,  our institutional funders to deepen their level of connection to our organizing campaigns

  • Lead the planning, management, and coordination of events that combine political education and philanthropic actiond

  • In collaboration with the campaigns and communications pods, develop political education content that can effectively educate and move our institutional funders and the philanthropic sector

  • Engage and mobilize institutional funders to participate in shaping solutions to shift the culture of philanthropy and the ways in which it engages community 


Relationship Management

  • Develop and implement strategies for identifying and cultivating prospects both locally and nationally

  • Continue engaging and building relationships with our current institutional funders

  • Be a key leader in advising organizational leadership on how to steward philanthropic relationships to meet our long term goals

  • Represent the organization in funder meetings and prepare senior leadership for funder meetings as needed

  • Assist in developing and executing a strategy for discovering and securing new donor prospects and strengthening community partnerships, as part of the overall development plan

Grant Writing and Fundraising

  • Research and stay up-to-date on grant opportunities/trends locally and nationally 

  • Identify and clarify organizational opportunities and needs, study requests for proposal (RFPs), and attend strategy meetings

  • Prepare proposals by identifying opportunities, gathering and formatting information, writing drafts, and obtaining approvals

  • Maintain quality results by managing and regularly updating proposal templates; following proposal-writing standards including readability, consistency, and tone

  • Meet proposal deadlines by establishing priorities and target dates for information gathering, writing, review, approval, and transmittal

  • In collaboration with Resource Mobilization Coordinator, coordinate the collection of materials and timely submission of proposals

  • Lead on grant reporting and activities that keep funders up-to-date about our work, including regular relational follow up, writing reports, collecting data and materials from program staff, archiving content that visualizes our work, etc. 

Team Engagement

  • Ensure institutional funder contributions adhere to gift acceptance policy

  • Participate in routine reconciliation work with the Finance team

  • Lead on special projects as assigned by Resource Mobilization Director or Executive Team 

  • Participate in staff trainings and cultural activities 

  • Participate in leadership & professional development and commit to growth and transformation within the work in service to Black Liberation

  • Other duties as assigned*

* As a young and growing organization, we know we must be flexible and adaptive to change; this requires a willingness to hold that these specific responsibilities may shift and work may be required on evenings and weekends. 

Experience and Qualifications Required:

  • 4+ years of relevant fundraising experience required

  • Brings working knowledge of the philanthropic sector and a strong understanding of the current progressive funder landscape 

  • Passion for resourcing our movements 

  • Experience and cultural competence living/working in African Diaspora communities

  • Willingness to learn new techniques, ideas, and skills

  • Common sense, flexibility, and teamwork skills with the ability to exercise independent judgment

  • Strong project and time management skills

  • Strong attention to detail

  • Proclivity toward curiosity

  • Ability to prioritize competing tasks and deadlines

  • Ability to pivot to meet current events and organizational needs while maintaining attention to detail

  • Access to reliable transportation

  • Proficient written and verbal communication skills with experience in Microsoft applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, and MSWord as well as GSuite (bonus points if you are comfortable with EveryAction/CRM’s and project management software like monday.com)

  • A relational person, able to build rapport with people inside and outside of the organization

  • Personal integrity – Honors confidentiality of information, makes ethical decisions, uses sound judgment

  • Steadfast commitment to collective liberation and ability to speak to Black Vision’s mission and vision

Must be willing and able to:

  • Communicate needs and boundaries as they arise

  • Delegate tasks to focus on their primary role

  • Speak to what Abolition is and why it is essential to Black liberation

  • Access to reliable transportation 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in a standard office environment which requires occasionally lifting such articles as file boxes or heavier materials with help from others and/or lifting and carrying light objects frequently. A job in this category may require walking or standing to a significant degree or may involve sitting most of the time with long periods of computer work and heavy phone usage. Flexibility to work outside normal business hours that include evenings and weekends and work extended hours to accomplish requirements of the position.

*Due to COVID-19, Black Visions staff are currently working from home with a few moments (about 1x/month) when staff are expected in person. 

REPORTS TO & LOCATION

  • This position reports directly to the Resource Mobilization Director

  • Position is located in Minneapolis, MN. All Black Visions staff must have a home address in Minnesota.

This is a full-time salaried position. Salary will be set commensurate with experience and will include a full package of benefits including health and dental insurance, matching retirement, investment in personal development, and an expansive time off policy. 

Salary range: $65,000 - $70,000 commensurate with experience 

TO APPLY: 

Please submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@blackvisionsmn.org -- Lead Funder Organizer -- Your Name.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Position will remain open until filled. 

Black Visions is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage folks who are queer, trans, non-binary, BIPOC, have disabilities, and/or are or have been impacted by systems of oppression, to apply.