Hiring: Fundraising Strategy Apprentice

Position Title: Fundraising Strategy Apprentice – Paid

Time Commitment: 20 hours/week; Part-time or contracted 

Reports To: Director of Fundraising Strategy 

Core Work Hours: Spark Point’s core working hours are Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM ET, with client-facing meetings occurring, primarily, Tuesdays through Thursdays. This position is part-time and a work schedule will be determined with their supervisor upon hiring. 

Overview: Spark Point Fundraising is a growing consulting firm that has a strong reputation for building powerful relationships with clients, being responsive and flexible in meeting their needs, and providing thoughtful and strategic guidance on their fundraising efforts. 

Job Description: We are seeking a Fundraising Strategy Apprentice to learn our systems, and broaden their fundraising strategy acumen, with the goal of securing a full-time role within our company or adjacent organization. Spark Point will provide mentorship, coaching, feedback, and intensive skills development opportunities. This is a paid position.    

The ideal candidate is someone who has some nonprofit fundraising experience and is excited to learn how to develop and teach nonprofit staff how to get better results, support growth, and achieve long-term sustainability. The best fit for this role is someone who:

1. Can see the big picture AND the details and is able to anticipate where bumps in the road will be and how to avoid or prevent them. 
2. Wants to learn how to translate fundraising strategy into implementation. 
3. Can see the connection between strategy, goals, and metrics, and willing to learn how to build a plan that includes all three. 
4. Has the passion to design and manage campaigns of various types and sizes – from a single year-end fundraising campaign, to a stewardship campaign, to a large, multi-year growth campaign – and everything in between.
5. Enjoys helping people build their skills OR is excited to build their skills as a coach, mentor, and thought partner- both as fundraisers and as professionals.
6. Is committed to equity and inclusion, especially as it relates to fundraising. 

If the above excites you, but seems like a bit of a stretch, don’t worry! Apply anyway. Enthusiasm and desire to succeed are valued in our hiring process, and we are willing to provide additional professional development support to the right candidate. We are actively recruiting candidates of diverse backgrounds, and BIPOC candidates are encouraged to apply.

Job Responsibilities

1. Supporting  Strategy Design and Development (50%)– The Fundraising Strategy Apprentice will master the following core competencies within six to 12 months:
   1. The ability to assess a client’s fundraising efforts and recommend the most effective tactics to maximize funding success. 
   2. Producing thorough, well-written, fundraising plans for various nonprofit clients with minimal supervision.
   3. Leading the design of a comprehensive annual fundraising strategy and coordinating implementation plan. 
   4. Crafting individual giving cultivation & stewardship plans and coaching the client through each step of the process. 
   5. Outlining institutional funding strategies for clients including grants and corporate giving.
   6. Creating customized annual calendar and communications plans.
   7. Leading clients through a process that results in a compelling case for support.
   8. Developing audience-specific talking points in support of the fundraising strategy.  

2. Learning Client-Facing Service Delivery (40%) – The Fundraising Strategy Apprentice will gain the ability to build and maintain strong, supportive, and responsive relationships with clients that make them feel like Spark Point is an indispensable part of their team. The person in this role will have access to a bench of experienced fundraising professionals and will leverage this knowledge to support our work with clients.

 The Fundraising Strategy Apprentice will initially shadow the Director of Fundraising Strategy while she provides strategic guidance and education to clients, maintains high standards for quality with the internal team, all while managing expectations within the scope of work for a given project. As the person grows in their role, they will be given more responsibility and at the end of the apprenticeship, the person should demonstrate mastery of the following client facing service delivery responsibilities:  

1. Prepare for and facilitate biweekly client meetings, in coordination with client teams.
2. Manage project teams for assigned clients, which include an operations associate and other staff as needed. 
3. Support clients with ongoing project management to keep strategy moving, track deadlines, and advance fundraising efforts. 
4. Coach clients and their board members to strengthen their fundraising acumen while serving as a thought and accountability partner.   
5. Coordinate with the Director of Fundraising Strategy to manage workflow across all client teams, ensuring that all team members have a manageable amount of work on their plates.
6. Coordinate with the Managing Director to support and improve client engagement and use of our systems, tools, and processes. 
7. Other duties as assigned (10%) – As a  dynamic and growing team, our needs can change quickly. Fundraising Strategists are expected to contribute to internal company initiatives and projects as needed. 

Qualifications

• Fundraising – The person in this position will ideally have 1 or more years of experience in fundraising for nonprofits. 
• Client Relations – The person in this position must understand and follow the basic tenets of client relationship management and professional service delivery while upholding the Spark Point Fundraising brand. 
• Communication – The person in this position must be able to effectively (meaning without ambiguity or animosity) communicate with colleagues, clients, and others in a direct and respectful manner and must prioritize direct communication as the most effective means of conveying meaning. In other words, say what you mean and mean what you say.
• Creative Problem Solving – The person in this position must be able to provide creative and helpful solutions to problems with the ultimate goal of achieving the highest possible level of client satisfaction.
• Ingenuity – The person in this position must have experience with creating, designing, or otherwise coming up with a new idea; creating a plan for executing the idea,  and completing the execution of said plan. 
• Compassion – Exceptional interpersonal skills, a high emotional quotient, and an ability to convey information directly and with kindness in both written and verbal communication.
• A Commitment to Ending Racism – Our commitment to equity is not superficial. Spark Point, like many organizations, is on a journey to eliminate racism and white supremacy from its operations. If this resonates with you then you are a good fit for this position.

Compensation and Benefits Package

This position is paid $55/hour (for a contracted position) or $45/hour (if a staff position) for 20 hours/week.   

In addition to financial compensation, Spark Point will offer the following additional benefits, applicable to employment status; PTO, Sick Leave, Holidays and flexibility. 

• Flexibility – Spark Point values work-life balance and flexibility in work environments, so you will be able to work at the times, locations, and pace that work best for you, provided that all deadlines are met, all client meetings proceed appropriately, progress is being made toward KPIs, and you attend any meetings that the CEO requires everyone to attend. Our team is fully remote. Occasional travel may be required for annual staff retreats, conferences, and other opportunities. 

Timeline

Applications are open until February 9, 2024. The target start date for this position is March 1 – March 15, but we can be flexible for the right candidate. 

Spark Point Fundraising is a boutique consulting firm that fights for equity. We work with clients in health care, human services, workforce development, advocacy, the arts, and other critical issue areas that help our neighbors and communities thrive. We provide outsourced foundation relations services (that’s where you come in) and fundraising strategy development to nonprofits that are changing the world. As a team, we are rooted in the values of kindness, compassion, respect, and integrity. We believe in equity. The majority of our clients are Black-led organizations serving communities of color. As such, a commitment to racial justice and anti-racism is central to our approach to client service.

Spark Point Fundraising is a woman-owned firm. Our team includes people of different ages, races, and sexual orientations. We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve, and we actively encourage people of diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. We recognize that nonprofit fundraising, as a field, is predominantly White, and that many structural barriers limit opportunity for people of color. As a part of our commitment to racial justice, we strongly encourage candidates with skills, talent, and drive to apply, even if your experience does not match the ideal candidate description listed here. We are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer.

Spark Point Fundraising LLC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Spark Point Fundraising LLC also complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in Washington, DC.

How to apply Fill out this Google form, where you will be prompted for general information as well as your cover letter and resume.