Associate Director, Individual Giving; Astraea

Posted on November 20, 2020

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is the only philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQI human rights around the globe. We support brilliant and brave grantee partners in the U.S. and internationally who challenge oppression and seed change. We work for racial, economic, social and gender justice because we all deserve to live our lives freely, without fear, and with dignity.

The first grantmaker to hundreds of organizations, Astraea plays a catalytic role for LGBTQI groups around the world - particularly those led by lesbian, bisexual and queer women, trans and gender nonconforming folks, intersex people, and people of color. Our grantmaking, capacity building, media and communications, and philanthropic advocacy programs support their work to build powerful movements for justice. A proud public foundation and one of the first women’s funds in the world, Astraea has granted over $46million to LGBTQI activists and artists in our 43-year history.

Are you passionate about mobilizing resources for grassroots movements? Are you a fearless fundraiser who loves bringing donors into social justice work and helping them align their resources with movement needs? Do you have strategic expertise that you’d like to contribute to advancing Astraea’s critical mission at this pivotal time for the world? Do you find fulfillment in team leadership and mentorship of up-and-coming fellow fundraisers?

We are looking for you to join Astraea’s close-knit, committed and leaderful Development team!

Building on a decade of institutional and programmatic growth, Astraea is excited to be bolstering our Development team as part of a holistic strategy to support our long-term sustainability as a resource partner to our movements. One of three new positions, the Associate Director, Individual Giving will lead and manage Astraea’s individual donor program. Individual giving has accounted for 10-20% of Astraea’s revenue for the past several years.

We are looking to diversify our resources, first via deeper stewardship of our current individual donors and then by expanding our donor base in the coming years. Reporting to the Senior Director of Philanthropic Partnerships, working in close collaboration with the Development Officer, Individual Giving, and partnering with Astraea’s senior leadership and Board, the Associate Director will oversee and execute an overall plan for donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship as well as hold a dedicated portfolio of donors.

The ideal candidate will live in the greater New York region and be able to travel regularly (at least one to two times a month) to New York City if they are not based in NYC.

• Strategy and Leadership
  • Develop and manage strategies to strengthen donor stewardship and cultivation, including determining and monitoring relationships with prospects and donors; identifying those to be involved in cultivation, stewardship and solicitation; and ensuring that solicitations are carried out
  • Oversee the design and implementation of fundraising campaigns in partnership with Development and Communications teams
  • Collaborate closely with the Development Officer, Individual Giving on strategy development and moves management, while providing mentorship and supervision
  • Partner with the Senior Donor Systems and Database Manager and the Development Officer, Individual Giving to identify and move donors that have the potential to deepen their commitments
  • Further develop strategies to cultivate individual donors, such as planned giving, corporate matching and ERG engagement, and events
• Develop and execute strategies to sustain and grow a robust individual giving program, including cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of Astraea’s 700+ active individual donors
• Manage a personal portfolio of approximately 100 donors (portfolio strategy to be finalized with Development team), building close relationships and soliciting annual, multi-year and planned gifts
• Produce thoughtful donor…