Director, Investments & Partnerships [Full Time, Exempt]

Job Overview

Washington Autism Alliance (WAA):

The nation’s only legal advocate for people with autism and other intellectual disabilities to access healthcare and education regardless of a client’s ability to pay.   WAA seeks outstanding candidates for this important leadership position to fund its mission to expand access to healthcare, education and services for people with autism and other intellectual developmental disabilities in Washington State.

The Director of Investments and Partnerships will serve as a leading spokesperson and ambassador for WAA. They are primarily responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with a portfolio of community leaders and individuals who are prospective partners and investors in WAA’s work. They will cultivate relationships and take the leadership role to develop a team of dedicated professionals to engage individuals and corporations across the state and solicit their investment of time, talent and financial support in WAA’s mission.

Specifically, this position will initiate contacts with potential investors of $10,000 and above; develop and deploy individualized cultivation strategies which harness the full range of WAA’s people and programs; develop solicitation and closure strategies; and deliver ongoing, and personal reporting regarding any and all investments made.

Position Summary:

Build relationships across our community and serve as an ambassador. Lead a team to share the work of our organization, ask for philanthropic investments and cultivate relationships with investors in support of our mission. A successful director demonstrates ambition, internal drive, can work independently while thriving in a collaborative environment, approaches relationship building with care and creativity, can lead a team, and has a growth mindset.

Major Responsibilities:

• Lead the implementation, management, evaluation and regular reporting of community engagement and fundraising goals, team strategies and tactics. Share results with team, management and Board of Directors.

• Oversee preparation of departmental written materials to secure gifts and grants.
• Lead Community Outreach efforts to ensure coordinated visibility and outreach efforts to support fundraising and department goals.

• In close partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, coordinates the sharing, development and revision of the organization’s impact plan, including articulating organization wide goals; strategies; milestones; metrics; financial strategy; and staffing & budget projections.

• Recruit, cultivate and steward relationships with key stakeholders, including current and potential donors, grantors, volunteers and ambassadors.
• Lead professional development efforts, contributing to the development of appropriate goals and work plans, coaching performance, and providing necessary support to ensure both successful individual performance and effective team and cross team performance. 
• Support a relationship based development model that emphasizes the cycle of acquisition, investment and stewardship and includes measurable goals, strategies and tactics.
• Lead annual development planning process, producing a written plan with measurable development goals.
• Serves as a liaison in support of the outreach, advocacy and relationship building efforts of the Board of Directors and the CEO to a carefully identified set of influential leaders in the philanthropy, corporate leadership, government, nonprofit, and community leadership and advocacy spaces.
•  Directly oversees an investment pipeline of current and prospective financial supporters. Ensures that each individual in the portfolio receives continuous, personalized attention and ongoing engagement in furtherance of that individual’s relationship with and support of WAA. On average, conducts a minimum of one and a optimum of three personal contacts with current and prospective supporters each business day.
• Oversees the operation of the Office of Investments & Partnerships, including the work of the officers, community engagement, support staff, vendors, contractors, and others involved with marketing, communication, and outreach.
• Ensures that database protocols and procedures are comprehensive, best practice, and executed with discipline and accuracy. Ensure the donor database is continuously updated so that all information is accurate, up-to-date, and appropriately organized.
•  Statement of Ethics – takes lead responsibility to ensure that each member of the Investments and Partnerships Office, the CEO, and all members of the Board of Directors read and discuss, at minimum once annually, the AFP Code of Ethics and ensure that each individual engages with the concepts and adheres closely to these principles and practices.