Development and Investor Relations Director

Black Farmer Fund seeks its first full-time Development & Investor Relations Director to support our individual, investor, and philanthropic fundraising strategies. This person will be responsible for the fundraising goals of an annual operating budget of $3M and managing investor relations for a $20M integrated capital fund. The position will manage most aspects of the development cycle including prospecting, soliciting, cultivating and stewarding donors/investors and philanthropic institutions. The Development & Investor Relations Director will also lead grant writing and reporting within the organization. A qualified candidate will have experience managing a portfolio of donors/investors, designing and implementing targeted fundraising strategies, practicing sound data management, grant writing and collaborating across teams.

This is a remote, full-time position requiring 10% travel for in-person events and workshops. This position may require work outside of standard business hours. The ideal candidate must reside in the Northeast with a preference for applicants residing in the NYC metro area.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership-15%

• Develop and strengthen BFF’s fundraising infrastructure to ensure efficient and effective support for individual giving and institutional giving
• Work as a member of the leadership team to refine our approach to giving and establish strategies that are in-line with Black Farmer Fund’s Fundraising Values & Principles;

Individual Giving- 40%

• Support the development of a comprehensive, multi-year individual donor strategy with annual raise goals
• Serve as the point of contact for individual donors;
• Organize (virtual and in person) events to establish and maintain relationships with potential donors
• Recommend new engagement opportunities for donors and implement best practices for attracting future supporters;
• Develop partnerships and collaborations with values aligned institutions and organizations that may provide financial or social capital to Black Farmer Fund
• Lead the planning and execution of prospective fundraising events, including the securing sponsorship

Philanthropic Institutional Management -30%

• With support of team, responsible for leading proposal writing (foundations, government), reporting and
• Through prospectus research of donors and philanthropic institutions, develop database of potential institutional donors that align with the work of Black Farmer Fund
• Prepare materials for leadership to be informed prior to fundraising calls and events
• Represent Black Farmer Fund in external spaces connected to donor stewardship
• Collaborate with the Operations department to maintain accurate records and reports in the Salesforce donor database, tracking cultivation and stewardship activities, reporting deadlines and progress to goals;

Investor Relations- 15%

• Serve as the point of contact for investors for BFF Fund 2.0;
• Support the Investment Director & Communications Team in generating BFF Fund 2.0 reporting;
• Convey credibility and expertise in advising investors on confidential and complex philanthropic planning matters;
• Ensure that investors to the fund are stewarded and consistently engaged through the development of biannual impact reports;

SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years of direct fundraising and/or direct donor/investor relationship experience required;
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing fundraising campaigns and developing community partnerships;
• Demonstrated experience developing sound donor strategies, including using research and additional supporting materials;
• Demonstrated experience working with individual investors and/or investment firms;
• Knowledge of current philanthropic landscape and proven ability to build and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, donors and board members while maintaining discretion;
• Expertise or strong experience designing and pulling custom reports and creating dashboards and portfolios using Salesforce;
• Familiarity with prospecting research tools (e.g. DonorSearch, WealthEngine)
• Ability to effectively communicate the work of Black Farmer Fund in a personable, passionate and engaging manner;
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including experience with grant writing and proposal development;
• A commitment to solidarity economy values, such as racial, economic, and climate justice, cooperative ownership and systems change;
• A strong preference for candidates with experience in the field of agriculture and/or development;
• Excellent time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously;
• Ability to work independently and efficiently in a remote work setting;
• Experience and demonstrated ability to use Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook), Google Drive and online meeting tools, such as Zoom;
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., Asana, Slack);