Associate Director of Development, International & Major Gifts

About Project Sunshine:

Project Sunshine’s mission is to bring the healing power of play to children with medical needs through trained and dedicated volunteers. Our programs include in-person play with patients (Here to Play), curated activity kit deliveries (Kits for Play), and live, virtual play sessions (TelePlay). Over 18,000 trained volunteers deliver programs that provide opportunities for creative expression, socialization, intellectual stimulation, and sensory integration to more than 200,000 pediatric patients and families each year. Our unique volunteer engagement model allows community groups, colleges, and corporations to create moments of connection with pediatric patients, caregivers, and families providing child and family-centered, play-based programming. Project Sunshine partners with 500 medical facilities across the U.S. and in three international location -- Canada, Israel, and Kenya.

About the Position:

The primary role of the Associate Director of Development is to develop donor-centric fundraising strategies and build relationships with current and new Project Sunshine donors that lead to increased financial support to the organization, with a special focus on international fundraising. In 2023, Project Sunshine launched its first ever capital campaign to raise funds for initiatives that will support the organization’s growth and allow the organization to reach more kids with medical needs. As our capital campaign progresses and Project Sunshine’s annual fundraising goals increase, we are seeking someone who can help identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward Project Sunshine supporters, especially at the $10K level.

The Associate Director of Development will work closely with the Director of Development to design and implement strategies that deepen donor relationships and generate new revenue for international programs, annual operations, and the capital campaign. The Associate Director of Development will be responsible for planning and implementing Project Sunshine’s international fundraising efforts for Canada, Israel, and Kenya, including identifying, applying for and managing grants, major gift work, and annual appeals.

The ideal candidate will be a skilled relationship-builder and proactive fundraising professional with a track record of securing major gifts and working across departments to advance development strategies. Project Sunshine is looking for a candidate who is ready to accelerate their career in international and major gifts fundraising, interested in a professional growth opportunity, and is eager to help build Project Sunshine’s development program at an exciting time for the organization.

Principle Responsibilities:

ADVANCE INTERNATIONAL FUNDRAISING & MAJOR GIFTS (75%)

• Design and implement international development plan to help Project Sunshine’s programs in Canada, Israel, and Kenya achieve financial sustainability
• Create an annual calendar of international fundraising outreach, draft proposals/grants for Kenya and Israel programs, secure restricted gifts, and manage donor stewardship
• In addition to international fundraising, engage a small portfolio of US individual donors and foundations with a focus on securing donations at the $10K level and closing multi-year commitments
• Conduct research to identify potential major gift donors and foundations that will support Project Sunshine’s programs in the US, Canada, Israel, and Kenya
• Strategically develop relationships with current and prospective supporters through in-person meetings, calls, volunteer opportunities, and cultivation gatherings; through personalized outreach, learn about donors’ interests and present donors with compelling opportunities to support Project Sunshine
• Work closely with Project Sunshine international and US Board members on making donor and foundation introductions, preparing for solicitations, and donor stewardship
• Utilize Salesforce CRM to track donor interactions and next steps from discovery to cultivation to solicitation to stewardship
• In partnership with the Director of Development, evaluate current major gift stewardship and giving opportunities and pilot new strategies for capturing and recognizing support for international and US programs

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN SUPPORT (25%)

• Oversee and update donor pipeline for Project Sunshine’s $10M capital campaign
• Organize campaign calendar and timeline, from committee meetings and cultivation gatherings to tracking monthly KPIs
• Partner with Board and Committee members to plan and execute campaign cultivation and stewardship events
• Manage campaign acknowledgement process, pledge agreements, and gift recognition

Qualifications:

• At least 5 – 7 years of experience in successfully securing major gifts for a non-profit organization; international fundraising experience is a plus
• Strong strategic planning, organizational, and portfolio management skills required
• Excellent verbal, written, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills required
• Ability to be a passionate and compelling spokesperson for Project Sunshine’s mission and programs in the US and internationally
• Commitment to utilizing Salesforce or other fundraising databases to manage donor relationships and track activity
• Demonstrated ability to work individually and collaboratively to meet activity and financial goals.
• Passion and high energy for supporting Project Sunshine’s mission

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Project Sunshine values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBT individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.

Project Sunshine is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal law. In compliance with federal law, all people hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.