Philanthropy Officer

Matchstick • Arlington, Texas • 6d ago

The Organization:

Deaf Bible Society began 10 years ago, fueled by the commitment of Deaf and hearing advocates’ desire for every Deaf person to receive, experience, and share the message of God’s love in sign language Scripture.

Our ultimate aim is to provide the Bible by video in more than 350 sign languages, representing 70 million people worldwide. Today, one of those languages has access to a full Bible, while portions of Scripture are accessible in 64 other languages, and counting. The technology of our Deaf Bible app makes all of this Scripture accessible for free as we work to advance sign language Bible translation, distribution, and engagement.

In this work, we identify, mobilize, develop, and celebrate the strengths of Deaf churches and communities working toward Bible access in their sign languages. Through Deaf-informed technology innovations, training, and sign language accessibility, these communities have hands-on participation in the mission.

The Position:

This newly created role comes as hearing donors are increasingly interested to invest in an ambitious mission that is too big for Deaf communities to accomplish on their own. But with Deaf-hearing partnerships, intercultural learning, and technology developed in just the past few years, key donors are seeing dynamic impact and momentum. Now it’s time to develop a stronger network of donors.

In this context, your role as the Philanthropy Officer will establish a major gifts program ($10K+) and best practices for our organization. This includes curating strategic relationships with generous individuals, businesses, and foundations and connecting them with opportunities to invest for impact. You will ensure that these donors feel inspired, informed, invited, and appreciated.

Your influence extends beyond raising funds and includes raising awareness of the unique potential for Deaf communities to grow in their relationship with God as they discover the Bible’s message in the sign language that most deeply connects to who they are.

Please note: Deaf Bible Society welcomes Deaf and hearing applicants for this role and is prepared to support cultural learning about global Deaf communities and sign languages. For hearing candidates, any knowledge of sign language is a plus but not required. Most of our donors are hearing, so your ability to communicate with them is the priority. We have interpreters to support Deaf-hearing communication as needed in the regular course of work with our team and with donors.

Responsibilities:

Connection & Relationships

Connect with people and genuinely get to know them, their stories, and their passion for the Bible.
Raise awareness of strengths and needs in Deaf communities, including the creation of compelling narratives to share with prospective donors and the public.
Provide vision and passion that invites prospective donors to see opportunities for their investment in the mission.
Integrate donor learnings and insights to build a meaningful communication rhythm.
Connect contributions to results by illustrating how generous giving is making a difference for Deaf communities.

Discovery & Advocacy

Gain a growing understanding of Deaf culture, sign language Bible access, and other relevant topics that are often unfamiliar to hearing people who make up the majority of our donors; your willingness to be curious will be helpful in connecting with donors on their journey of discovery.
Inform the development of resources required to appropriately engage and expand relationships with current and prospective donors.
Advocate for action that addresses emerging needs, issues, or opportunities.
Participate in meetings and task force groups as directed to maintain a strong knowledge of strategic and operational plans, and promote supporting goals and actions that will impact progress.

Building & Developing

Build strategies, plans, systems, and processes to advance donor engagement and investment that fulfills funding goals determined by the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Foster relationships with current donors and cultivate deeper connections with their personal and professional networks to expand giving; this includes developing a network of major donors and investors—increasing it each year.
Create platforms and practices for donors to be recognized appropriately for their contributions.
Sustain communication and transparency around the organization’s goals and progress to keep donors informed and inspired.

Collaboration & Partnerships

Collaborate with the CAO and CEO in identifying strategic investment opportunities and plans to engage, expand, and enrich donor relationships.
Consult and partner with donors to understand their goals, challenges, and needs and identify how they align to advance our mission.
Identify and build strategic partnerships with other agencies, businesses, and individuals for current and future engagement opportunities.

Required Qualifications:

Active faith in Jesus Christ and a genuine love of the Bible.
A growth mindset and curiosity toward understanding global Deaf experiences and sign languages; any prior experience with a Deaf community is a plus, whether you are Deaf or hearing.
7+ years in donor development, sales or business development, or fundraising experience in a nonprofit and/or educational setting.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in communications, marketing, or business.
Ability to learn new software programs and systems quickly.
Travel up to 25-30% primarily domestically.
Proven track record of developing successful donor networks, events, and strategic partnerships.
Proven ability to work with diverse partners to integrate various goals, priorities, and expectations that support mission impact.
Ability to work effectively from a remote location and have dependable communication access.
Exceptional communication capabilities in written and oral and/or signed mediums, according to your primary language.

Preferred Qualifications:

A strong network of existing connections to begin with, and a drive to develop new connections.
Knowledge of Asset-Based Community Development concepts that recognize the strengths of local communities.
Prior experience creating, aligning, and executing details for special events.
Knowledge of the Bible translation movement is a plus.

Location:

This role operates remotely in connection with professional staff at the Arlington, Texas, office and with contracted partners in other remote locations.

Other Vital Information:

English is the primary language of most donors and of contracted partners.
American Sign Language (ASL) is the preferred language for in-person office communication and on Zoom when Deaf participants are present. Language access is available through sign language interpreters.
English is the preferred language for team communication on Slack and via email.

Salary & Benefits: