OVERVIEW
Favor International serves to transform war-torn victims into purpose-driven disciples of Christ, equipped to advance the Gospel in villages and mobilized to advance the Kingdom in nations. Favor brings the Gospel to serve broken communities, the traumatized, and the poor thereby multiplying discipled leaders, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to bring Biblical solutions to their own cultures.
Favor International is a $9.8m nonprofit organization with 8 employees in the United States and 880 trained indigenous missionaries who perform the work in Uganda, South Sudan and other parts of Africa. The Tampa-based mission agency is engaged in evangelism, discipleship, education, church planting, community development, and humanitarian relief. Through their work, they show God’s love and follow the Great Commission and train indigenous leaders to create sustainable change.
OPPORTUNITY
To further the vision of impacting communities for Christ in Uganda, South Sudan, and Chad, Favor International is seeking an experienced California-based fundraising professionals to serve as a Major Gift Officer. The MGO will be responsible to develop relationships among partners in California to support indigenous missionary movements overseas. As part of a US-based, foreign-focused virtual team, this position will report to the Development Director and the US Executive Director. Although this is a remote position, candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to Southern California.
THEIR STORY
Favor was birthed by prayer in 2002 by Ugandans and founder Carole Ward–a 3rd generation missionary, amid civil war led by Joseph Kony and the LRA. Favor was founded to see God’s transformation of leaders and the region. Through God’s miraculous proliferation of the Gospel, discipleship, and mobilized public prayer movements, the previously unconquerable child soldier armies of the LRA, self-evacuated leading to an uneasy peace by 2006. The LRA’s highest general, who converted to Christianity and attended Favor’s Bible school, credited one of Favor’s specific prayer gatherings for ending the war.
WHAT THEY DO
As a Christian organization, Favor International exists to provide spiritual and Biblical guidance, humanitarian relief, and educational and economic development. Favor International works among the UUPG and build churches and focuses on training, discipling and empowering new believers and communities while specifically developing Indigenous leaders to become pastors and missionaries. Dedicated towards working with children, families, and communities primarily in Uganda and South Sudan, through the power of the Gospel, mobilized prayer and discipleship, leadership development, local community-based problem solving, and public/private cooperation; these new in Christ indigenous leaders help to transform unreached and underserved communities and the nations of Africa.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Major Gifts Officer—California
Reports to: Director of Development
Responsibilities of the Major Gifts Officer include, but are not limited to:
Fundraising
Understand and articulate the value the ministry provides in exchange for financial partnership.
Identify specific relationship lists for specific relationship-building actions within specific timeframes.
Know and continuously update the articulation of Favor’s “development message,” a key internal document that articulates the fundamental talking points, plans, budgets, and value of supporting the ministry.
Compose shareable plans for overseas projects and budgets.
Schedule appointments with current and potential partners to discuss their input
and participation with Favor to accomplish shared goals.
Steward and grow a portfolio of major gift donors within the respective assigned
territories.
Follow up with new leads. Walk prospective donors through the steps of becoming long-term partners.
Knowledgably speak at business events, to foundations, public and private networking meetings, small groups, churches, or one-on-one meetings.
Focus actionable time on face-to-face or small group meetings, instead of massive online or direct mail fundraising campaigns.
Plan and implement relationship cultivation strategies as well as utilize moves management and utilize materials including literature, methods of communication, calendars, email templates, and the use of websites to solicit donations.
As needed, assist in the writing of needed marketing materials.
Support the writing, submitting, and following up with grant opportunities in the United States in cooperation with a grant writer.
Set and meet development goals quarterly.
Travel regularly throughout the identified territory in domestic U.S. to meet key relationships face-to- face in accordance with plans to have at least one individually scheduled, meaningful, substantive meeting with key partners at least annually in-person.
Fundraising Support
As necessary, provide input to the organization on legal compliance related to fundraising matters in specific regions.
Consistently utilize approved methods of reporting using Blackbaud and WhatsApp.
Regularly input content development on websites and other online marketing platforms.
Proactively communicate and share information to achieve greater goals within the development team.
Setup meetings for the Founder, US Executive Director and the Director of Development for the purposes of solicitation or stewardship of strategic donors.
Assist the senior leadership of Favor in achieving goals for the organization.
This position meets the daily functioning needs of a small-staff, large-visioned ministry, so the role necessarily includes off hours emergency requests for information or action and balancing a large number of different tasks and situations with a variety of skills.
Success in this role looks like:
Key partners are honored and engaged: they receive timely standout thanking, reports at the level of detail desired, and personalized opportunities to grow their support of this vision.
People enjoy giving their time, talent, and treasure to Favor because the reported fruit matches what they are passionate about.
Fundraising targets are met or exceeded
Donor retention increases
Demonstrates ability to cultivate relationships and close five and six-figure gifts effectively
Upgrading major donors (moves management)
New qualified contacts and donors are constantly being pursued and acquired.
Qualifications
A balanced high-performance, self-motivated work ethic that completes projects and inspires others to do the same.
Be reliable, consistent, and full of integrity.
Three or more years’ of proven fundraising experience.
Certification with a fundraising association preferred but not necessary.
Ability to travel 50% of the time.
A personal philosophy of fundraising favoring one-on-one and small group methods preeminent over mass media approaches.
Superb written and verbal interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to build relationships with foundations, business owners, and church leaders.
Flexibility to take up sudden responsibilities and complete them well at short notice.
A spiritual calling and design to serve in this particular role with this ministry at this time.
Fruit of the Holy Spirit and characteristics of a mature follower of Christ.
Real Expectations
Favor expects the successful applicant for this position to become a direct communicator with current and prospective partners regarding their giving and participation in Favor’s vision. This person should have an aptitude and calling for fundraising in the Christian international missions space.
While the Major Gifts Officer will not have to fundraise for his/her own salary, Favor expects to see a reasonable set of fundraising results at the 4-month and 8-month performance reviews. To aid in this success, Favor will provide onboarding training, access to existing systems and CRM data, and the enthusiastic support of our US Executive Director, the International Director and Founder, and the Director of Development.
This position may require international travel. That may include taking a vision trip to see Favor’s work firsthand in Uganda and South Sudan.
Compensation
Compensation will be fairly based on experience. Compensation may increase as the organization grows.
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Opportunities
This mission will prove an exciting environment because of its mission and the unquestioned reliance on the Holy Spirit that permeates the leadership culture.
Labor with others who love missions, the new Major Gifts officers will help build a loving network that will help multiply the team and good work in Africa.
Be part of a growing and proactive team. In addition, they will get the chance to share the exciting story of Favor with new stakeholders and partners who will join both the staff and donor communities.
Challenges
Increasing the donor development base beyond its current size and developing new contacts and donors.
The team in the US is small, agile, and quickly growing, therefore the organization is a fast-paced environment.
Currently the staff team does not offer benefits such as health insurance, but leadership is addressing this as the organization meets growth milestones.
NEXT STEPS
If, after reviewing this information with prayerful consideration you believe this role fits you specifically, please click on the APPLY NOW button below. If you know someone who may have an interest, please use the social media share and email buttons at the top. If you know someone you would like to recommend, please contact:
Yale Kim
Search Consultant
email :: yale@missionleadership.org