Description

 The Senior Philanthropy Officer will play a key role in co-creating and executing a comprehensive fundraising strategy that aligns with Northwest Harvest’s commitment to being purpose-driven, antiracist, connected to each other, and interwoven with the communities we serve. 

Using data-driven metrics, this position will manage a diverse portfolio of major gifts and planned giving donors and prospects, with an emphasis on building authentic, long-term relationships grounded in shared values and community impact. 

A seasoned fundraising professional, the Senior Philanthropy Officer will collaborate closely with the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Director of Community Philanthropy and members of the philanthropy team to create and implement strategies that engage donors in meaningful, values-based ways. This role is critical to advancing our mission, fostering partnerships that are mutually supportive, and ensuring that Northwest Harvest’s fundraising efforts are inclusive, equitable, and prioritize collective action.

The Senior Philanthropy Officer contributes to Northwest Harvest’s goal of cutting hunger rates in half by 2028 by building and stewarding relationships with donors passionate about food justice, securing transformational gifts, and advancing strategic philanthropic partnerships that sustain and expand our impact. This role champions innovation by saying “yes” to strategy-aligned initiatives that reduce hunger while also contributing to a collaborative, professional environment within the Community Philanthropy team, fostering shared success and growth guided by Northwest Harvest’s Purpose-Driven, Anti-Racist, Connected, and Interwoven (PACI) framework.

Schedule: This position requires active engagement by being in the community onsite 80% of the time and allows for occasional remote work. 

Travel: Be responsive and adaptive to opportunities throughout Washington (WA). This can include but is not limited to local travel and occasional travel to Eastern and Western WA. 

Requirements

CULTIVATION AND SOLICITATION OF PLANNED AND MAJOR GIFTS 

Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Fundraising Strategy

• Create a cohesive plan that integrates both major gifts and planned giving efforts with Philanthropy Officer’s support, including opportunities for blended gifts and multi-year pledges, ensuring alignment with the organization's mission, purpose-driven focus, and commitment to being antiracist and community-centered.

Build and Manage a Diverse Donor Portfolio

• Cultivate and steward a portfolio of both major gift and planned giving prospects and donors, fostering long-term relationships that reflect Northwest Harvest’s values.
• Engage regularly with prospects, prioritizing virtual and face-to-face meetings to advance relationships and support donor cultivation efforts.

Collaborate Across Teams to Advance Organizational Goals

• Work closely with the Director of Community Philanthropy and other staff members to develop donor strategies that emphasize collaboration, community engagement, and organizational priorities.

Foster Inclusive and Equitable Donor Engagement

• Develop outreach strategies that prioritize inclusivity and equity, ensuring that engagement opportunities are accessible and that all communities feel represented in Northwest Harvest’s donor base.

Manage Planned Giving Online Infrastructure

• Oversee digital engagement and inquiries generated through planned giving newsletters and Northwest Harvest’s planned giving website (managed by The Stelter Company).
•  Ensure timely follow-up, track donor interactions, and optimize content to improve donor experience and outreach.
• Regularly monitor and report on the progress of both major gift and planned giving efforts, using data to refine strategies, optimize donor engagement, and ensure alignment with annual and long-term fundraising goals.
• Track engagement in CRM/Salesforce.

SAFEGUARD NWH ASSETS AND REPUTATION 

• Speak on behalf of the agency, and act as a professional goodwill ambassador representing the agency in the communities we serve, as it pertains to cultivating donors and securing donations.
• Stay informed and knowledgeable about strategic priorities, programmatic activities, and gift opportunities, maintaining the capacity to converse with donors and align their interests with the diverse areas of NWH’s work.
• Participate in other activities as requested.

People Management & Leadership 

• Foster a healthy, dynamic relationship with direct report/s, ensuring they collaborate effectively and understand their role and impact within and beyond the organization.
• Lead through influence across the department and through the organization.
• Act as a servant leader to supervise, support, professionally develop, and hold accountable the following positions:  
  • Philanthropy Officer
• Encourage leaning into failure norms and learning.
• Inspire human-centered and innovative program development.
• Collaborate cross-functionally and with teams across the organization.
• Champion clear and consistent communication internally and externally about activities, initiatives, successes, and learnings.
• Ensure milestones, indicators and targets are developed and tracked for programs in support of NWH strategies.
• Oversee program budgets, and ensure alignment with organizational strategies and annual operating plans.

Performs other duties as assigned by the Director of Community Philanthropy. 

EQUITY AND INCLUSION 

• Demonstrate the initiative to learn and enhance skills that promote anti-racism, cultural competency and an understanding of oppression and its impact. 
• Participate in intentional learning efforts, including events relating to understanding and dismantling institutional racism and building cultural competency. 

RELATIONSHIPS

Internal: Frequent, respectful contact with leadership and staff. Present accurate information regarding donors and prospects in a professional format. Communicate daily to ask questions, receive, and provide information.

External: Regular, respectful contact with current and prospective donors, NWH board members and other NWH stakeholders in alignment with the NWH mission and vision. Exercise sensitivity, courtesy, and confidentiality in all interactions with donors.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

A combination of the real-life experience, education, and training listed below which provides an equivalent background to perform the work of this position.  Successful completion of a background check is required. 

Knowledge of: 

• Planned giving vehicles, including but not limited to estate gifts, trusts, IRA distributions, donor- advised funds, and supporting foundations.
• Principles, practices, and procedures of portfolio management.
• Tax laws planned giving strategies, and industry best practices to provide informed guidance to donors and ensure that planned giving vehicles are optimized for both donors and the organization.
• Leveraging emerging trends in fundraising to keep Northwest Harvest’s strategies innovative and compliant with evolving regulations.
• Donor relationship management skills and the ability to establish meaningful relationships with donors and work with a diverse range of individuals.
• Knowledge of and commitment to principles of Community Centric Fundraising.
• Current planned giving trends and best practices; general fundraising best practices.
• Microsoft Office suite of programs; CRM database such as Salesforce is preferred.
• Knowledge of the philanthropic landscape within the state of Washington includes emerging trends, funding priorities, and potential avenues for support

Ability To: 

• Understand individuals who have experienced poverty or food insecurity
• Demonstrate interest and commitment to supporting equity and inclusion for members of historically marginalized groups including racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ populations and people living with disabilities
• Manage, inspire, and motivate a team within a collaborative working environment. 
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff and leadership to assure a high degree of mutual accountability.
• Possess integrity, maturity, and ethical awareness; ability to handle sensitive information and maintain strict confidentiality
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Resourceful with the ability to solve problems in an efficient and calm manner
• Flair for cultivating and stewarding professional relationships with a diverse constituency

Equity and Connectedness:

• Adopt the PACI (purpose driven, anti-racist, connected and interwoven) model and practice the Six Agreements.
• Support equity and inclusion for members of historically marginalized groups including racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ populations and people living with disabilities.
• Establish and maintain effective collaborative working relationships internally and externally with respect and empathy.
• Project a professional presence and conduct relationships in an ethical manner with a high degree of tact, sensitivity, confidentiality and respect.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, including the ability to listen and to explain NWH’s vision and mission, as well as issues related to poverty, food insecurity and race and equity to external constituents.
• Analyze issues, synthesize information, make decisions, and learn from mistakes.
• Maintain a calm and positive can-do attitude in the face of challenging situations; maintain the ability to shift strategies in response to the demands of a situation.
• Prioritize and handle multiple projects, drive innovative solutions.
• Ask questions to understand the merits of different approaches and shift strategies in response to demands of a situation.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Bachelor’s degree in philanthropy, business or an equal combination of education and relevant work experience with a personal orientation as a life-long learner.   

EXPERIENCE:  Minimum of five (5)+ years of progressively responsible experience demonstrating effectiveness in law, finance or major gift fundraising, including experience in explaining, soliciting and stewarding planned gifts, as well as two (2) + year of people management experience. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Non- Profit experience is desired but not required.
• The ability to speak additional language(s) is desired but not required.

DISCLAIMER: The information presented indicates the general nature and level of work expected of employees in this classification.  It is not designed to contain, or to be interpreted as, a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and objectives required of employees assigned to this job. As an adaptive organization, responsibilities can and will change in alignment with greater efficiencies and mission metrics. 

BENEFITS AND OTHER COMPENSATION: Northwest Harvest offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package this includes but is not limited to; medical/dental/ vision/ insurance, long term disability insurance, Life/AD&D insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), 401(k) retirement plan, Vacation and Sick leave, 8 paid holidays; New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day, Floating holidays for you to use should you observe a holiday not outlined in Northwest Harvests current observed holidays or at your discretion, and birthday holiday. Employees are eligible to participate in payroll deducted supplemental benefits i.e., Flexible Spending account-HRA and DCE, various AFLAC and New York Life plans.