Fundraising & Philanthropy Specialist

Balanced Effect is a team of specialists dedicated to supporting purpose driven organisations in achieving their goals and making a positive impact. Our team's range of expertise in fundraising, marketing, communications and CRM provides valuable support to organisations that may not have such skills in-house.

Balanced Effect offers consulting and mentoring services to our growing list of clients. The team's experience and expertise in the NFP sector, especially with leading fundraisers who have decades of experience, has proven to be invaluable when creating effective fundraising campaigns and strategies.

We are passionate about the work our clients do, and we are looking for a person who is equally passionate. As the name suggests, we believe in a balanced life and pride ourselves on being a supportive workplace.

We are looking for an experienced senior fundraising and philanthropy specialist to join our growing team.

You will use your skills, knowledge and experience to support our many for-purpose clients to maximise income, support fundraising teams and add value across all areas of fundraising & philanthropy. You take an informed, strategic and donor-centric approach, and show compassion and understanding for clients and their mission and vision.

Reporting to the Co-CEO this role will work closely with our external clients to develop bespoke fundraising strategies, build cases for support, research and recommend philanthropic funders and support appeal writing. This role will collaborate and work directly with the Balanced Effect Digital Fundraising team.

The role is available as full-time or part-time 0.8FTE and offers flexibility in working hours, with some work based in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne as well as remote work.

On a daily basis, the Fundraising & Philanthropy Specialist will be responsible for:

Fundraising Strategy

• Work with clients to develop fully integrated fundraising strategies. These strategies may include the following areas: individual giving, regular giving, fundraising appeals/campaigns and supporter acquisition, peer-to-peer, bequests, high-value individuals/major gifts, corporate giving, cultivation, stewardship and engagement, donor care, CRM and other support systems, and more
• Undertake environmental scans and deep dives into client organisations and the sectors they work within
• Facilitate strategic workshops with clients
• Presentation of fundraising strategies to clients and Boards

Philanthropic Grants

• Conduct thorough research to identify potential grant opportunities for clients
• Make first contact with potential funders
• Support the writing of grant applications
• Review and advise on grant applications

Fundraising Campaigns

• Working closely with the Balanced Effect Digital Fundraising Team, you will develop and implement innovative, strategic fundraising campaigns, leveraging both traditional and digital channels
• Develop creative and impactful messaging to inspire donors
• Develop cases for support
• Develop and implement donor journeys
• Data analytics and reporting for campaigns

Project Management

• Overall coordination of campaigns and appeals including working with external designers and mail houses
• Project management of client projects using Asana

The ideal candidate for the Fundraising & Philanthropy Specialist position should possess the following qualifications, skills and experience.

Required skills & experience:

• 8+ years of experience in fundraising and philanthropy within the not-for-profit environment
• Proven in-depth understanding of all traditional and new fundraising income areas
• Proven track record in income generation through philanthropic funding and fundraising appeals
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to identify funding opportunities and assess their suitability for client organisations
• Extensive experience in philanthropic funding and grant writing
• Demonstrated experience in developing fundraising strategies for a wide range of organisations
• Demonstrated project management skills
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to craft compelling narratives and tailored proposals that resonate with funders' priorities
• Ability to work systematically with maximum efficiency
• Understanding of best practice fundraising
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage and cultivate relationships with diverse stakeholders

Nice to have qualifications & experience:

• Hands-on experience across all areas of fundraising
• A degree in Marketing or a related field is preferred, providing a solid foundation in marketing principles and strategies
• Experience in direct mail copywriting
• Experience working with Salesforce NPSP

1. Time Management and Efficiency: Possess good time management skills and efficient work practices to handle various tasks promptly.
2. Proactive Attitude: Display a proactive approach to all client challenges, constantly seeking ways to improve processes and income generation.
3. Communication: Demonstrate a high level of emotional intelligence, clear and concise written and verbal communication across a number of channels.
4. Responsiveness: Be available and responsive to questions and requests from team members and clients.
5. Continued Personal/Professional Development: Show enthusiasm for continuous personal and professional growth, have an inquisitive nature and stay informed about fundraising and philanthropy trends, developments and best practices.

We invest in our staff

You will have a dedicated professional development budget of 5% of your annual pro-rata salary.

We believe in the ‘balanced effect’

You will have flexibility in your hours, ability to work a hybrid model and rarely if ever do overtime.

Social impact

95% of our clients are registered charities. The work we do matters and we see it in everything that we do. Our client’s passion is our passion. Balanced Effect is a certified BCorp and we live by these values.

If you have experience in 80% or more of the listed, you are passionate about creating change in the world and you are a dedicated learner please apply.

We will actively be contacting people throughout the application period, so please do not delay your application.

Balanced Effect acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.

A position description is attached.