Posted on January 17, 2013

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Director of Development and Communications

Millennium Promise was founded in 2005 by Jeffrey Sachs, renowned economist and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and Ray Chambers, a pioneer of private equity investing and a passionate philanthropist, as a means to achieve the Millennium Development Goals — global targets for reducing extreme poverty and hunger by half and improving education, health, gender equality and environmental sustainability — by 2015.

Working with an annual budget of approximately $25M, Millennium Promise provides the operational platform and resource mobilization for the Millennium Villages Project, which empowers communities to lift themselves out of extreme poverty by simultaneously addressing challenges in many overlapping areas: agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, gender equality, and business development. To achieve this mission, Millennium Promise partners closely with the Earth Institute at Columbia University, which provides the science and policy leadership for the Millennium Villages Project.

Currently, the Millennium Villages Project operates in 10 Millennium Village sites, reaching nearly 500,000 people in 10 African countries. Millennium Promise itself is headquartered in New York with regional offices in Dakar, Senegal, and Nairobi, Kenya. It also has a team of nearly 1,000 employees across Africa to support the Millennium Villages with on-site staff teams collaborating with local communities and governments to drive Project activities and achieve objectives.

Over a 10 year period from 2005–2015, communities and local governments are building capacity to continue these Millennium Villages Project initiatives post -2015 and develop a solid foundation for sustainable growth. The Millennium Villages are proving that by fighting poverty at the village level through community-led development, rural Africa can achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, and escape the cycle of extreme poverty that traps hundreds of millions of people throughout the continent.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:

Millennium Promise is at an exciting and critical juncture with only three years until the 2015 Millennium Development Goals deadline, and looks to the Director of Development and Communications to help ensure the successful completion of the Millennium Village Project at the end of 2015. The Director of Development and Communications also will be part of the senior leadership team shaping Millennium Promise’s mission post-2015.

The Director of Development and Communications will serve as the principal development and fundraising officer, designing and executing the overall fundraising strategy for the organization. Working closely with Jeffrey Sachs and the head of Millennium Promise, he/she will strategically guide the Boards of Directors (Global, UK, Canada and the Netherlands) and the senior leadership of Millennium Promise in executing their fundraising duties.

The Director of Development and Communications will manage, cultivate and steward Millennium Promise’s existing donor relationships, including corporate partners, high net worth individuals, and foundations, while working to build new fundraising sources as well. This position will also work on multi-lateral partnerships, such as various United Nations agencies, alongside Earth Institute colleagues. This is a unique opportunity to partner with internationally known figures who support these critical efforts and fulfill the organization’s goal of a new, innovative model for eradicating extreme poverty.

Key Responsibilities include:

Fundraising

• Lead and drive fundraising efforts with support of the senior leadership in New York and Africa and the Boards of Directors;
• Manage and steward existing relationships to maximize the potential of current funding streams as well as uncover and grow additional avenues of revenue from individuals, corporations and foundations;
• Plan and execute major fundraising events and campaigns, including end of year direct mail and e-mail campaigns;
• Oversee Millennium Promise’s donor and partner reporting processes, including the annual report;

External Affairs

• Engage and direct the Boards of Directors regarding fundraising to maintain a strong, productive and motivated Board;
• Work closely with the Development Team at the Earth Institute to collaborate on potential gift opportunities;
• Oversee the creation of content-rich communication materials targeted to individual, foundation, and corporate partners and other external audiences;

Internal Management

• Serve as member of Millennium Promise’s leadership team; participate in strategic planning, implementation and assessment;
• Manage the 3-5 members of the Development and Communications Team; delegate appropriately, collaborate effectively, and mentor and guide team.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

The successful candidate will be an experienced and savvy development professional with a track record of forging and maintaining strong relationships. He/she will be passionate about the mission of Millennium Promise and energized and inspired by its global impact.

Key Professional Experience and Personal Attributes:

• Significant senior leadership experience in a complex, multi-faceted organization in fundraising, relationship management, or business development;
• Proven fundraising track record with a history of soliciting and procuring six- and seven-figure gifts;
• Exceptional interpersonal skills; diplomatic and thoughtful in developing and maintaining senior client and donor relationships;
• Experience in liaising with high-profile Boards of Directors;
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to distill, persuade, influence, and motivate a wide range of audiences;
• Positive and energetic with a good sense of humor and a team-orientation;
• Highly organized and a strong attention to detail with established database management, project management, and reporting skills;
• Entrepreneurial, resourceful and flexible; motivated by a fast-paced and results-oriented culture; and
• Ability to work with diverse communities and cultures; experience in sub-Saharan Africa preferred.

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus.

TRAVEL:

Frequent domestic and international travel.

COMPENSATION:

Salary is competitive, commensurate with experience.

Millennium Promise is committed to Equal Opportunity Employment.

Application Instructions

Please email cover letter and resume in confidence to:

Sandler Search Associates
880 Third Avenue, 16th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Web site: www.sandlerassociates.org