Search for Common Ground

In a world often divided, Search for Common Ground stands for the power of bringing diverse people together to find solutions. We work to transform the way people deal with conflict, building healthy, safe, and just societies around the world. We do this through building trust and creating collaboration opportunities for adversaries, ultimately leading to breakthroughs for peace. By meeting this moment with Search, you join a powerful global peace movement that believes that all voices should be heard and respected in shaping a better, more connected world and that a collaborative vision is essential for lasting peace.

Search for Common Ground is the world’s largest nongovernmental peacebuilding organization and has been doing this work since 1982. We take a dynamic, unique approach by building solutions that are based on inclusion and locally-led programs. We are community leaders. We are youth activists. We are women. We are peacebuilders. Peace moves at the speed of trust, so we invest for the long haul. When we’re no longer needed, we leave, leaving behind people and institutions with the ability to manage future conflicts.

Department Summary

The Development team is composed of driven, collaborative, supportive, and passionate fundraising professionals who create synergies among donors, prospects, and the mission of Search for Common Ground. We bring our individual experiences and expertise to walk alongside our current and future peacemaking philanthropic community, cultivating, maximizing, and stewarding their financial resources with the needs and development of the communities we serve to stop the spread of violence. The Associate Director, who joins our effort thrives on challenges, especially creating a new major donor program and the opportunity it presents to realize the goals of an ambitious 5-year, $35 million fundraising campaign.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Major Gifts (West Coast), is an exciting new position, responsible for building a major donor program for the organization on the West Coast and ensuring those major donors have a positive and rewarding philanthropic experience.

Reporting to the Director of Development, they will initially be responsible for leading major gift fundraising for our conflict resolution work in Israel and Palestine. Search’s Israel-Palestine initiative is growing at a critical time in the region. Our strategy emphasizes the significant roles of women and youth in driving social cohesion, offering a vision of empowerment, dialogue, and economic resilience as crucial components of lasting peace.

The Associate Director will identify, cultivate, solicit, and successfully steward qualified prospects and donors at the $10,000 and above level, initially rallying Jewish American philanthropists with a goal of managing a 150+ person portfolio.

This work and the person in this position value relationship-based fundraising and strategic year-round moves management, with an emphasis on long-term stewardship and engagement. The Associate Director position will work closely with Search board members and leadership to advance major fundraising priorities and goals and support the board/leadership’s fundraising efforts. The ideal candidate has strong knowledge of and comfort with the West Coast Jewish philanthropic community, has demonstrated leadership and success with major donor fundraising, and values the critical role of cultivating and sustaining philanthropic relationships.

The candidate can be based on the West Coast but will be required to make frequent trips to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, often on short notice.

Key Responsibilities

Identify, cultivate, and solicit major gifts from individual donors, family foundations, and other prospective high-net-worth supporters aligned with the organization's mission and values
Build, provide leadership on, and manage a portfolio of 150+ prospects
Create individual goals for each prospect in the portfolio based on the donor’s history of giving and the organization’s knowledge of the prospect’s capacity
Develop and execute personalized cultivation and stewardship strategies, including meetings, events, and communication plans, to foster long-term relationships and maximize donor engagement
Work closely with our CEO and Director of Development to strategically prioritize and make requests for gifts of five- and seven-figures, tailoring proposals and solicitation materials to align with individual donors' interests and philanthropic goals
Collaborate with the CEO and fundraising team to create compelling fundraising materials, proposals, and impact reports tailored to the interests and priorities of major donors
Establish a robust donor stewardship program to ensure continuous donor engagement, recognition, and appreciation through correspondence, professional proposals, mailings, and acknowledgements
Conduct in-depth prospect research to identify new major gift opportunities and expand the organization's network of potential philanthropic supporters
Coordinate closely with program staff to stay updated on the organization's initiatives, impact, and success stories, effectively communicating the organization's programmatic achievements to donors
Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor records, donor correspondence, and gift documentation in compliance with organizational policies and procedures
Act as an ambassador for Search for Common Ground, representing the organization at donor-related events, conferences, and networking opportunities to promote its mission and philanthropic initiatives

Competency Behavior Indicators (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

Demonstrates a proven track record serving in a development leadership position and closing major gifts of five, six, and seven-figures from individuals and family foundations
Has documented experience with launching and building new fundraising campaigns
Demonstrates comfort with Jewish culture and Jewish philanthropy, with an interest in conflict resolution and Israel/Palestine
Works collaboratively with senior managers and colleagues sharing senior expertise; builds teams for successful implementation of projects and programs
Effectively influences vendors, organizations, professional associations, partners, funders, and Search's network of experts critical to the area of purview
Makes decisions on existing information when it may not be complete
Adapts to the personal style and preferences of colleagues to assess their needs and preferences; tolerates ambiguity
Articulates Search/function program/project goals and objectives within and external to Search; develops program objectives, indicators, and results; and participates in strategy development for the team
Creates standards across functions globally within Shared Services teams with the ability to create a best fit that considers international norms and compliance while supporting an organizational culture for work
Overcomes obstacles, including personal biases, by following Search's ethics code in complex situations, displayed in activities as ethical principles and values that guide professional interactions
Assesses risks and opportunities in a complex environment and convenes discussions to lead to a favorable outcome
Establishes tools to monitor the quality of work and verification of information
Has knowledge of project management tools, including technology as resources, and applies delegation skills to support the development of others, as well as the building of efficiency and reduction of stress
Supports employees in their efforts to achieve job goals (e.g., by providing resources, removing obstacles, acting as a buffer)
Engages with Shared Services teams, cross-functional teams, and colleagues to produce innovative solutions
Uses analysis (costs, benefits, risks) to manage within a global standards and best practices framework
Guides colleagues, Shared Services teams, and cross-functional teams and direct reports toward learning resources to broaden their skill sets and understanding and continue to grow in both breadth and depth of knowledge of organizational functions, standards, and objectives
Remains alert and responsive to any safeguarding risks, acquires relevant knowledge and skills that will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understands the safeguarding policy and procedures, and conducts yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding Policy.

Preferred Qualifications

Proven track record of successful portfolio management, campaign experience, and closing major gifts
Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to articulate complex issues in a clear and compelling manner
Excellent attention to detail
High degree of integrity, initiative, resourcefulness, and decision-making skills
Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced environment, meet concurrent deadlines, organize time and priorities, and do so in collaboration with diverse stakeholders
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport with donors, board members, program staff, and other diverse stakeholders
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, and experience managing donor databases and utilizing fundraising software for donor relationship management (Salesforce preferred)
Demonstrated understanding of philanthropic trends and best practices in major gift fundraising and donor stewardship, especially related to Jewish American philanthropy
Prior successful experience with a fundraising campaign
Demonstrated experience engaging celebrities around visibility and fundraising
An advanced degree or certification in fundraising is a plus
Interest in and ability to visit field offices on official Search trips, e.g., donor missions, etc.

Education and Experience

BS/BA with a minimum of 11 years experience securing major gifts and cultivating relationships with high-net-worth individuals and philanthropic donors.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

Remote-based on the West Coast only, with preference for LA-area. The candidate must be able to travel at least 40% of the time to major cities along the United States West Coast region.

Supervisory and Budget Responsibility

Typically manages one or more direct reports and/or consultants and/or manages one or more functional areas.