Director, Sponsorships and Donor Relations

Reporting to the Chief Partnership Officer, the Director of Sponsorships and Donor Relations is responsible for growing revenue through event and other sponsorships and for leading grant and partnership management with GIIN donors that include donor agencies, foundations, and corporations. The Director will also contribute to the GIIN’s grant fundraising efforts through supporting the development of compelling partnership proposals.

The Director, Sponsorships and Donor Relations will hire, train, and supervise the Sponsorship Manager to assist in annual and regional events sponsorships.

Core Functions of the Role:

• Conduct market research to identify potential sponsors.

• Develop event revenue model, packages in close collaboration with director of global events.

• Develop outreach strategy for event sponsorships in close collaboration with the development team.

• Lead event sponsor outreach, cultivation, and package negotiation, and ensure successful fulfillment sponsorship benefits / obligations.

• Develop and implement a system for tracking and reporting the impact of sponsored programs, ensuring that sponsors receive regular, detailed reports on the outcomes and successes of the initiatives they support.

• Manage a portfolio of grants to ensure the successful execution of grant obligations, effective utilization of grant funds, and strong relationships with GIIN donors, in collaboration with Program and Finance teams.

• Develop sponsorship strategies for non-event initiatives such as GIIN training, research reports and in-kind services.

• Produce or oversee production of timely and high-quality narrative and financial grant reports.

• Lead the proposal development process and contribute to the development of proposal materials in conjunction with other members of the Development, Programs and Finance teams.

Events Leadership, Strategy and Execution

• Lead the strategy and execution of event sponsorships efforts, with responsibilities that include:

• Conduct market research to identify potential sponsors with aligned interests in the sectors of impact investing. Segment the potential sponsors based on their interests, giving capacity, and alignment with the organization's objectives.
• Develop event revenue model, packages in close collaboration with director of global events.
• Develop outreach strategy for event sponsorships in close collaboration with the development team.
• Lead event sponsor outreach, cultivation, and package negotiation, and ensure successful fulfillment sponsorship benefits / obligations.
• Initiate outreach to potential sponsors through both personalized communication and marketing communications methods, leveraging the GIIN’s existing networks, and developing new ones.
• Foster long-term relationships with sponsors by maintaining regular communication, providing updates on how their contributions are making an impact and inviting feedback.
• Engage in negotiations with potential sponsors, ensuring that the terms of sponsorship are beneficial and aligned with the organization’s objectives and values.
• Collaborate with legal advisors to draft and finalize sponsorship agreements, ensuring clarity, mutual benefit, and compliance with all regulatory requirements.
• Engage in annual planning process to grown event sponsorship revenue and improve related processes.
• Oversee Salesforce system for tracking and reporting the impact of sponsored programs, ensuring that sponsors receive regular, detailed reports on the outcomes and successes of the initiatives they support.
• Recognize sponsors appropriately, in accordance with the terms of the sponsorship agreement, which may include branding opportunities, mentions in reports and publications, and acknowledgment at events and in digital platforms.

  Lead grant management for assigned portfolio of grants, including:

  • Conducting regular check-ins with Programs and Finance to assess status of funded activities, milestones, and grant funds utilization, and to problem solve any issues that arise.
  • Facilitating grant check-in calls with donors, including proactively liaising with funders; working with Program staff to align on call objective and agenda; and preparing needed information.

    • Manage relationships with current GIIN funders, providing GIIN and/or programmatic updates as needed, sharing topics of interest, and handling funder requests.

    • Oversee grant reporting, including:

    • Drafting or reviewing drafts of clear, high-quality narrative reports.
    • Working with Finance to produce accurate and clear financial reports.
    • Ensuring timely submissions.

      • Ensure the successful development of compelling grant proposals, including:

      • Compiling required information and documents, in coordination with Finance and Programs.
      • Drafting assigned sections of the proposal, independently or in collaboration with Program teams, as needed.
      • Working with Finance and Program teams to develop project budgets

Qualifications

• Demonstrated track record of success in sales or sponsorship fundraising.

• Experience managing relationships with diverse and important stakeholders, with the ability to drive results through diplomacy and influence.

• Proven negotiating skills.

• Excellent project management skills.

• Strong writing skills with the ability to craft clear and compelling narratives.

• Strong strategic thinking and analytical, problem-solving skills.

• Experience supervising direct reports with strong results.

• Ability to thrive at managing multiple projects at once.

• Team-orientation, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work both collaboratively and independently.

• Results-oriented, with high standards of performance.

• Commitment to equity and justice. Successful candidates will be aware that race, income, age, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender and gender expression, and other identities can play, and have historically played, a role in equity disparities, including within organizations. Successful candidates will be committed to continuous learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion and how to manifest these principles in the workplace.

Other requirements:

• 10 or more years of relevant work experience showing ability to successfully manage projects and key stakeholder relationships towards desired outcomes.

• Advanced degree or equivalent experience in related field preferred (e.g., Business, Economics, Finance, International Development, Policy), Bachelor’s degree, required.

• Experience in a development function (with a focus on institutional fundraising), with exposure to all key facets that include proposal development, grant management, and budget development and tracking.

• Success working effectively with diverse stakeholders and balancing deliverables on multiple deadline-driven projects simultaneously. • Passion for working on both the strategy and tactic for pursuing win-win opportunities.

LOCATION: This position will be based in our New York City office with significant remote work flexibility offered through the GIIN’s hybrid in-person/remote work model. Candidates must possess valid authorization to work in the United States that does not require employment visa sponsorship.

COMPENSATION: The GIIN is committed to pay equity. The salary range for this role is between $108,000-$122,000, with exact salary depending on experience, with an excellent benefits package. This position is eligible for an annual $10,000 bonus, subject to meeting KPIs and set targets and organizational financial ability.

We aim to offer competitive salaries and benefits and are committed to equity, trust, and transparency in compensation. Basing compensation on someone’s willingness and ability to negotiate or on their prior salary leads to wide inequities and bias in how people are paid, particularly for groups experiencing historical oppression. Therefore, we do not ask for prior pay history from our candidates and our offer-making process is negotiation-free for salaries and benefits.

We determine the best possible salary offer based on relevant experience and extent to which candidates demonstrate the competencies for the role during the entire hiring process. The GIIN also uses our annual performance evaluation process at the end of each year to determine raises and promotions.

TO APPLY: Email cover letter and CV to Human Resources at hr@thegiin.org. State “Director, Sponsorships and Donor Relations_ First Name Last Name” in the subject line of your email. Please indicate where you saw the job posting in your cover letter. No phone calls please. Only qualified candidates will be contacted. The GIIN is an Equal Opportunity Employer