Job Opening: International Development Officer

Learn more about working for Cross International

Location: South Florida, or virtually based

Department: Advancement

Reports to: President & CEO (current, subject to change)

Position Summary:

The International Development Officer (IDO) will steward and grow an existing portfolio of mid-level donors, and those new donors who are brought into the portfolio through organizational and individual acquisition methods. A mid-level donor for CI is defined as someone who gives between $1000-$4999 annually to our ministry work.

The primary goals of this position are:

to understand and meet the interests of donors so that they choose to financially support the priority needs of the ministry work of Cross International,
to grow the annual revenue of the portfolio to meet and exceed revenue goals to help fuel the ministry of Cross International,
to be a source of “connection and bridge” for donors into the realities and needs of those living in developing countries

The IDO will steward a portfolio of ~1500 mid-level donors who area located throughout the United States. This involves prioritizing who and how you will engage donors by researching to understand who they are and what their motivations are. Working mostly from the office/home office you will engage donors primarily on the phone and video, with occasional travel, to present funding options to support the priority needs of Cross International. A key objective is to upgrade the donor’s level of giving and to identify and move donors into the major donor level. On a case-by-case basis as donors move into the major donor level, they will either: move to a major donor portfolio, move to the President/CEO portfolio, or stay within the current portfolio.

While prioritizing the maximization of the current portfolio, you will also have the freedom to prospect and cultivate new donors.

Working as a part of a larger development team, the IDO will bring a team-first approach to the position, including an enthusiastic willingness to work on special projects to improve the functioning of CI’s fundraising operations.

The position requires an experienced person with excellent interpersonal skills, passion to serve the world’s most vulnerable populations with compassion and respect, a motivation to achieve and exceed revenue objectives and the energy to fulfill the contact activities needed to do so, and an understanding of the contemporary influences within North American evangelical churches and the worldwide Church at large.

Ability to develop an initial revenue base of ~$680,000, growing to $1.4M+ annually within three years.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required/Preferred:

A person of committed Christian faith;
Entrepreneurial and self-motivated, loves challenges, handles tasks, meets deadlines;
A passion to engage people on the phone and via live video calls/meetings;
Enjoying setting appointments for meetings, asking for funding support and relishes closing an agreement;
Is eager to follow-up with needed emails, letters, proposal, etc. to stay actively engaged with donors and the cultivation process;
Loves working both on your own and being part of a team (virtual/remote and in- person);
Solving problems with initiative and creativity;
Demonstrated personal successes in mid or major gift fundraising (or high-level sales), comfortable securing four, five, and six-figure gifts;
Demonstrated success in growing revenue significantly, year over year;
A sound working knowledge of fundraising principles or sales processes, planned giving experience or knowledge a plus;
Ability to interact with tact and confidence in gift discussions with individuals, couples, and groups;
Ability to comprehend and effectively communicate the CI mission to donors;
Knowledge of or interest in international affairs, including Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa;
Database management skills and proficiency with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, CRM: Give Effect, or Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce a plus, along with ability to learn new software and navigate common business use IT issues;
Familiarity with social media platforms;
Economical and efficient skill in business travel

Essential Responsibilities:

Increase financial support from mid-level donors by relationship development, understanding needs/desires, creating & presenting options to meet objectives, asking for support and closing agreements;
Achieve personal annual revenue goals and assist in meeting organizational goals;
Plan and execute a contact strategy, including measured benchmarks;
Keep donors updated through consistent personal contact;
Document in the database all interactions with donors;
Participate in the development and implementation of donor acquisition activities;
Identify and cultivate new donor prospects (personal contact, networking, qualifying capacity, etc.) into at least mid-level donors to Cross;
Organize small group cultivation gatherings with volunteer assistance;
Interface with CI’s International Programs department to build on their expertise to cultivate gifts;
Accompany donors on vision trips as needed (as current CI travel policy allows);
Keep an eye out for potential foundations, corporations and churches for cultivation by CI

Education or Certification Requirements:

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in business administration, communications, international studies, non-profit administration or a related field.
Fluency in Spanish or another foreign language is strongly preferred.

General Requirements:

10+ years of fundraising, marketing or sales experience;
Will be an active member/attender of a local Christian church and is a contributing part of a local body of believers
Has a deep desire, a calling, to serve the world’s most vulnerable people;
Thrives and is able to perform in a changing organizational environment;
Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; ability to influence and engage a wide range of donors and cultivate long-term relationships;
High energy and passion for CI mission is essential, in order to motivate individuals;
Is a person who has a sense of humor and enjoys co-workers;
Can be based in South Florida or remote within the United States;
Ability to effectively work remotely from a home office as needed, with travel to CI headquarters on a regular basis (i.e., monthly or quarterly, as current travel policy and office conditions allow in relations to COVID-19 and where you are based);
As needed, able to travel in the local vicinity and ~ 5-10% of the time out of region. Some international travel to project sites and hosting donors is required, less than 10% of time. (All travel is dependent on CI current travel policy and in relation to COVID-19)

Please submit your resume by email to HR@CrossInternational.org and include the title of the position in the subject line. Please be sure to include a cover letter detailing your spiritual background.