Senior Executive, Philanthropy

Position title: Senior Executive, Philanthropy

Reports to: Head of Philanthropy with dotted line to Stewardship Manager

Location: Singapore

Starting Date: Nov 2024

About WWF-Singapore

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. As one of WWF’s international hubs, WWF-Singapore supports a global network spanning over 100 countries. WWF Singapore works closely with local stakeholders towards a greener and more sustainable Singapore and the region around us. We work to address key conservation areas, such as climate change, sustainable finance, deforestation, illegal wildlife trade, marine conservation, and sustainable production and consumption, through collaboration, education and outreach efforts involving the community, businesses, and governments. For more information, please visit wwf.sg.

Overview of Function

The mission of the Philanthropy team is to contribute significant, sustainable levels of philanthropic funding to support the local (Singapore-based) and regional (SEA-based) conservation, sustainability and education programmes in order to advance WWF-Singapore’s mission. The team works closely with the CEO and Board of Directors to assist in the implementation of WWF-Singapore’s philanthropy strategy.

The Senior Executive, Philanthropy is expected to raise substantial funds from granting organizations including foundations, government agencies, philanthropic organisations, as well as build effective relationships with various stakeholders. The role is also responsible for the effective stewardship of current donors and supporters. This involves overseeing the stewardship activities to retain and cultivate ongoing relationships, and working collaboratively with various teams to ensure milestones are met. Additionally, the Senior Executive, Philanthropy conducts research on potential prospects, analyses and manages the database of donors and prospects, and provides bespoke support for donors.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Major Gifts and Grants (50%)

• Works with the Head of Philanthropy to develop and execute an annual FR strategy to solicit individual gifts and raise funds from foundations and other grantmaking organisations.
• Works with the Head of Philanthropy to design effective budget models and be accountable for achievement of income targets; ensure project implementation and expenditure of funds is achieved within contractual milestones
• Effectively manages the donor cycle by developing and managing donor list and prospect pipeline, reporting, developing engagement and grant application plans, and capturing all activity within the CRM system
• Researches and write grants; provide timely reporting and ensure compliance as required with grant awards
• Oversees the process of signing gift agreements, contracts and no-cost extensions; seeking internal approval and legal advice as appropriate.

Stewardship (30%)

• Works closely with the Head of Philanthropy and the Stewardship Manager to develop an effective plan for engagement and donor stewardship activities. Examples include regular check in with donors, sharing relevant news and updates on programmes, creating editing impact reports, and other activities as required to increase their affinity and stickiness to WWF
• Designs and produces engaging and inspiring communication strategies and materials for major donors to communicate the progress and impact of programmes; using existing materials where possible and aligning communications with the wider Partnerships team.
• Liaises with relevant teams (e.g. country field teams, WWF-SG conservation, finance) to collate information, fact checks and seeks clarification to ensure the info provided is accurate and up-to-date. Requires coordination and excellent working relationships within WWF Singapore and across APAC conservation teams
• Designs and manages bespoke, segmented and mass digital communications to UHNWls, VIPs, board members, including newsletters, event invitations and registrations via Active Campaign, EventBrite or similar software
• Designs, drafts and edits philanthropy communications documents and digital presentations, including selection and inclusion of infographics, images, videos and photos to compellingly communicate to sophisticated external audiences
• Proactively seek and knowledge manage environmental and conservation news which may be of interest to the Philanthropy audience

Research and Data Management (10%)

• Works with the Data and Governance Team and oversees due diligence of relevant donors, prospects and board members
• Conducts prospective major donor, trusts and foundations, multilateral grants and board of directors research including profiling and preparing of bios
• Assists in research and preparation of briefing documents for HNWIs, VIPs, the government, and other stakeholders
• Works with the Head of Philanthropy to fulfill requirements of internal due diligence processes including software and database management
• Ensures the integrity of the donor database / CRM, and generates associated reports, such as the HNWI prospect pipeline, philanthropy income and major donor projects. Requires collaboration with Finance and CRM teams

Events and Administrative Support (10%)

• Assists in organising bespoke events, activities and fundraisers for existing donors and prospects; coordinates RSVPs
• Prepares talking points, key messages, and briefings for bespoke events targeted at HNWI and major donors.
• Drafts and manages communication and /invitations to stakeholders.
• Supports logistics of donor and prospects for conservation project site visits across APAC, including itineraries and budgets, in collaboration with APAC Network Offices, where applicable
• Provides operational and administrative support (e.g. scheduling meetings, calendar management) as needed to the Head of Philanthropy

Profile:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant discipline with excellent results. Postgraduate qualifications will be highly regarded.
• At least 3-5 years of relevant work experience in advisory, business development, philanthropy or environmental communications, project management, and / or fundraising, with proven success.
• Proven track record in high-value target achievement in either trusts and foundations, public sector, major donor or corporate fundraising. Experience with proposals and grant applications a plus. Outstanding verbal and written English expression, including an ability to craft language and tone for impact reports, newsletters, thank-you letters and other correspondence, with attention to detail and correct grammar. Knowledge in Chinese (e.g. Mandarin, Cantonese) a plus Experience in cultivating relationships and support effective stewardship of granting organisations and donors.

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to work independently with all levels of internal management and staff, and exhibit the leadership required to establish effective cross-team collaborations for successful delivery of required outcomes
• Strong stakeholder focus and an outstanding service-oriented attitude
• Income oriented with ability to work with income targets
• Ability to correspond in a context sensitive and sophisticated manner with external audiences, including trusts and foundations, major donors, high net worth individuals, and other relevant stakeholders
• Strong research and analytical skills
• Ability to think strategically and intelligently
• Problem solver with ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment
• Ability to apply visual and written creativity to communications
• Plans and organizes/ manages the job independently and proactively
• Must have an outstanding attitude and be highly responsive to providing collateral, support and information to the CEO and Philanthropy Lead as required
• Have an understanding of government policy and regulations for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character (IPC), as well as an understanding of major gifts fundraising landscape in Singapore
• Interest in conservation and sustainability is appreciated
• Adheres to WWF’s values which are: Courage, Integrity, Respect and Collaboration

Working Relationships:

Internal – Ensure intra and inter-departmental collaboration for the optimal use of resources and organizational alignment. Work closely with the Partnerships Team and the wider Fundraising Team to support their fundraising initiatives.

External – Works with various partners supporting WWF’s work. Coordinates with external vendors relating to events, communications, materials production as and when required.

This job description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational need.

Interested candidates are required to submit their cover letter and resume to the HR Department of WWF-Singapore (Email: [email protected]). Please indicate the position being applied for in the subject line.