Philanthropy Writer

American Humane • Full-time • Washington, District of Columbia • 3w ago

American Humane is seeking an experienced Philanthropy Writer. This position will be hybrid and can either be based out of our headquarters in Washington, DC or our office in Palm Beach, FL. This position reports directly to the SVP, Chief Growth Officer. American Humane is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. As we seek to fill this position, we highly encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

For more than 100 years American Humane has been first in promoting the welfare and safety of animals and strengthening the bond between animals and people. We are first to serve, wherever animals are in need of rescue, shelter, protection or security. Through our innovative leadership initiatives – from our “No Animals Were Harmed®” program in Hollywood to broad-based farm and conservation animal welfare certifications, to rapid response rescue and care across the country – American Humane sets the gold standard as the most visionary and effective animal welfare organization in the nation.

Position summary:
The Philanthropy Writer at American Humane will play a critical role in crafting compelling and impactful content to support fundraising and donor stewardship efforts. This position will balance project management, editing, and content creation for a variety of print and electronic materials aimed at cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors and prospects. Collaborating across the organization, the writer will strategically position American Humane’s programs to maximize funding and support.

Responsibilities:

Draft proposals for all major giving, including foundations, corporations, and individual giving.
Write complex grant proposals to support the work of our corporate and foundation team.
Ensure that all written materials provided to donors and prospective donors are of the highest quality, offering substantive feedback and edits to improve writing capacity across the Development team.
Write donor stewardship correspondence, including stewardship letters, grant progress reports, acknowledgment letter templates, program reports, and other philanthropic communications.
Create compelling and timely content about American Humane’s fundraising priorities and results for use in print, electronic, and other communication channels.
Produce clear, concise copy for donor related fact sheets, brochures, and other materials as needed.
Conceptualize, create, and refine communication materials for fundraising purposes, including proposals and reports for principal and major gift prospects/donors, concept proposals, cases for support, programmatic write-ups, one-pagers, acknowledgment letter templates, and other donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship pieces.
Serve as a thought partner to frontline fundraisers to develop and refine messaging and communications for donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Develop standardized messaging and template materials, maintaining centralized resources for philanthropy communications.
Complete other projects as necessary, adapting to shifting programmatic responsibilities and writing assignments.

Essential experience, knowledge, skills and abilities:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
At least 5-7 years of professional experience in fundraising, technical writing, communications, or a related field.
Self-disciplined, entrepreneurial, and action-oriented, thriving in a dynamic environment with a strong work ethic.
Excellent organizational skills with the ability to establish and implement systems to ensure successful project completion.
Strong written communication skills with proven ability to present, write, edit, and organize thoughts clearly, concisely, and effectively.
Ability to change voice and writing style to fit different audiences and purposes.
Ability to produce high-quality work on deadlines while managing multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines.
Sound judgment and discretion in handling and securing confidential information, conducting oneself in a highly professional manner.
Flexibility to work both independently and as part of a team to meet goals in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Superior interpersonal and listening skills with the ability to translate insights from donor interactions into tailored written communications.
Excellent time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet deadlines, and deliver quick turnaround in a high-energy, accuracy- and detail-oriented environment.
Ability to handle sensitive information confidentially and tactfully, negotiate and resolve conflicts while observing organizational protocols.
A creative and resourceful problem-solver, eager to take initiative and handle requests quickly with minimal supervision.
Ability to work collegially in a diverse and collaborative environment, ensuring coordinated, integrated, and efficient workflow.
Experienced with MS Office Suite.

Direct reports:

None

Physical demands and work environment:

Position will be a hybrid of office/telework with the position based out of the Washington, DC or Palm Beach, FL office locations and regular telework schedule based on organizational policy and manager discretion. Other locations may be considered.
Must be comfortable with animals in the office and at events.
Minimal travel for team retreats or organizational events may be expected.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee will be regularly required to:
- Look at and work off of a computer screen for extended periods;
- Talk, hear and exchange information over the telephone, computer and in person.

American Humane’s core values define our workplace, and these values serve as the cornerstone for interactions in advancing our mission and institutional goals. Employees are expected to adhere to all organizational policies and to act as role models, demonstrating American Humane’s core values:

Compassion – Being kind and caring in our interactions with others.
Accountability - Holding ourselves to the highest standards. Following through on commitments and owning our actions, behavior, and decisions.
Respect for All – Being professional, listening to others and honoring diversity in all its forms.
Loyalty to Mission – Staying focused on our purpose and our mission – our nation’s most vulnerable depend on us.
Sustainability - Contributing to being a great place to work and achieving our shared mission and goals to make a difference, now and in the future.
Honesty, Integrity, Trust – Demonstrating transparency, as trusted stewards of donor resources, supporting our leadership and one another.

American Humane (AH) is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to fostering and growing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and the humane space.

Job Details:

Title: Philanthropy Writer
Type: Full-Time
Location: Hybrid in NW Washington DC or Palm Beach, FL
Compensation: $65,000 - $80,000 annually, depending on experience