Philanthropy Officer

BirdLife South Africa (BLSA), based in Johannesburg, South Africa, is one of the largest, most active, nongovernmental conservation organisations in South Africa.

BLSA is the South African Partner of BirdLife International, which operates through partners in 120 countries and territories worldwide. The BirdLife Partnership is the leading and internationally-acclaimed authority on the status of birds, their habitats, and the issues affecting birds. BLSA has special links with the BirdLife partners in Africa, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK.

BLSA is looking for a qualified, dedicated and dynamic Philanthropy Officer to help diversify BLSA’s funding streams, to secure funding for BLSA’s work, and to steward BLSA’s donors. The Philanthropy Officer will identify funding opportunities, develop and submit funding applications, build relationships with new donors and nurture the relationships with BLSA’s existing donors. The Philanthropy Officer will be strategic, proactive, innovative, self-motivated, hardworking, be meticulous with attention to detail, have good administrative skills, be a team player, a keen naturalist, and have a passion for bird conservation. The Philanthropy Officer will be committed to BLSA’s vision and mission (available at https://www.birdlife.org.za/who-we-are/about/).

The primary responsibilities of the Philanthropy Officer will include, but not be limited to, securing unrestricted funding for BLSA’s core and conservation work. The Philanthropy’s Officer’s responsibilities will include:

Identifying potential donors through prospect research.
Building and nurturing relationships with new and existing donors.
Undertaking crowdfunding initiatives and funding appeals in collaboration with BLSA’s Communication’s Manager.
Establishing and maintaining an increasingly successful annual giving programme.
Develop and then update, with input from BLSA’s management and BLSA’s Fundraising Committee an annual fundraising plan.
Management of BLSA’s Legacy Programme.
Assisting with the organisation of donor events.

Inherent Requirements

A tertiary degree and relevant professional experience.
A proven track record in successful fundraising, identifying donor prospects, donor cultivation, and donor stewardship.
Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English.

Recommendations

Excellent organisational and time management skills, meticulous attention to detail, a strong work ethic, the ability to work under pressure, and the ability to prioritise work and meet tight deadlines.
Excellent inter-personal skills.
Good numeracy skills.
Experience with a CRM system.
Knowledge of South Africa’s birds and the main threats to birds and their habitats.
A team player.

General

The successful candidate will report to BLSA’s Chief Executive Officer.
The position will be based at BLSA’s Head Office, Isdell House, Johannesburg.
The nature of the position requires the incumbent to sometimes work afterhours and over weekends.

Salary

BLSA offers a salary which is commensurate with the position and responsibilities. The salary information is available on request. For any further enquiries, please feel free to contact the HR Manager, Dr Isabel Human, at isabel.human@birdlife.org.za or 011-7891122.

Fringe benefits

BLSA provides comprehensive group life insurance.