Philanthropy Advisor

HCF’s Collaboration Philosophy 

At the Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF), we believe our team is strongest when we work together. As a collaborative ‘ohana, we live our mission, support one another, and combine our strengths to create meaningful impact for our donors, partners, and the people of Hawai‘i.

Position Summary

Like all HCF team members and volunteers, the Philanthropy Advisor exudes the heart and passion for HCF’s mission: to inspire generosity, advocate for equity, forge connections and invest in community to create a better Hawai‘i. Specifically, the Philanthropic Advisor ‘s role is to develop and manage relationships that lead to philanthropic gifts that support the priorities of the Hawaii Community Foundation. Philanthropic Advisors manage a portfolio of prospects/donors and fund advisors to facilitate grant-making, engagement with HCF and support the Donor Relations team with stewardship/cultivation of those donors for future gifts.

Essential Position Responsibilities

Key responsibilities fall within primary areas of focus and are as follows:

Develop and Manage a Fundraising Portfolio

• Develop and manage a relationship portfolio of 80 – 120 relationships consisting of prospective and current donors focused on soliciting gifts with a threshold of $10,000+ of which a portion will be dedicated to corporate and foundation relationships.
• Create short and long-term engagement plans, cultivation strategies, and written grant proposals that lead to new/first-time gifts, and renewed gifts from current donors.
• Demonstrate and work to secure gifts that align the interests and motivations of donors with the priorities of HCF.
• Engage donors and fund advisors with the Donor Relations team to support their grant making from Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) with proactive (understanding the donors' wishes and providing opportunities to grant) and reactive (ensure excellent service when donors decide to recommend a grant) strategies.

• Record measures and metric of donor engagement activities and their outcomes in Customer Relations Management (CRM) system.
• Understand and follow the best practices outlined in the DDR Prospect Management Guide.

Team Effectiveness & Goal Alignment

• Motivate top performance and accountability through shared, and clear communication of goals and objectives. 
• Supervise and/or mentor staff as assigned.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Relationship Management

• Deliver a collaborative working and communication style with Philanthropy and Professional Advisor colleagues to achieve greater results.

• Serve as collaborative partner within the organization to develop targets proposals for gifts that align with HCF’s strategic priorities addressing evolving community needs.
• Deliver excellent service to all clients (internal and external) and exceed HCF’s service standard expectations whenever possible.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all clients and gain their trust and respect of HCF.
• Serve as collaborative partner with all internal departments to ensure comprehensive relationship management and efficiency strategies are utilized.

Community Outreach/Collaboration

• Participate and support the activities of nonprofit organizations to build knowledge of the sector, strengthen relationships, and make connections between nonprofit organizations and client interests.

• Conduct public information and community relations activities.

Other Responsibilities 

• Serve as a knowledgeable and collaborative representative of HCF in the community.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

HCF believes in ensuring that our team members are capable of thriving in their positions. Accordingly, the Philanthropic Advisor must possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, and education:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum 3-5 years of frontline fundraising experience working in a major institution with high net worth individuals, corporations and foundations.
• Demonstrated success as a major gift fundraiser.
• Grant writing and proposal development experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of the philanthropic sector and various giving vehicles.
• Knowledge of shared governance, institutional administration and collegial interaction in a nonprofit environment preferred.

Technical & Systems Skills

• Digital fluency with a comfort level with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge, internet applications, etc.
• Proficient in MS Office applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook; familiarity with database systems.

Analytical Skills & Work Style

• Excellent research, analytical, writing, presentation and organizational skills.
• Ability to clearly and concisely communicate in oral and written form, strong math skills to produce reports.
• Ability to manage time effectively and meet multiple deadlines while working with minimal supervision. Manage competing demands and a high volume of activity—often running concurrently—with excellent organizational/time management skills and attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to complete tasks by prioritizing work and using a team approach.

Interpersonal & Communication Skills

• Capable of thriving in a highly collaborative and flexible organization with an appreciation and respect for colleagues of diverse backgrounds and perspectives and an enthusiasm to continually shift and evolve to meet the needs of the community, clients, and donors.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate effectively with varied constituents including government officials, business and nonprofit leaders, and donors.
• Proven leadership skills and ability to work in a collaborative environment.

Confidentiality & Integrity

• Ability to handle sensitive information and act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Ability to be extremely discrete in working with or having knowledge of sensitive or confidential information related to client and donor information, relationships, and funds.

Values & Community Fit

• Demonstrated passion for the betterment of Hawai‘i and its people.
• Knowledge, sensitivity, and understanding of the history and complexities of Hawai‘i’s multicultural community.
• Capable of thriving in a highly collaborative and flexible organization, with an appreciation and respect for colleagues of diverse backgrounds and perspectives and an enthusiasm to continually shift and evolve to meet the needs of the community, clients, and donors.

Work Environment, Physical, and Mental Demands

• Works under regular office conditions with the ability to work remotely.
• General office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with flexibility per needs of the business.
• Access to transportation for on-island meetings.

• Required to travel on island and the Continental U.S. as needed.
• Ability to operate general office equipment including computer, copier, printers, fax machine, etc.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, up to 25 lbs. of general office material or equipment.

This provides a general description of the common duties performed by a person in this position. It does not include every possible duty an individual in this position may be asked to perform and is not all-encompassing. Positions also may require “other duties as assigned” and such assignments are considered part of this position’s assignment. This job description is provided as a general summary and does not constitute a contract for employment and does not in any way alter Hawai`i Community Foundation’s employment “at-will” relationship with any employee in this position.