Prospecting Research Associate At Church World Service

Position Title: Prospecting Research Associate

Location: US Remote

Reports to: Director (Global), Business Development

Type: Full time

Pay Grade: Band 7

Church World Service (CWS) is a faith-based organization transforming communities around the world through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. CWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, disability or veteran status in employment or in the provision of services.

Primary Purpose:
The individual will work within the Business Development team to support business development for all programs at CWS. Reporting to the Director (Global), the candidate will be responsible for prospecting, researching and evaluating a pipeline of ~$100 million+ in projected annual funding requests, and providing guidance to the BD team and program leadership on funding landscapes and opportunities for CWS globally and domestically. The candidate will research funding opportunities from US government (USAID, State Department, Dept of Health and Human Services), multilateral (UN orgs, multi-donor pooled funds), foundations and corporate funding sources, as well as map sectoral funding trends and analysis of donor interests and pledges.

The ideal candidate has a strong interest in migration, international development and/or humanitarian assistance. The candidate has experience researching and synthesizing information into concise well-written emails and reports. They must be able to function effectively, and within a timely manner, in a remote environment under minimal supervision. Independent judgment is required to plan, prioritize, and organize a diversified workload; however, this position will work closely with all members of the Business Development team.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the BD team’s prospecting and donor research, utilizing prospecting software and research tools to find, evaluate and qualify funding opportunities that are well matched and aligned with CWS’s programs domestically and globally.
• Monitor federal funding opportunities and forecasts and identify matches.
• Track, analyze and share philanthropic, bilateral and multilateral funding announcements, pledges and funding trends relevant to CWS’ global and domestic programming
• Manage preliminary stages of the BD moves management process of the institutional pipeline and initiate the go/no-go process with programmatic and technical teams
• Prepare background research to support the submission of concept notes and proposals, such as country context analysis.
• Research and write donor intel reports and donor mappings for CWS domestic and global programs.
• Prepare donor profiles for corporations and foundations, which include biographical information, best points of contact, areas of interest, giving history, and affiliations.
• Provide concise analysis of RFPs, including mission fit, eligibility and timelines.
• Flag lapsed institutional donors for BD staff and support renewal plans.
• Circulate funding opportunities to CWS’ local offices through bulletin updates; track local office prospecting and submission pipelines in Salesforce.

Qualifications:

Education:
A bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field is required.

Experience & Competencies:

• 5+ years’ experience in the nonprofit sector with a concentration in research and/or prospecting.
• Demonstratable experience in prospecting for grant opportunities through various capacities and the details required to do such. The candidate should have experience in navigating funding databases and profile resources, such as grants.gov, funds for NGOs, Foundation Directory Online, the UN partner portal, and organization 990s.
• Strong research and writing skills with experience compiling analysis reports.
• Solid computer skills and proficiency with data entry in database programs, ideally Salesforce or similar donor databases.
• Energetic, positive, have a “can-do” attitude, and a high degree of initiative. Must be organized, able to coordinate logistics and able to manage a large workload while meeting deadlines. Candidate should be flexible, a team player, and have excellent attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills and a demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively. Must demonstrate “transparency of information” by articulating program strategies, priorities, standards, and expectations to stakeholders. Communicate and model CWS’ mission, values, and priorities to stakeholders.
• General:
  • Knows “broad stroke” information about CWS programs and can articulate CWS programs. Individuals must be culturally sensitive and understand the importance of gender-inclusiveness and intersectionality.
• Leadership: Manage the implementation of assigned fundraising activity. Accept accountability for assigned activities and adapt a work style to perform independently or within a team. Offer creative suggestions for improving the structure of assigned fundraising activities. Take initiative and demonstrate leadership on special projects as assigned.
• Problem Solving: This person must have strong research and analytic abilities, with a demonstrated ability to think strategically and have a thorough understanding of strategic program development. Identify systems that contribute to the effectiveness of Business Development strategies. Identify and recommend workable solutions for challenged processes, considering the costs, benefits and potential consequences to CWS.

CWS’ U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Policy requires all new staff to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination as soon as reasonable, no longer than 60 days of employment. Any employee who is pregnant, who is nursing, who has a disability, or who has a medical condition that prevents them from safe vaccination, or who rejects vaccination because of sincerely held religious beliefs, may contact the CWS Benefits Administrator to request reasonable accommodation as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

CWS offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• 403 (b) Retirement Plan

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

• Paid Time Off

• Life Insurance and AD&D

• Long Term and Short Term Disability

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Health Savings Account

• Flexible Spending Accounts

• Commuter Benefits