Job Description

Job Description

**Seeking a Nonprofit Specialist – Fund Development & Public Relations **
Full-time Exempt preferred with one day work from home negotiable, or Part-time hourly minimum 32 hours a week

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, a top-rated US nonprofit organization based out of Penn Valley, California, is currently seeking a Nonprofit Specialist in the area of Fund Development and Public Relations to serve in a serene ashram and monastery environment.

Position Summary: The candidate should exhibit initiative and leadership in the areas of donor relations and fund development. The candidature should encompass the following areas of expertise: fundraising and fund development, public relations, community outreach, and leadership. Fluency in MS Office Suite and Excel are required. Working knowledge of CRM is highly preferable. This position will be responsible for leading the Nonprofit’s fund development program, for building a culture of philanthropy, for maintaining and strengthening relationships with donors, cultivating new donors and for identifying new sources of funding, for oversight of the donor database and for overseeing the marketing operations including special events.

Background
The Nonprofit was established to preserve and disseminate indigenous knowledge and spiritual philosophy from the ancient Sanskrit heritage of the Vedic tradition. The Nonprofit’s head monk, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda, is a Himalayan siddha and a living saint who offers spiritual guidance to sincere seekers through several forums including spiritual fellowships, meditation services, workshops, and retreats. In addition to these services, Self Enquiry Life Fellowship is undertaking several projects related to the preservation of Sanskrit-based wisdom, Vedic fine arts and classical music. For more details, please visit hansavedas.org, hansavedas.academy and bookstore.hansavedas.org.

Meaningful Employment
Employees become part of a core team and work alongside dedicated volunteers and will get an opportunity to work in the serene ambience of a spacious property that has dedicated office space for each member of staff. The team is directly guided by His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda. This position offers a unique opportunity to blossom spiritually and serve in an organization which values and promotes Himalayan meditation and higher yoga, personal spiritual empowerment, and mindfulness. The Nonprofit offers careers to those who are looking for meaningful service-oriented employment and makes an extra effort to nurture staff who are seriously looking to inculcate a spiritual lifestyle.

Mindful Professionalism
The candidate must be flexible, open to learning and adapting to alternative office procedures, including the formality of protocols necessary when working with monastics and priests. The candidate should be able to align and grow into this position seamlessly, by adapting to the fellowship culture and service-oriented mission of the Nonprofit. Therefore, mindful demeanor and mature communication skills with the community of donors, philanthropists, meditators, and devotees are essential. The ideal candidate will blend spiritual sensitivity with strong outreach experience and communication skills, besides technical expertise on various online platforms.

Duties and Responsibilities

Fundraising, Donor Relations, and Donor Stewardship

• Develop and implement high-level fundraising strategies to ensure the financial sustainability of the organization.
• Implement and manage all fundraising activities for annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate and foundation funding.
• Supervise fund-development-related staff and/or volunteers, overseeing donor recordkeeping, gift acknowledgement, and gift processing.
• Manage all donor acknowledgement and recognition programs.
• Work with staff and the Board to identify potential funding-related projects as appropriate.
• Maintain relationships with existing donors by way of phone calls, in-person meetings, letters, and email communications.
• Develop and manage a donor acquisition program.
• Travel nationwide to network, meet with donors, and represent the organization for donor cultivation.
• Conduct donor research activities to increase giving.
• Produce major donor solicitations/support materials with the intent to retain or upgrade gifts when possible.
• Develop and implement a major gifts program using trained community volunteers to extend the reach of the organization.

Special Event Coordination

• Coordinate and plan fundraising events, both online and in-person.
• Host gatherings and events for major donors in coordination with key volunteers from the Nonprofit’s City/Area Centres (requires traveling to City/Area Centres).
• Advise and make recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding special event strategies.|

Public Relations and Marketing

• Develop an annual marketing/outreach plan.
• Hire a Public Relations firm with the intent to network and meet with philanthropists.
• Supervise or advise the creation of communications that support the fund development effort, such as the annual report, printed case materials, and fund development-related presentations and speeches.
• Produce fund development-related content for the website and social media networks.
• Supervise marketing and outreach personnel to ensure consistency in messages related to fund development.
• Deliver presentations on philanthropy and fundraising to help staff, the Board of Directors, volunteers understand the role of philanthropy within the Nonprofit.
• Direct and manage advertising and marketing projects and personnel.
• Monitor, review, and report on marketing research, activities, and results.
• Monitor and evaluate marketing efforts for effectiveness.
• Manage fundraising related website development and utilization.

Administration and Leadership

• Review monthly financial reports with the Treasurer and Accounting Specialist to ensure accurate posting of donation transactions.
• Create office systems to support all fund development projects and operations.
• Supervise maintenance of all fund development-related databases, records, and files.
• Oversee gift processing and ensure effective use of the donor management software, Salesforce CRM.
• Maintain security and quality controls in the management of donor database and records.
• When necessary, draft and submit fund development-related policies for board review and approval.
• Collaborate on special projects, perform research, write reports, develop relationships, and represent the Nonprofit.

Acknowledgement

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice, within the scope of this position. By applying for this position the candidate acknowledges the understanding of the requirements, essential functions, and duties of the position.

Qualification Requirements and Preferences

• Fund Planning & Development experience with proven success, preferably in a nonprofit organization, is required
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Advertising, Business, Social Sciences or other applicable field of study
• 3 years professional fundraising experience in a Nonprofit environment
• Prior supervisory/leadership experience
• 1 year experience working in marketing, advertising, donor relations or other relevant communications driven positions
• Proficient in MS Office products specifically Excel; Proficiency with online tools is required
• Willingness to learn new software platforms (if not proficient), such as Salesforce, Constant Contact, Eventbrite, Slack, Uscreen, Track It Forward, Thinkific, Google Suite, VoIP
• Must be seeking a spiritual environment for inner growth and be spiritually aligned
• Public speaking and coordination skills
• Must be a professional, cooperative team player, and a proven self-starter
• Excellent organizational skills and detail-oriented
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills; able to work with and inspire volunteers
• Courteous communication skills; positive & spiritual demeanor
• Experience with Salesforce Nonprofit Starter Pack (or other CRM) is preferable
• Must have a reliable automobile and evidence of appropriate liability insurance
• Must be a US citizen or a US Permanent Resident
• Must uphold honour code in managing work hours and workflow

Benefits

Lunch and snacks on workdays; access to basic wellness supplements; free attendance at workshops and retreats of the Nonprofit; on-the-job training & external courses. Exempt full-time salary will depend upon qualification and professional experience.

Submit: A Cover Letter explaining the motivation to serve with a spiritual organization clearly specifying spiritual intent or serious interest in alignment with mindful living, a Curriculum Vitae (or a résumé detailing education, professional work experience and technical skills), and a list of references.

Nonprofit Profile on Guidestar:
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-3478668

Read this article to learn more about our shared values at the workplace:
https://hansavedas.org/work-is-worship/

Company Description

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship (hansavedas.org) is a US-based Nonprofit organization which was founded to preserve and share indigenous knowledge of the Sanskrit heritage. Our spiritual founder, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishanada, not only hails from the authentic Sanskrit tradition, he is a meditation adept and an erudite scholar of ancient Indic cardinal philosophies.

Company Description

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship (hansavedas.org) is a US-based Nonprofit organization which was founded to preserve and share indigenous knowledge of the Sanskrit heritage. Our spiritual founder, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishanada, not only hails from the authentic Sanskrit tradition, he is a meditation adept and an erudite scholar of ancient Indic cardinal philosophies.