Complex & Principal Gifts Specialist

About Us:
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) was founded in 2000 with one clear objective: accelerating meaningful therapeutic advances and, ultimately, a cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Foundation applies extraordinary scientific, business and media assets to this singular focus—thus creating a unique and dynamic organization. Since inception, MJFF has quickly grown into the largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s disease research, having funded over $2 billion in research projects in both academic and industry labs worldwide.

Core to our philosophy is how we think of our capital and its risk profile relative to other stakeholders in the drug development pipeline. We work aggressively to de-risk various therapeutic strategies and tools in the hopes of building a robust pipeline of new treatments for patients. In order to achieve our mission of finding a cure for PD it is critical that we engage with, and bring together, members of the PD community including researchers, physicians, health professionals and most important, people with Parkinson's and their families.

We believe that to find a cure for PD as quickly as possible, our capital needs to push research forward today—we therefore deliberately hold no endowment or excessive reserves. We instead seek to deploy funds raised as quickly and wisely as possible. MJFF raises over $100 million annually. Today, the Foundation has approximately 300 full-time employees. We offer a collegial and collaborative environment where optimistic problem-solvers and entrepreneurial, resourceful individuals can thrive and make a tangible difference for millions of people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Position Summary: 
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (“the Foundation”) is seeking top talent for its Complex & Principal Gifts Specialist position.  Reporting to the Senior Manager of Fundraising Operations, this role is a key support to the Development business unit. This position supports the uptake and improvement of donor information in Salesforce, the Foundation’s CRM. This role is the operational point of contact for Principal Giving, and the operational lead on complex gifts (multi-year, varied funding vehicles, donor advised funds, or other).

This is a hybrid-flex position that will require in-person attendance on a semi-regular basis at MJFF’s office in New York City.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Lead operational servicing of donor records associated with the Foundation’s most generous donors, including gift opportunities, contact records and account info
• Support and expand training for fundraisers across portfolios to manage donors and their giving effectively; partner with portfolio leads to improve use of CRM tools to document donor giving and behavior
• Act as the point of contact for all operational needs related to Principal Giving, or portfolio leads with complex gifts; this includes campaign creation, relationship manager review, audience inclusion/suppression, invite curation and more
• Partner with operational leads to implement policies and procedures for complex gift identification and recording; develop training for relationship managers
• Liaise with project managers, fundraisers, donor services, accounting and research operations to implement procedures within Salesforce to document complex gifts – both pledged and received
• Lead working group focused on the proactive identification of Donor Advised Funds (DAF) and partnering with donor services and relationship managers to audit existing donor records for these gifts
• Act as the operational lead for fundraising campaigns across all Development programs that incorporate principal donors or complex giving
• Collaborate with donor marketing, analytics, donor services, CRM and other experts to develop solutions, process improvements and updates to the donor pipeline that support principal donors and/or multi-year gifts
• Support the development of replicable, scalable reports and processes for frequently requested donor information, such as portfolio reports, donor list requests, or campaign analytics
• Develop best practices for fundraisers utilizing CRM software (Salesforce) or other development tools and technology. Partner with teams across the Foundation – such as Marketing, Prospecting and CRM teams – to create cohesive understanding of how portfolio managers utilize the CRM

Qualifications and Skills: 

• Knowledge supporting fundraising teams, operations preferred
• Experience supporting Principal Giving operations
• Experience working within a CRM; SalesForce strongly preferred
• Experience with supporting complex gifts in fundraising operations – multi-year pledges, donor advised funds (DAFs), real estate donations, and more
• Experience in a service or support-focused role; excellent collaboration skills
• Knowledge of best practices in Principal and Major giving
• Knowledge of fundraising moves management cycles, and fundraising strategies
• Strong prioritization and time management; able to balance multiple projects with competing deadlines
• Experience with project management  
• Strong analytical skillset
• Excellent communication, both written and verbal
• Commitment to giving and receiving feedback; strong listener with the ability to communicate across a wide range of audiences

Salary and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $70,000 to $85,000.  In addition to salary, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 15+ options for medical insurance (with the Foundation paying 90 percent of the premiums)
• Competitive dental and vision plans
• 401(k) plan with 6 percent employer contribution
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employer paid life and disability insurance
• 18 Vacation Days; 12 Well-Being (Sick) Days; 2 Personal Days; summer Fridays (office closure at 2 p.m.) and a summer holiday week over July 4
• Two ways of working: hybrid-flex, or remote work.  We trust all employees to work closely with their manager and colleagues to determine when, where and how programs and projects get done.  
   

Employees are also eligible for a discretionary bonus on an annual basis. The Foundation provides staff and leadership cultivation through regular training courses and events.  
 

How to Apply: 
Interested candidates should submit a resume and thoughtful cover letter describing through examples, their specific qualifications and interest in the position. If you think that your skills are transferable and can add value to this role, please apply. Applicants who best match the position’s needs will be contacted.

MJFF is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from individuals who will contribute to our efforts to build and support a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Diversity may refer to characteristics including, but not limited to, race, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic circumstance, geographic background, ability and disability, political ideology and age.