Director, Major & Principal Gifts

About One Acre Fund

Founded in 2006, One Acre Fund equips 5.5 million smallholder farmers to make their farms more productive. Across nine countries that together are home to two-thirds of Africa's farmers, we provide high-quality farm supplies, tree seedlings, accessible credit, modern agronomic training, and a wide range of other agricultural services. On average, this model enables any farmer to increase their income and assets on supported land by more than 35 percent, while permanently improving their resilience. This is all made possible by our team of 9,000+ full-time staff, drawn from diverse backgrounds and professions.

To learn more, please see our Why Work Here blog post.

About the Role

One Acre Fund is looking for a Director, Major & Principal Gifts to join our Business Development team, collaborating with the existing Major Gifts Officer to grow this critical engine of program revenue.

The Director, Major & Principal Gifts will independently secure major and principal gifts from individual donors to support One Acre Fund.  You will work with our writing, finance, and program teams to convert new donor relationships within your first year. You will report to our Strategy & Partnerships Director.

Responsibilities

• Partnership development: You will work independently to build a pipeline of new Major ($50k+) and Principal ($200k+) prospects, conducting lead qualification, developing lead cultivation plans, and converting these leads into high-value relationships for One Acre Fund over time. You will maintain an active portfolio of 100+ prospects, generating >$2M annually within 2 years. 
• Grant stewardship. You will independently steward the relationships that you originate, building a pathway towards a renewal and if appropriate, an increase in giving over time. This may require activities such as preparing formal progress updates for the donor (with support from the writing team), and supporting donor visits in our program areas. 
• Strategic Leadership. In collaboration with the Business Development leadership team and the current Major Gifts Officer, you will hone our Major Gifts strategy to support One Acre Fund's goals.  Expertise on donor-advised funds, planned gifts, giving circles, or events-based fundraising is a plus.
• Spokesperson for farmers. One Acre Fund contributes to global discussions involving smallholder farmers. You will be a spokesperson for the farm families we serve, advocating for critical issues and inspiring action with the partners you engage with. 

You will help raise the funds to catalyze the next phase of One Acre Fund’s growth, supporting our 2030 vision to deliver $1B in impact to 10 million smallholder farmers and their families. You will create measurable, lasting change at scale for some of the world’s hardest working people.

Career Growth and Development

We have a strong culture of constant learning and we invest in developing our people. You’ll have weekly check-ins with your manager, access to mentorship and training programs, and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career reviews every six months, and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You’ll have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding long-term career.

Qualifications

Across all roles, these are the general qualifications we look for. For this role specifically, you will have:

• 10+ years of relevant fundraising experience in Major Gifts, with experience in the international development sector being an additional advantage.

  • Consistent annual fundraising results of 7 figures for at least three years
  • Comfort with annual fundraising targets driving performance assessments
  • Experience independently managing the full fundraising stages from prospecting through stewardship once secured
• Existing networks in the philanthropic community with a primary focus on US based givers with affinity for 1AF program geography and programming, to develop a pipeline of new partnerships.
• Ability to travel. You may have up to 40 nights per year of travel, primarily domestic. 
• Genuine commitment to rural communities. You are passionate about providing opportunity to the hardest-working farmers on the planet.
• Language: English

Preferred Start Date

As soon as possible

Job Location

United States of America

Benefits

Health insurance, housing, and compr