About CIVIC
Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) Center is an international nonprofit and nongovernmental organization with offices around the world working to improve protection for civilians in conflict zones. Our mission is to support communities affected by conflict in their quest for protection and strengthen the resolve and capacity of armed actors and relevant institutions to prevent and respond to civilian harm. We are advocates who believe that no civilian caught in conflict should be ignored, and advisors who provide practical solutions to preventing and responding to civilian harm. Learn more at civiliansinconflict.org.
About the Position
The incumbent will lead CIVIC’s global private fundraising strategy, focusing on expanding and diversifying philanthropic support, including foundations, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and corporate foundations. The role will entail expanding CIVIC’s unrestricted funding base, diversifying and building a strong pipeline of philanthropic prospects, and playing a critical leadership role in ensuring the organization’s financial sustainability, alongside CIVIC’s Institutional Partnerships team in charge of restricted fundraising.
Position Title: Director of Philanthropy
Location: Geneva, New York or Brussels
Reports to: Executive Director
Duration: Full-time
Start Date: Q4 2025 (to be discussed)
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategy & Leadership
- Develop and implement a multi-year philanthropic fundraising strategy aligned with CIVIC’s strategic priorities.
- Lead and coordinate high-level fundraising efforts working closely with the Executive Director, the Board of Directors and senior leadership.
- Strengthen the role of Board members in support of CIVIC’s philanthropic fundraising efforts.
- Explore new markets and opportunities: Incubate innovative funding models, with a view to maximizing the diversification of CIVIC’s funding sources
2. Donor Cultivation & Donor Care
- Build and manage a portfolio of foundations, major donors and corporations.
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward donor relationships through personalized outreach and impact communications.
- Design and implement donor recognition and retention strategies.
- Oversee the development of briefing materials and talking points for senior executives ahead of donor meetings.
3. Prospect Research & Pipeline Development
- Conduct prospect research to identify and qualify new philanthropic supporters.
- Build and maintain a dynamic pipeline of prospects, tracking engagement through CRM tools.
- Develop tailored cultivation and solicitation plans.
- Develop concept notes and proposals to foundations, family offices, and corporate philanthropy teams.
4. Events and campaigns
- Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising event strategy to support annual revenue goals.
- Plan and execute a variety of events, including overseeing event logistics, production timelines, run of show, vendor relationships, and budgets.
- Identify and cultivate event sponsors, hosts, and key attendees in collaboration with colleagues.
- Coordinate follow-up strategies post-event to ensure continued engagement and support.
- Develop and implement integrated fundraising campaigns to support key initiatives, including year-end appeals, giving days, and thematic campaigns.
- Collaborate with Communications and Program teams to craft compelling messaging and campaign assets aligned with donor interests.
- Track campaign performance, analyze donor behavior, and optimize strategies based on results and insights.
5. Team Management and Collaboration with Other Teams
- Lead and manage the Philanthropic Partnerships team.
- Work closely with the communications and programs teams to create compelling cases for support.
- Coordinate with the finance and programs team on gift tracking, reporting, and donor compliance.
- Manage consultants or vendors, as needed, to support campaign design or donor events.
- Coordinate with the Institutional Partnerships team in order to create efficiencies and synergies between the two teams.
- Develop and supervise a team of fundraising and donor engagement professionals.
- Build internal capacity on philanthropic fundraising through training and coaching as needed.
Qualifications, Experience and Language Skills
- Minimum 10-15 years of experience in non-profit fundraising, with a strong track record in philanthropy.
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills in English and at least one other language (French, Arabic)
- Demonstrated success in cultivating and securing six- and seven-figure gifts.
- Demonstrated success in fundraising through individual giving campaigns and events.
- Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills.
- Strategic thinker with ability to translate vision into action.
- Experience working with senior executives and boards.
- Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, EveryAction).
- Knowledge of the global philanthropic landscape is essential; experience with Gulf countries and European philanthropy is a strong asset.
- Prior experience in fundraising roles with humanitarian organisations, international or highly diverse, multi-cultural contexts and across time zones. is a strong asset.
Key Competencies
- Strategic planning and execution
- Interpersonal and negotiation skills
- Innovation and Business mindset
- Donor-centered communication
- Team leadership and collaboration
- Discretion and professionalism
- Ability to handle tight deadlines and deliver complex tasks under pressure, while maintaining flexibility and showing exceptional attention to detail.
Additional Details
The application deadline: July 08,2025
Potential starting date: To be agreed
Position is contingent upon funding.
Due to the high volume of applications, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
CIVIC seeks to recruit, develop, and retain top talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences in the belief that this is critical to achieving our goals. We strongly encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.
CIVIC is not able to sponsor employees at this point; therefore, please ensure that you can legally work in this location when applying.
Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies: CIVIC does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by agencies other than its approved partners.