About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 35 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions

into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future.

The Department / Team

The Philanthropic Growth & Engagement (PG&E) department works to advance Mercy Corps’ strategic goals and support our worldwide team by raising flexible funds, profile and influence. The PG&E team encompasses several dozen dynamic professionals who possess a wide range of skills. We are gift officers, direct response fundraisers, web developers, marketers and media relations strategists. We are database managers, digital specialists, creative designers, storytellers and teachers. Most of all, we are passionate about Mercy Corps’ mission and believe a better world is possible.

The High Impact Philanthropy (HIP) team raises funds from and manages Mercy Corps’ relationships with high-net-worth individual philanthropists and family foundations. The HIP team oversees the full scope of the HWNI pipeline—from high-capacity mid-level supporters to major and principal philanthropists and planned giving benefactors—building relationships to unlock transformative capital and grow Mercy Corps’ community of support. The team operates under the strategic leadership of the Chief Development Officer and is composed of team members who work directly with donors (relationship managers), manage planned giving, and support fundraisers with research and account management.

The Position

The Account Manager, High Impact Philanthropy will play a vital role in supporting major and principal gift fundraisers in the US and the UK. The Account Manager will help manage portfolios of high-net-worth donors and prospects, acting in very close collaboration with the Director, Principal Gifts USA and the Philanthropy Manager, Europe to track progress on and execute strategy for critical donor relationships. 

Essential Responsibilities

MOVES MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

●        Support Frontline fundraisers to execute on strategies for high-net-worth individual donors and prospects within their portfolios, bringing in critical revenue for the organization;

●        Draft correspondence that supports interactions with donors or prospects in portfolios, including general and targeted communications such as letters and contact reports; 

●        Coordinate with relevant PG&E teams to develop communications that support donor strategy such as concept notes, proposals, presentations and reports, from drafts through to final line-editing and formatting of finalized material;

●        Prepare and contribute materials, agendas, and briefings for external prospect and donor meetings, and for internal strategy meetings;

●        With fundraisers, monitor and manage expectations and objectives for each donor and prospect within assigned portfolios, including adhering to stewardship reporting requirements and deadlines;

●        Collaborate closely with Prospect Research as well as programmatic, finance, and operations staff to manage and track the entire donor cycle;

●        Be responsible for updating the donor database (Raiser’s Edge/RENXT) to maintain portfolio assignments, verify donor contact information, create and update giving proposals, request prospect research, monitor report requirements and submissions, and track ongoing donor communication and activity, as well as additional relationship management duties;

●        Supervise the internal drafting and approval processes necessary for proposals, reports, pledge forms and gift agreements;

●        Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with ER colleagues, program, and support staff globally;

●        Undertake special projects as directed

SUPPORT FUNCTIONS

●        Manage HIP acknowledgement letter process, coordinating with frontline fundraisers to personalize and send out gift acknowledgements.

●        Lead on HIP team agendas: sourcing updates, coordinating programmatic and external speakers, managing the calendar, taking and distributing notes.

●        Manage printing for quarterly mailings to the entire HIP file.

●        Support HIP engagement around cultivation events, CEO travel, donor trips to the field and other time-bound initiatives.

Supervisory Responsibility

None.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior Prospect Research Manager

Works Directly With: Director, Principal Gifts; Philanthropy Manager, Europe

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

●        Outstanding written communications skills and solid verbal presentation skills;

●        Highly developed project management skills with the ability to work on own initiative, to prioritize between conflicting demands, and to complete tasks in a timely manner;

●        Ability to identify, build, and execute processes necessary to support effective donor relationships; 

●        Ability to collaborate across teams internally, regardless of distance, and garner support for and execute initiatives effectively;

●        Highly computer literate, to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint as well as preferred familiarity with CRM databases, including Raiser’s Edge and RENXT. 

●        Ability to analyze and interpret financial data;

●        Previous experience in international or non-profit work or a demonstrated interest in these fields preferred.

Success Factors

Must be detail oriented, have superior organizational, verbal, written and interpersonal skills and be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Ability to organize and prioritize urgent tasks, follow procedures, and meet deadlines.  High degree of initiative and accountability.  Demonstrated flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving.  Proven ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations and be accountable for results.  Ability to understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details.  Even temperament and good sense of humor appreciated.  Awareness of and sensitivity to multicultural international development work.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

U.S. based, open to remote. Most of the team is based in Portland, OR.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Team Engagement and Effectiveness 

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.  Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated.

We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.