Global Witness is recruiting a short-term consultancy to support with prospecting major donors in key US markets. This project will specifically build upon existing efforts to identify and research new major gift prospects in New York City, San Francisco Bay, and Washington, DC. Upon completion, project deliverables will assist in enhancing our prospect pipeline and increasing individual major gift revenue to deliver on our ambitious fundraising targets.
About Global Witness
Global Witness is an international NGO established in 1993 that campaigns to hold companies and governments to account for their destruction of the environment, their disregard for the planet and their failure to protect human rights. The organisation has 30 years of experience investigating and exposing environmental and human rights abuses in the oil, gas, mining and timber sectors, and tracking ill-gotten money and influence through the global financial and political system.
Today, we continue to focus on abusive actors, misuse of power and illicit financial flows, but have now aligned our investigative and campaigning prowess to take on the most urgent issue facing humanity: the climate emergency. We work to shift the balance of power from those profiting most from climate breakdown (e.g., major polluters such as big oil and gas, and major enablers such as banks) to those most adversely affected (e.g., land and environmental defenders, and communities impacted by predatory resource grabs).
Scope of work
Global Witness is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation headquartered in London, with offices in Brussels, São Paulo, and Washington, DC. It also has associated charitable entities in both the UK (Global Witness Trust), and the US (Global Witness Foundation). Across these three entities, Global Witness receives funding from Governments, Trusts and Foundations, Individual donors and other NGOs and Multilaterals. Upon appointment, the successful consultant will be provided with detailed information on our campaigns and organizational work, as well as access to our current pipelines, to help provide context of the funding space that we operate within.
Due to the ever-changing funding landscape, particularly within the climate sphere, Global Witness has identified the opportunity grow our major gifts program, with a particular emphasis on the US. There is a need to expand upon our current base of US major donors through both support in network mapping and prospecting new donors to diversify our fundraising pipeline.
Your role
Prior to engaging in this work, the consultant will onboard with relevant External Engagement team members to become familiar with the existing major donor portfolio and the ideal characteristics of new major donor prospects.
We then envision that the US Major Donors Prospecting Project will be implemented in two phases.
- Phase one will consist of screening our existing major donor portfolio to identify additional connections within our donor network with the highest potential for major giving. We anticipate this phase to comprise 30 percent of the project and associated deliverables.
- Phase two will consist of researching and identifying new major gift prospects in the New York City, San Francisco Bay, and Washington, DC markets. We anticipate this phase to comprise 70 percent of the project and associated deliverables.
Between phase one and phase two, the consultant will update relevant members of the External Engagement team of their prospect recommendations to receive feedback and make any required adjustments to their methodology.
Key objectives/ outputs / deliverables:
• Network mapping: Identify additional major donor prospects by analyzing the existing US major donor portfolio and finding connections within donor networks.
• Prospecting research and identification: Discover new major gift prospects located within the New York City, San Francisco Bay, and Washington, DC metropolitan areas.
Reporting lines
The successful consultant will work closely with Global Witness’ Head of US Relations. Additionally, the consultant will also have contact with the Major Gifts Officer, Prospect Research & Insights Officer, and the whole of the External Engagement team, as appropriate.
Timeline
We anticipate starting this work in December 2024; however, this timeline is open to negotiation.
Applying
To express interest in this consultancy, please send your CV and cover note (max. 1 page) to the External Engagement team at [email protected]. The cover note should include:
• Proposed methodology for prospecting major donors
• Experience undertaking similar projects / pieces of work
• Budget / day rate
• References (to be contacted, if applicable, after interview).
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. We would be looking for a successful candidate to start as soon as possible.
Contact details
For questions prior to application, please contact [email protected] (FAO Chelsey Gibson, Head of US Relations and Emily Wasek, Major Gifts Officer).