About WRI

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. We are working to address six critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water and sustainable cities.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges,and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $100 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of nearly 700 people with work spanning 50 countries. We have offices in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States.  

Overview 

In this unique and critical position, you will work on the most pressing global sustainability issues of our day in dynamic emerging economies where large scale changes must take place. You will facilitate key exchanges between sophisticated global philanthropies and WRI’s International Office leaders and have the opportunity to support and interact with experts who have the vision, skills, and strategic insights to change the world. If you wan to build your personal and professional capacity on global environment and development issues and raise funds for vital work in key parts of the world where private philanthropy is nascent, this would be a good opportunity for you.

You will support our ambitious fundraising strategy by maximizing and leveraging foundation revenue to advance WRI’s mission and goals, particularly for our international offices, located in Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Europe, India, Indonesia, and the United States. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Foundation Relations, you will liaise with our these offices to identify foundation prospects for priority in-country projects, and support fundraising efforts with foundations in the US and Europe. Your focus will be on prospect identification and research, donor mapping, and assisting with proposal and report preparation and editing.

You will facilitate key meetings between foundations and our leadership, monitor country office outreach and strategic approaches to foundation donors and prospects, track foundation funding forecasts and prospect pipelines, and create and implement donor research strategies, processes and procedures for the foundation sector in our Global Development department.

You will facilitate meetings and phone calls between foundations and our leadership, monitor international office outreach and approaches to foundation donors and prospects, track foundation funding forecasts and prospect pipelines, and create and implement donor research strategies, processes and procedures for the foundation sector in our Global Development department.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with International Office staff to define and implement research and fundraising strategies for International Offices’ priority projects.
• Identify and qualify new foundation prospects (or new program areas within foundations) and research potential alignment with WRI programs areas.
• Map relationships among foundations and funder networks to identify new prospects and platforms for outreach; and research, document, and track WRI staff and board member networks with foundations.
• Track WRI’s foundation sector prospect and funding pipelines and revenue forecast.
• Facilitate meetings and calls with foundation and WRI leadership, and prepare briefing memos for donor meetings.
• Develop and update prospect research reports and institutional funding profiles for foundation sector using electronic/online sources.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures for research and moves management using Salesforce with Senior Manager.
• Develop processes and practices for maintaining current prospect and donor information in Salesforce, including contacts, networks, programmatic interest areas, and priority regions.
• May also engage in corporate foundation and family foundation fundraising as needed. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required plus 3-5 years of fundraising experience, preferably within the foundation sector.
• Excellent prospect research skills; understanding of what constitutes relevant and strategic information and how to analyze the data to support prospect development.
• Exceptional writing and proofreading skills; ability to translate technical information into lay language; experience in developing and organizing proposals for varying audiences.
• Proven self-starter and problem-solver; ability to take initiative and devise creative solutions.
• Demonstrated excellence in organizational skills and attention to detail; ability to help drive projects to completion.
• Dedication to industry best practices and ability to develop skills as technology advances.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently.
• Strong collegial interpersonal skills; ability to diplomatically and effectively communicate in person, in writing, and by phone.
• Experience working in international team environment a plus; must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, with a diverse staff, across multiple time zones, and within tight and often parallel deadlines.
• Working knowledge of CRM systems, preferably Salesforce.
• Knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, or Mandarin a plus.

How to Apply

Qualified applicants must apply online at careers.wri.org to be considered.