Job Posting

Pollen Midwest | Minneapolis, MN
Salary Range: $80,000

Who we are
Pollen is a media arts nonprofit that harnesses the power of narrative change to build towards a society that is free, just, and loving. We share stories that tip communities into action, and bring our expertise for design, narrative storytelling and engagement-centered events to other mission-driven organizations.

You are a Pollenite if...
You have an unwavering belief in equity, empathy, and our shared humanity. You seek to understand the thorniest of issues, particularly from a perspective that might not match your own. You embrace your civic responsibility, and contribute to your community through active leadership. You approach the challenges in your community with imagination and belief in a better path forward.

Working at Pollen
Our staff and board represent lots of different identities across race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and we deeply value the intersection of these identities in our team culture. We value lived-experience and commitment to racial equity in all of our work through:

Connection: Connection to yourself, to each other, our community, and our mission.
Kindness: We have cultivated an intentional culture of grace between our staff, vendors, freelancers, clients, board members and partners.
Empathy: People, and each of our quirky, messy lives take precedence over work.
Adaptability: We are a thriving organization that continues to grow and evolve.
Openness: We are curious and love to learn from others and aren’t afraid to change our minds.
Rest: We prioritize and promote taking time away to rest and to enjoy a life beyond work at Pollen.

Why this position matters
The Development Director builds and nurtures strategic funder and individual donor relationships that sustain and grow the reach of our narrative impact. Ensuring Pollen’s financial sustainability, the Development Director sustains the pulse of the organization by conveying the impact of narrative change, connecting funders and donors to Pollen’s mission, and engaging with community supporters. This position oversees all philanthropic activities for the organization, including Pollen's institutional fundraising and individual giving strategies, projected to generate $700,000 by 2024.

What you’re great at
Relationships: You get energy out of connecting with people one-on-one and you prioritize relationships first in your fundraising approach. For you, it’s more than just asking for money. It’s about showing people the power of narrative change in future building, and aligning that vision with funders’ and donors’ philanthropic goals. You know that relationships take time and aren’t built over email alone. You regularly check in with program officers, partners, and Pollenites to share updates and learn more about their priorities and passions. You love meeting new people and organizations, and you show up at community gatherings and networking events eager to connect with others.

Research & Solicitation: You are well versed in the philanthropic landscape of Minnesota and are knowledgeable about other regional and national funders, especially those that fund narrative change work and social justice movements. You prioritize grant opportunities that align with Pollen’s strategic vision. You take the time to understand the funding priorities and motivations of philanthropic institutions and donors alike, and use that information to craft persuasive appeals that you can deliver confidently, whether it be over the phone, in-person, or in writing. You can translate qualitative and quantitative data, as well as anecdotal evidence, into impact and outcomes that demonstrate Pollen’s theory of change. You know what data points are most compelling, and how and when to use this data to make the case for funding the work of narrative change. You’re knowledgeable about the field of narrative change and Pollen’s position in the ecosystem. You can articulate its impact and value, tailoring your messaging for different audiences. You’re not shy about asking for money, but instead see it as an opportunity to more deeply engage funders and donors in our work, and to help them see their role in building a more just, free, and loving future.

Campaigns: Your fundraising brain thinks in campaigns, and can see how all the moving pieces go together to reach annual fundraising goals. You start with research to build out your prospect lists, craft compelling messaging, geek out over audience segmentation, and love a good gift chart. You create and meet realistic timelines that factor in your team’s workload and capacity, donors’ propensity and preferred times for giving, grant application deadlines, and other major milestones. You’re comfortable leading, project managing, contributing , and collaborating all at the same time. You’re intentional about what messages go where, to whom, and when. At the end of a campaign, you enjoy digging into the data to see what worked, what we could do differently next time, and sharing that information with your team.

Trends + Experimentation: You keep tabs on fundraising trends and best practices, and incorporate what you learn into Pollen’s fundraising strategy. You also think critically about the nonprofit industrial complex and challenge inequitable giving practices that are rooted in white supremacy. You like to experiment with new tactics and aren’t afraid to test out new platforms or unconventional ideas.

What you’ll be doing
This role requires innovation, strategic vision, collaboration, and implementation prowess. You’ll directly report to Pollen’s Executive Director, and collaborate with the Director of Narrative Programs, Creative Director, Communications Manager, and Finance and Operations Manager on an array of fundraising activities. A typical day might involve researching funders, writing grant applications and reports, conducting donor check ins, participating in campaign ideation sessions, evaluating metrics, and meeting with prospective funders. The work you do will touch every aspect of Pollen’s programming, from editorial to design, and from finance to communications.

You’ll need to be a strong, persuasive communicator, who can develop a vision for your work, all while being open to input, feedback, and Pollen’s highly collaborative environment. You’ll build collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders and cultivate cross-departmental collaborations to lead and advance Pollen’s fundraising efforts.

Fundraising Strategy: Develop Pollen’s annual fundraising strategy and work plans for institutional giving, individual donors, and sponsorships that are in alignment with Pollen’s strategic plan and integrate our ongoing commitment to racial and social justice. You’ll be responsible for crafting effective messaging, case building, and language across all of Pollen’s development channels; supporting and engaging with Pollen staff and board on development strategies and campaigns; and keeping current on fundraising best practices, while also exploring and experimenting with new approaches to fundraising that center community. You’ll also work with the Executive Director and Finance and Operations Manager on financial projections, budgeting, and reporting. As a member of the core leadership team you’ll participate in Pollen’s Revenue Circle*, which provides development insight and support for the organization’s short- and long-term financial strategy. You’ll present campaign strategies and share fundraising reports at board meetings to ensure members remain engaged in Pollen’s fundraising strategy.

*Note: Other participants in the Revenue Circle include the Executive Director, Director of Narrative Programs, and the Finance and Operations Manager.

Institutional Giving: With an ambitious goal of growing Pollen’s institutional giving by 37% over the next three years, this strategic program will require the most of your innovative thinking, strong communications, and relationship building with local and national funders. You’ll steward current funder relationships while identifying new investment opportunities that build on our funding history. You’ll research prospective corporate and foundation prospects, develop and execute engagement strategies, maintain communications with funders, and collaborate with the Communications Manager and design team to raise Pollen’s profile among Minnesota and national foundations that invest in narrative change. You’ll collaborate with the Executive Director and Programs Director to align grant requests with program goals and Pollen’s long-term strategic vision; and write and submit grants and reports in collaboration with program staff.

Individual Giving: Lead the individual giving program, a significant revenue and engagement opportunity for Pollen, which generated $164,000 between 2019-2021 and is projected to grow by 52% over the next three years. Working in partnership with the Executive Director and Director of Narrative Programs, you’ll design and execute both annual fund and issue-specific campaigns that attract a broad base of individual support and major giving. These campaigns could include the following communications and engagement channels: email, social media, giving platforms, peer-to-peer fundraising, in-person events, virtual events, and print. Cultivation and stewardship of Pollen’s donors will be your number one priority. You’ll manage a portfolio of individual donors and support the Executive Director, board, and staff in the work of stewarding their own donor relationships. Through personal engagement, relationship building, and donor recognition, you’ll acquire new donors, retain current donors, and motivate annual fund and monthly contributors to increase their gifts. With an eye on growth, you’ll work with the Program Director to identify additional opportunities for donor engagement and cultivation across the organization and among individual staff members.

Sponsorship Development: Develop an annual sponsorship plan to support Pollen’s core mission work that generated $36,000 in 2021 and is projected to grow by 11% in 2022. You’ll build and maintain relationships with local businesses and corporations who underwrite Pollen’s mission, and create sponsorship materials and communications & engagement plans to attract new business and corporate sponsors. In recognition of Pollen’s sponsors, you’ll be responsible for delivering sponsorship benefits effectively and in a timely manner throughout the year.

Data Management: Design dashboards and utilize metrics to measure fundraising strategy and campaign effectiveness, making program refinements when necessary. You’ll manage Pollen’s donor database, including donor tracking, data maintenance and cleanup. You’ll keep tabs on relevant grant opportunities and deadlines by developing and maintaining an annual grants calendar for funder meetings, letters of inquiry, proposals, and reports. You’ll work closely with the Director of Narrative Programs to identify meaningful metrics that measure the impact of community building and narrative change to strengthen Pollen’s case for investment and strategic decision making.

Compensation & Benefits Details
Salary: $80,000 - Salary negotiations often lead to pay disparities within workplaces. Pollen is committed to offering fair, market-value, non-negotiable salaries commensurate with the role.
Health Care: 100% medical coverage by Pollen (BenefitsMN Medica Passport Plan), with options to upgrade and/or add partners or dependents
Generous PTO: Starts with 4 weeks a year (5 weeks after 3 years, 6 weeks after 5 years)
Sick Time: Unlimited
Paid Holidays: 11 paid holidays, 2 paid floating holidays
Paid Closures: 3 weeks of paid, organization-wide closes. Pollen closes the first two weeks of July every year and the last week of December
Summer Fridays: From Memorial Day—Labor Day we log off after 12pm on Fridays
Work Flexibility: Flexible working hours and you can work from home.
Remote Work: Pollen is currently working remote. We have a membership at The Coven that the team uses as desired. We gather semi-regularly for all team meetings, retreats, and group lunches.
Location: While we work remote, it is preferred that the person for this position lives near the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro due to the heavy relationship and networking nature of this position.

How to apply
By Monday, November 14, email work@pollenmidwest.org with:

Cover Letter: 2-3 paragraphs in the email (not attached, but written in the body of the email) telling us why you’re interested in this position and why you want to be a part of the Pollen team. Give us a sense for the level of complexity, quantity, creativity, and impact of the past strategic campaigns or fundraising portfolios you’ve managed.

Resume: PDF attachment or link to your LinkedIn profile (either is fine). All fundraising experience across any sector or industry could be relevant. Maybe you’ve worked on a political or advocacy campaign as a fundraiser. Maybe you’ve worked at a learning institution as part of an alumni relations department. Or maybe you’re an entrepreneur who has been successful raising venture capital.

Subject Line: Director of Development_Your Name