Philanthropy Writer
Lausanne, CH
About IMD
The Institute for Management Development (IMD) is an independent academic institution with Swiss roots and global reach, founded more than 75 years ago by business leaders for business leaders. Since its creation, IMD has been a pioneering force in developing leaders who transform organizations and contribute to society.
Based in Lausanne (Switzerland) and Singapore, IMD has been ranked in the Top 3 of the annual FT’s Executive Education Global Ranking for the last nine consecutive years and in the top five for 17 consecutive years. Our MBA and EMBA programs have repeatedly been singled out among the best in Europe and the world.
We believe that this consistency at the forefront of our industry is grounded in IMD’s unique approach to creating “Real Learning. Real Impact”. Led by an expert and diverse faculty, we strive to be the trusted learning partner of choice for ambitious individuals and organizations worldwide. Our purpose is “Challenging what is and inspiring what could be, we develop leaders who transform organizations and contribute to society.”
To reinforce our team, we are looking for a
Philanthropy Writer
The Job's Mission
The Philanthropy Writer is a member of the Development and Alumni Relations team, providing communications expertise to the Chief Development Officer (CDO) and team. From writing fundraising cases for support, to developing key messages, proposals, and concept notes for high-net-worth individuals, the Philanthropy Writer will use their superlative writing skills to create a broad range of donor-centric collateral.
Working closely with the Alumni Relations and Development team, faculty, research associates, finance, and members of senior staff, the post-holder will manage a variety of donor-centric content projects related to the delivery of IMD fundraising priorities. The role will also engage directly with the Office of the President.
The postholder will be responsible for ensuring that all donor-related material contain the highest quality, most accurate, up-to-date compelling content.
Primarily responsible for collating, writing, and editing donor-centric communication, the postholder will be capable of adapting their writing style based on the audience they are writing for. They will have extensive experience in producing persuasive, aspirational donor material.
Key Activities & Accountabilities
• Write engaging, donor-centric content to support development activities and goals, with a focus on cases for support, proposals, and reports but also including acknowledgement updates, newsletter/annual report articles, cultivation letters, and collateral material
• Synthesise content from multiple sources into one compelling document
• Gather and assimilate content from various sources, and turn it into compelling narratives / gift opportunities, case for support, proposals, and other fundraising and donor relations materials.
• Co-ordinate and manage academic partners involvement and input in the planning process for fundraising and writing
• Collaborate with the Communications team to share content and ensure consistency of messaging and presentation via communication streams and platforms
• Attend and confidently contribute to meetings with academics, research associates, and members of senior staff to develop the content of donor-related materials
• Contribute to a knowledge management system so that written materials and content is shared and accessible to the wider Institution
• Plan time efficiently to manage multiple requests
• Support colleagues in the development of information required to produce compelling narratives
Education
• Graduate or post-graduate degree with experience in donor communication (or related field).
Experience
• Superlative writing and editing skills and experience collaborating with designers to produce high quality promotional and informational materials.
• Project management experience (min. 3 years)
• Wide-ranging understanding and experience of current communication techniques
• Experience writing successful grant proposals and compelling reports
• Experience of proposal writing and evidence of excellent writing skills in the English language
• Ability to create and manage time-intensive writing processes and prioritize multiple deadlines
• Comfortable working in an environment where priorities can change according to adjustments in fundraising priorities/requirements
• Experience of working in a team environment.
Competencies
• Excellent written communication skills with an ability to convey information in a clear, inspiring way to a range of audiences
• Excellent grammatical and proofing skills
• Experience in researching content for donor content
• Ability to translate research ideas into compelling donor-centric content
• Knowledge and understanding of fundraising and the philanthropic motivations of donors/prospects
• Professional demeanour that will engender the respect from the variety of internal and external stakeholders with whom he/she will have contact.
• Understanding of the confidential nature of information and ability to deal with information in a discreet and professional manner.
• Strong interpersonal skills and confidence to enable them to deal with people at every level and to be able to delegate tasks effectively.
• Able to juggle/distil streams of information from many sources into clear and concise briefings for consideration by senior staff/fundraisers.
• Confident and proactive with the ability to work using own initiative and judgement.
• Ability to multitask and progress a variety of key tasks in parallel, monitor progress, judging when to chase progress as necessary.
• Can-do attitude
• Thorough understanding, interest and empathy for academic affairs and culture and the workings of the Institution.
• Wide-ranging understanding and experience of current communication techniques.
• Experience of working to strict deadlines and in using traditional and new media to develop successful communications.
• English mother tongue, any other language a plus.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office. Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite a plus.
• Attention to detail and highly creative approach.
How to apply
If you have the above skills and would like to work in our stimulating environment, please send your complete application file (letter of motivation and resume in English, copies of your work certificates and diplomas).
If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability (such as dyslexia, sight and/or hearing disabilities, etc) and you need a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for this position, please specify it in your application.
A valid Swiss work permit or Swiss or EU-25EFTA citizenship is required for this position.