POSITION DESCRIPTION

Fundraising & Partnerships Lead

Titl

Dress for Success VIC, Head Office

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Full time (38 hours per week)

Permanent

OUR ORGANISATION

Dress for Success VIC is a registered charity that helps unemployed and underemployed women achieve economic independence and to thrive in work and life. This is achieved by providing professional clothing, coaching and career development tools, and a network of support.

All our services are free of charge, and we welcome all women including cis, transgender, and non-binary people comfortable in women’s spaces.

OUR VALUES

EMPOWERMENT

We exist to empower women by giving them the courage and confidence to change their lives for the better.

TRUST

Trust underpins everything we do at Dress for Success Victoria. We operate with integrity; we do what we say we will do; you are in good hands no matter how you interact with our organisation.

RESPECT

We aim to discover and honour what is special in every individual. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect, and we promise to do just that.

EQUALITY

Inclusiveness and fairness are not just buzz words to us. At Dress for Success Victoria, you will be treated as an equal no matter your background, lifestyle, or circumstances.

PROFESSIONALISM

We help women in need get a fair go at employment. We aim to set the standard for professionalism.

COLLABORATION

When we work together, we achieve so much more. We know the value and importance of partnerships and work collaboratively with our staff, volunteers, clients, referral partners, national affiliates, and other charities to deliver on our mission.

EXCELLENCE

Social and environmental impact is at the heart of everything we do. We perform to the highest level to achieve the best outcomes for our clients and ensure the sustainability of our organisation.

POSITION PURPOSE The Fundraising & Partnerships Lead plays a pivotal role in securing the financial sustainability and future growth of DFS Victoria. The role is a critical driver of our impact, responsible for growing the revenue, partnerships and philanthropic relationships that enable DFS Victoria to expand its services and impact for women.

Working under the general direction of the CEO, they lead the day-to-day planning, delivery and evaluation of the DFS Victoria fundraising program, campaigns and appeals, corporate partnerships, trusts and foundations, events and individual giving within the strategy, budget and policies agreed with the CEO.

The fundraising and partnerships lead brings specialist fundraising expertise to the organisation: contributing to fundraising strategy and policy, advising the CEO on opportunities and risks, and establishing procedures and ways of working where none yet exist. The role coordinates and supervises the volunteers and support staff who contribute to fundraising activity.

Working closely with the CEO and broader team, the Lead will translate DFS Victoria’s impact and strategic priorities into compelling fundraising propositions, build high-value relationships and convert opportunities into sustainable revenue.

This role suits a commercially minded fundraiser who can contribute at a strategic level while working hands-on across the full fundraising cycle from prospect identification and cultivation through to solicitation, stewardship, reporting and renewal.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Fundraising strategy and planning





■ Contribute to the development of the DFS VIC fundraising strategy with the CEO, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities, financial sustainability and impact, and lead its implementation.

■ Prepare annual fundraising activity plans and contribute to setting income targets, budgets and KPIs; monitor performance, retention and recommend corrective action to the CEO where required to ensure revenue objectives are achieved.

■ Provide specialist advice to the CEO on fundraising opportunities, sector trends, risks and return on investment.

Partnerships, trusts and foundations

■ Develop and manage funding proposals and submissions to corporates, trusts, foundations and other partners, within agreed delegations.

■ Implement the corporate partnerships strategy to increase engagement with, and income from, corporate partners.

■ Develop and implement tailored stewardship plans to maximise partner satisfaction, retention, renewal and lifetime value.

Individual giving, campaigns and appeals

■ Plan, implement and refine multi-channel donor acquisition and retention activity for individual donors, bequests, and charitable foundations and trusts.

■ Develop and lead donation campaigns and appeals.

Fundraising events

■ Lead the planning and delivery of key fundraising campaigns, events and activations, from concept and budgeting through to execution and post-event evaluation, ensuring alignment with fundraising objectives and the DFS Victoria brand.

■ Develop approaches to maximise revenue and engagement from fundraising events, including ticket sales, sponsorship, matched giving, auctions, raffles, donations and in-kind support.

■ Evaluate the performance and return on investment of fundraising events, including revenue, costs, donor and partner engagement, acquisition and conversion, and use insights to strengthen future events and campaigns.

Stakeholder relationships and representation

■ Build and maintain trusted relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, including the CEO, Board, program teams, corporate partners, major donors, philanthropic organisations and community stakeholders.

■ Liaise with Marketing to develop effective fundraising and partnerships marketing materials and communications content to leverage new and existing audiences.

■ Represent the organisation with funders and supporters through public speaking opportunities, attendance at events, networking and meetings.

Systems, reporting and compliance

■ Ensure that all partnerships and fundraising information is accurately and promptly recorded in the DFS VIC CRM system, so that all relationships, activity, engagement and income are captured.

■ Provide accurate and timely reporting to the CEO, Board and stakeholders on fundraising targets and partnership performance.

■ Establish and document fundraising procedures and continuously improve systems and ways of working to support sustainable growth and organisational capability.

■ Contribute to the development and review of fundraising-related policies,



including gift acceptance, partnership due diligence and privacy.

■ Ensure fundraising activity is conducted in accordance with relevant legislation, the Fundraising Institute Australia Code, ethical fundraising principles, organisational policies and donor expectations.

EXTENT OF AUTHORITY

■ Works under the general direction of the CEO, with a high degree of autonomy in planning and delivering the fundraising program within the agreed strategy, budget and policies.

■ Determines own work priorities and methods, and sets tasks and expected outcomes for volunteers and staff supervised during fundraising activity.

■ Establishes procedures and approaches where none are defined, referring matters of organisational policy or significant risk to the CEO.

■ Approves expenditure and negotiates partnership and sponsorship terms within the approved budget and delegations; commitments outside these are referred to the CEO.

■ Is accountable for the quality, timeliness and outcomes of own work and the work of those supervised, and for progress against agreed fundraising targets.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, CAPABILITIES AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

■ A degree in business, marketing, communications, fundraising or a related discipline plus relevant experience, OR substantial equivalent experience in fundraising and partnerships.

■ Demonstrated track record of fundraising achievement, with evidence of personally generating revenue and securing significant gifts, partnerships or funding commitments (corporate partnerships and major gift experience is highly valued).

■ Experience working in the not-for-profit sector on partnerships and fundraising programs.

■ Experience contributing to fundraising strategy, and leading fundraising planning and implementation.

■ Experience supervising or coordinating staff and/or volunteers for events.

■ Experience preparing and managing activity and event budgets.

■ Demonstrated experience in business development, building and maintaining effective relationships and strong stakeholder management and engagement skills.

■ Demonstrated organisational and project management skills, and the ability to manage campaigns and events end to end.

■ A demonstrated ability to work with autonomy, take ownership of outcomes and be accountable for revenue targets.

■ Exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills, persuasive oral communications and presentation skills, and excellent written communications skills.

■ Digital proficiency with medium-high level Microsoft Office skills.

■ Proven experience using CRM systems (HubSpot preferred).

■ Strong numerical literacy, with the ability to interpret fundraising performance data, understand basic financial concepts, and prepare clear reports that inform decision-making.

■ Ability to think strategically, make sound decisions and work both independently and as part of a team.

■ Ability to travel to other locations for events, partner meetings and other relevant activities.

■ A ‘can do’ attitude, a growth mindset and a desire to work as a collaborative team member.

■ Passion and interest in the mission of DFS, with a commitment to supporting and enhancing the lives of women.

■ Hold (or be able to obtain) a current VIC Working with Children Check and Police Check.

■ Unrestricted rights to work in Australia.

*Salary Sacrifice up to $15,900

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