Global Philanthropy Officer

Global Philanthropy Officer
Dalia Association, Palestine
January 15, 2014

About Dalia
Dalia Association was established in 2007 by members of the Palestinian community from the West Bank, including Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, inside the Green Line, and the Diaspora. We are diverse in terms of age, gender, religion and politics, yet we are united by our vision -- to realize our rights as Palestinians to control our resources and sustain our own development for generations to come. Our mission is to mobilize and properly utilize resources necessary to empower a vibrant, independent and accountable civil society.
 
To achieve our mission, we:
-Make grants to support inspirational and relevant civil society initiatives, especially grassroots efforts that seek to supplement local resources. Community-controlled grant making increases the transparency, accountability and professionalism of local initiatives.
-Link resources by introducing people with expertise, ideas, contacts, equipment, and other assets to community activists who can use them to serve their communities. Effectively utilizing resources that already exist in our abundant community helps decrease our dependence on outside resources.
-Encourage giving by locals, companies, refugee and Diaspora Palestinians. We revive local traditions of philanthropy and volunteerism and create new systems that make giving easier, safer and more trustworthy. A permanent endowment will be built over time to ensure sustainable income for current and future generations.
-Advocate for systemic change in the international aid system so that it respects Palestinian rights and responds to local priorities. Advocacy includes constructive engagement with innovative donors who want a local partner to help them improve their policies and maximize their impact.
 
As the first Palestinian “community foundation,” serving all Palestinians in historic Palestine, Dalia Association seeks to mobilize the abundant resources of the worldwide Palestinian community and their friends—steadfastness, traditions, creativity, faith, expertise, and money—and facilitate community-based decision-making about how these resources should be used. Dalia Association provides an independent, sustainable source of funds with transparent and accountable mechanisms for local control and a vibrant community organization in which Palestinians can themselves be donors and implementers of their own social change and sustainable development agenda. In this way, we promote sustainability of Palestinian civil society and its institutions. Further, we are determined to help shape a dynamic and relevant civil society that is accountable to the people. We develop new traditions of secular philanthropy and social responsibility alongside Islamic and Christian giving. We re-inspire volunteerism not driven by factional politics, and re-inspire people’s hope and trust in self-initiative.
Currently, Dalia Association runs two integrated grant making and philanthropy development programs that are controlled by communities. The “Women Supporting Women” (WSW) program has funded 30 women’s associations in six districts and established Women’s Funds for Community Philanthropy in three districts. WSW empowers and trains women, through direct experience, to decide how to use community development resources and mobilize their own capacities – both as individuals and in women’s networks – to strengthen their assets and increase their impact. We contribute to women’s empowerment and leadership within their families and communities, improved development practice, and the long-term sustainability of women’s groups and networks through sharing resources.
The “Village Decides” program has been successfully implemented with 12 community groups in three villages. This program is designed to involve people in decision-making and resource distribution in a democratic, accountable and transparent way. Dalia Association offers the Palestinian community the opportunity to practice their rights to determine their development priorities as well as to enable them to control resources to achieve societal change. The Zawiya Community Philanthropy Fund was established as a follow up to support new projects using local, Diaspora and matching funding. A short film showing implementation of the pilot in Saffa village is at http://www.dalia.ps/node/190.
Dalia Association aims to expand and institutionalize creative and effective ways of mobilizing sustainable philanthropy and engagement with local development on the part of local, Diaspora and private sector givers. These include village funds, women’s funds, family funds and company funds. Dalia Association also does advocacy to engage international donors in reforming their aid practices to be more in line with Palestinian rights and priorities. We have published articles about aid in The Guardian, Al-Quds, This Week in Palestine, and took part in a 30-minute panel debate on Al-Jazeera called, “Counting the Cost of Aid.” We utilize community research, films, presentations at international events (including the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness), petitions, local and international media, meetings and consulting opportunities to educate, engage and mobilize community groups in the West Bank, Gaza and inside the Green Line. Dalia Association and Rama Mari won Special Mention in the 2013 Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA) for the film “International Aid Hurts Palestinian Civil Society” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8GGoVjRvAnw).
Dalia Association’s success and potential were recognized when it won the Arcus Global Social Justice Prize in 2013, in part for a 10-minute film that demonstrates Dalia’s innovative, community-led model: http://vimeo.com/64070940.
 
Description of Position
The Global Philanthropy Officer is a strategic position responsible for conceptualizing, planning and implementing a philanthropy-development program that will redefine how Palestinians around the world support Palestine and how Palestinian community resources are shared. S/he will develop targets and develop activities that serve and engage the private sector in Palestine and the Diaspora, and individuals and supporters of Palestine living outside Palestine, including solidarity groups. S/he will work closely with the executive director to advance the culture, systems and legal/financial environment for local philanthropy and will represent Dalia Association in public forums and with key figures.
 
Rationale for Position
As a community foundation, Dalia Association’s mission includes advancing philanthropy, not only for the purpose of fundraising, but in order to better share and utilize resources within the global Palestinian community, and to empower Palestinians to engage collectively to advance development rights. Till now, there has been no person assigned to develop activities that will expand a culture for philanthropy or develop the mechanisms and systems (e.g., company funds, village funds, women’s funds). Dalia needs a passionate, innovative, values-driven and seasoned professional for this strategic, high visibility position.
 
Reporting to the Executive Director;
Contract type: One year contract renewable indefinitely pending funding

Qualifications
-Minimum a B.A degree in any field, a Master degree is preferred.
-At least a seven-year work experience in resource mobilization.
-Has a record in voluntary activity at NGOs.
 
Responsibilities
-Provide leadership, vision and direction to Dalia’s philanthropy development work in the context of Dalia’s vision, mission, values and strategy and in cooperation with all stakeholder groups
-Inspire and support the integration of expanded concepts of philanthropy into all aspects of Dalia Association’s work; including by mobilizing the Board of Directors, General Assembly, and other volunteers
-Oversee research and dialogue in Palestine and globally in order to develop the concept of philanthropy and elaborate strategies to strengthen relationships with local Palestinian private sector, Palestinian private sector in Gulf, Europe, US; Palestinian solidarity groups; individual givers or families; volunteers or in-kind donors; etc
-Develop specific targets and detailed strategies for each stakeholder group including in terms of opening company funds, family funds, village funds, and women’s funds and steward the gifts throughout the process
-Proactively identify opportunities for new partners, new types of partnerships, and new networking and visibility opportunities – in accordance with Dalia’s strategy and philosophy – and follow through to the contracting, piloting and sustainability stages
-Help to design and implement (in coordination with other relevant staff) implementation of all aspects of relationships with philanthropists and potential philanthropists including newsletters/updates, meetings and events; fundraising materials, online appeals, donor conference calls and field trips; social media; and innovate new ways to keep connected with partners; etc.
-Suggest and pursue steps to help make philanthropy easier, safer, cheaper and more rewarding (e.g., explore relevant local laws; establish Friends Of organization in US or chapters; relationships with banks to facilitate remittances, etc.)
-Conceptualize and lead implementation of relevant organizational events (e.g., annual private sector philanthropy workshop; philanthropy competitions)
-Represent Dalia’s philanthropy work in global conferences or publications and in relevant local and international media, preferably by presenting/exhibiting
-Establish and maintain committees of staff and/or volunteers or others as needed to advance Dalia’s philanthropy work (e.g., private sector advisory committee)
-Support development and training for local stakeholders in how to cultivate Diaspora and private sector partners
-Participate as Dalia Association in relevant social media as needed to achieve the expectations of the position
-Work with staff to develop and maintain record-keeping systems to track achievement of targets and account for contributed assets, including non-monetary
-Work with staff to develop and maintain record-keeping systems to track development of relationships, and ensure continuity over time and across staff members
-Maintain excellent relationships with local partners, especially grantees, in order to effectively represent their work to philanthropists and to facilitate links between local priorities and available resources
-Keep abreast of relevant organizations, events and discussions within the field of philanthropy globally, and bring global ideas into local discussions within the organization and the Palestinian community
-Interface with fundraiser/proposal writer as needed to ensure complementarity of approaches

Required skills
-Demonstrated skills in community work, inspiring, motivating participation and effective interlocutor
-Knowledge of fundraising, philanthropy, volunteerism and participatory processes
-Interest in and commitment to Dalia’s philosophy and workExperience with major gifts and corporate partnerships
-Energetic, self-directed with strong organizational, and time management skills
-Experience mentoring volunteers and Board members to supporting fundraising
-Very strong interpersonal and fluent bilingual communication skills, including excellent public presentation skills, strong writing skills (Arabic and English) and a demonstrated capacity for effective teamwork
-Ability to develop new concepts and systems
-Knowledge of international affairs or related fields
-Excellent computer skills, including Word, Excel, databases PowerPoint, Skype, other videoconferencing, social media
-Ability to undertake periodic travel to Arab countries, North America and to Europe or other international destinations and to communicate with partners in other time zones by Skype after work hours as needed
-Excellent community relations skills in diverse settings such as villages, refugee camps, with women’s committees, etc.
 
Compensation and Job Benefits
Dalia is a local, Palestinian NGO that pays local salaries. Dalia has staffs who work in a non-smoking office in Ramallah near Darna Restaurant. Usual working hours are Sunday-Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm, though staffs are expected to work as needed to meet deadlines or at times of unusual demand. Benefits are those prescribed by Palestinian law.
 
How to Apply
Please Do not send a CV. We will not look at CVs at this stage. Instead, send a two-page letter articulating your vision for this position:
If you were hired, what would your priorities be? Why are they important to you? What targets you would set for yourself? What activities would you plan? How would you go about doing them? Why? What challenges would you anticipate? What previous experience or skill would you use to overcome these challenges?
Email to [email protected] with “Global Philanthropy Officer” in the subject line. Deadline for receipt of application is February 15, 2014. Direct any questions to [email protected]

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