Call for Applications – Fundraising Manager Announcement

The Vertical Geopolitics Lab is seeking a Fundraising Manager to assist staff in identifying and applying for funding opportunities in order to raise unrestricted funds for the organization. The position (avail. 1) is part-time and paid.

The Vertical Geopolitics Lab is un-disciplined non-profit think-tank and speculative design practice. Based on the fundamental belief that institutions are not able to prevent what they cannot imagine, the lab is focused on design for debate as potential source for yet unimagined change in how we understand nature, technology, jurisdiction, politics, economics, tectonics, and society itself. As urban discourse has tended to focus its attention on visible rather than invisible urbanization processes to the extent of having been falsely treated as separate disciplinary entities within the field, the lab simultaneously engages the surface and subsurface, the visible and invisible.

Responsibility-wise, the Fundraising Manager shall draw from a range of internal activities such as designing (architectural competitions, commissions, etc.), writing (articles, op-eds, etc.), teaching academic courses (studios, seminars, etc.), or curating public programs (events, exhibitions, etc.) to conceptualize a fundraising plan. As part of a small and select team, prime responsibility will involve all aspects of identifying opportunities and developing applications and proposals for external stakeholder involvement, alongside and on behalf of staff, communicating research projects to potential funders. Although tasks and responsibilities will vary according to research findings, the scope of work involves the development of sponsored opportunities through the involvement of external stakeholders in internal programs (internships, fellowships, residencies, etc.). Reporting to the Director and Research Fellows, the scope of work will also include coordination with advisory board members, jury members, correspondents, clients, institutional and media partners, or sponsors, which may include travel to different regions of the world, where required.

Qualification-wise, the ideal candidate is a mid-level professional in fundraising, marketing, market research, higher education, or a related field. The Vertical Geopolitics Lab is eager to work with an ambitious, collaborative, self-motivated, detail-oriented, organized, and flexible individual who wishes to develop skills and pursue interests.

Responsibilities

• Assisting the Vertical Geopolitics Lab’s staff with long-term projects and daily operations
• Conducting research into potential funding opportunities
• Conceptualizing and executing an annual fundraising plan incl. progress reports and evaluations
• Assembling and submitting grant applications and sponsorship proposals incl. executive summaries, abstracts, and blurbs, project descriptions, production, presentation, and dissemination specifications, organizational event plans, promotional communication plans (‘originality’); timetable outlines, cost estimates, sponsorship benefits, and sponsorship opportunities (‘feasibility’); and organizational descriptions (‘capacity’)
• Negotiating venue and sponsorship contracts
• Maintaining a calendar of deadlines to ensure timely submission of letters of inquiry, proposals, and reports
• Managing a database of professional associations, charitable trusts, foundations, crowdfunding platforms, and other grant-making organizations

Qualifications

• Interest in the Vertical Geopolitics Lab’s mission and agenda
• Interest in an un-disciplined non-profit research group’s daily operations
• Ability to coordinate ideas and efforts among staff and stakeholders to craft proposals persuasively communicating research projects to potential funders in a clear and compelling manner
• Ability to seek and synthesize information and communicate in an engaging and succinct form
• Completed a related graduate, post-professional, or doctoral degree
• Skilled in critical analysis, written (req. EN) and non-written (req.: Microsoft Office, Adobe CS; pref.: WordPress CMS) communication

Submission

Applications must include the following content in the order listed: cover letter, CV, and work samples. Accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, the deadline for submission of an application in response to the CFA is on Feb 28, 2017 at 23:00h (CEST). Applications are to be submitted electronically as a single multi-page PDF document (portrait orientation, max. 10MB, 170228_cfa_fundraisingmanager_application_lastname.pdf) via e-mail (info@thevgl.net). Please note that hardcopy submissions will not be accepted.