Application Guide

How to Apply for Director of Individual & Annual Giving

at Upwardly Global Inc.

🏢 About Upwardly Global Inc.

Upwardly Global Inc. is unique for its mission-driven focus on empowering skilled immigrants to overcome systemic barriers and achieve economic mobility in the U.S. Unlike many nonprofits, it combines customized career coaching with advocacy and employer partnerships, creating a holistic approach to immigrant integration. Working here offers the chance to directly impact lives while addressing workforce diversity gaps.

About This Role

As Director of Individual & Annual Giving, you'll build and scale a comprehensive individual giving program from the ground up, including annual campaigns, mid-level donor strategies, and digital fundraising. This role is impactful because it directly fuels Upwardly Global's ability to expand its services, helping more skilled immigrants transition into thriving-wage careers and contributing to the organization's long-term sustainability.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve analyzing donor data in Salesforce to identify prospects, collaborating with the communications team on an email campaign draft, and mentoring your team on mid-level donor strategies. You could also spend time planning a direct mail appeal or meeting with cross-functional partners to align fundraising efforts with Upwardly Global's programmatic goals.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Upwardly Global Inc. Is Looking For

  • Has 10+ years in nonprofit fundraising with proven success in securing four and five-figure gifts from individual donors
  • Possesses 7+ years of frontline experience in donor cultivation, solicitation, and relationship management, ideally in social justice or immigrant-serving organizations
  • Is proficient in donor database systems like Salesforce and can leverage data for prospect research and campaign optimization
  • Demonstrates experience in building or scaling individual giving programs, including digital campaigns, direct mail, and recurring giving

📝 Tips for Applying to Upwardly Global Inc.

1

Highlight specific examples of building or scaling individual giving programs, especially in remote or distributed nonprofit settings

2

Quantify your fundraising achievements (e.g., 'increased annual giving by 30% over two years' or 'secured 50+ five-figure gifts')

3

Tailor your resume to emphasize experience with donor prospecting, CRM systems like Salesforce, and cross-team collaboration with communications/data teams

4

Research Upwardly Global's current fundraising initiatives (e.g., annual reports, donor stories) and reference them in your application

5

Showcase your ability to mentor a team and work remotely, as this is a full-time remote role in a mission-driven organization

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your experience in co-creating and implementing innovative individual gift programs, emphasizing how you've used prospect research to inform strategy", 'Specific achievements in donor acquisition, retention, and scaling annual/mid-level giving programs, with quantifiable results', "Your passion for Upwardly Global's mission of immigrant economic mobility and how your skills align with their holistic approach", 'Examples of leading teams and collaborating with cross-functional partners like marketing and data analytics to optimize fundraising']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Upwardly Global's annual reports and donor impact stories to understand their current fundraising priorities and success metrics
  • → Their website and social media for recent campaigns, events, or initiatives related to individual giving or donor engagement
  • → The organization's history, programs (e.g., job seeker services, employer partnerships), and advocacy work to grasp their holistic model
  • → Industry trends in nonprofit fundraising for immigrant and social justice causes, as this context is crucial for the role
Visit Upwardly Global Inc.'s Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design and launch a digital/social giving campaign tailored to Upwardly Global's donor base and mission?
2 Describe a time you cultivated and secured a five-figure gift from an individual donor. What was your strategy?
3 How do you use donor database systems (e.g., Salesforce) for prospect research and to inform individual giving programs?
4 What strategies would you implement to build and scale a robust annual giving program in a remote work environment?
5 How would you mentor a team of individual giving professionals and collaborate with communications and data teams at Upwardly Global?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic application without referencing Upwardly Global's mission or specific programs for skilled immigrants
  • Failing to quantify fundraising achievements or provide concrete examples of building/scaling individual giving programs
  • Overlooking the remote aspect by not demonstrating experience with virtual team leadership or digital fundraising in distributed settings

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Upwardly Global Inc.!

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