Mission Advocate

International Lutheran Council
Fort Wayne or Remote

Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) Roster Status: Eligible, not required

Classification: Full-time, exempt

Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana or REMOTE

Reports To: General Secretary

Organizational Profile

The International Lutheran Council (ILC) is a growing worldwide association of established confessional Lutheran church bodies that proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ based on an unconditional commitment to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions in the Book of Concord. The ILC's mission is to strengthen and promote confessional Lutheran theology and practice both among member churches and globally.

The ILC is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)3 of the US Internal Revenue Code, and gifts and donations made to the ILC are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Key Responsibilities

1. Fundraising Strategy Development and Implementation

  • Plan and execute an intentional strategy of contributor engagement and solicitation for the purpose of establishing and managing mutually beneficial relationships that lead to joyful major and principal gifts.
  • Monitor and assess fundraising performance regularly to identify areas of improvement and growth.
  • Participate in the creation, evaluation, and necessary revisions of case statements and major gift proposal formats based on contributor feedback and performance data.

2. Contributor Cultivation and Stewardship

  • Visit contributors and prospects to discover, cultivate, solicit and steward mutually beneficial major gifts.
  • Conduct prospect research to capture, validate and integrate accurate information on prospects and contributor portfolio management.

3. Financial Management and Reporting

  • Accurately record all plans, interactions, actions and results of gift activities in the database system for future analysis, forecasting, and planning.
  • Work closely with the finance team to ensure accurate tracking of donations, pledges, and expenses related to fundraising activities.
  • Prepare regular reports for leadership regarding fundraising progress, donor activity, and the overall financial health of fundraising initiatives.

4. Team Collaboration and Coaching

  • Work with ILC Board of Directors and Officers to help contributors and prospects gain clarity about ILC’s strategic and fundraising goals.
  • Coach and model best-practice approaches for ILC Board of Directors and Officers.

5. Engagement and Social Media

  • Represent the ILC at strategic conferences, meetings, and events to expand ILC’s presence and ensure a positive image.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with LCMS churches and related associations to promote the ILC mission.
  • Work with the ILC Communications Manager to articulate ILC’s mission and impact through social media and digital newsletters.
  • Use storytelling to highlight the impact of donations on the work of the ILC and connect contributors to the ILC mission.

Education and Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
  • 5+ years’ experience in successful major gifts fundraising for non-capital projects.
  • Current (or evidence of prior) professional fundraising certification is preferred (CFRE, CDE, or equivalent).
  • Continuing professional education in donor relations.
  • Member in good standing of an ILC Member Church (e.g., LCMS, AALC).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Demonstrated ability to set and achieve goals.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop relationships resulting in six-figure and higher direct gifts.
  • Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills.
  • Committed to the highest level of professional ethics, accountability, and transparency.
  • Extensive knowledge and understanding of confessional Lutheranism and its stakeholder groups.
  • Proficient using Microsoft Office suite products.
  • Comfortable using CRM/donor relations software to track work effort.
  • Pleasant and confident phone skills, excellent computer, written and verbal skills, and detail-oriented.
  • Able to carry on simultaneous, sustained work in a situation defined by deadlines and multiple assignments.
  • Ability to work independently with minimal immediate supervision, make business-critical decisions, and protect confidential information.
  • Experience/ability to work with a contributor’s legal and financial advisors.
  • Ability and willingness to travel extensively, 50% of the time (primarily domestic).
SEND RESUME TO:  admin@ilcouncil.org