Job Overview
Office: Office of Advancement
Salary: Competitive and Commensurate with experience
Our Mission
Founded in 2014 as a non-profit institution of higher learning by Masrour Barzani, the American University of Kurdistan is dedicated to preparing future generations of leaders through curricular and co-curricular excellence in an American-style education focusing on transformative knowledge, innovative research, ethical community service, respect for inclusion and diversity, global connectedness, and life-long learning, all aiming to ensure economic, environmental, social and political advancement- regionally, nationally and globally.
Our Vision
The American University of Kurdistan will be recognized as a premier institution in the Middle East and beyond by cultivating academic excellence, fostering creativity, and engaging in highest caliber of applied research.
About
The Office of Advancement exists to secure resources for the advancement of the University and to raise awareness of AUK’s academic services, achievements and plans. We build partnerships with philanthropists and donors to secure funding for key University initiatives (our mandate).
We exist to serve the AUK community, helping students, faculty and staff, by securing financial resources to facilitate their studies, work and research. We fundraise for students (scholarships and financial aid), for faculty development and capital expansion projects. We also fundraise for the University’s endowment and manage alumni relations.
Position Summary
The Fundraising Communications Writer is responsible for researching and writing high-quality content for fundraising purposes, addressing a diverse community of local and international donors. The Writer creates stories about people and projects at AUK that demonstrate the University’s positive impact on the lives of its faculty, students, graduates and the local community.
The Writer researches, writes and collates funding requests and reports, working closely with colleagues at the Office of Advancement. The Writer supports fundraising efforts undertaken by the Office of Advancement as and when needed, providing timely and quality narrative and content for use in fundraising communications/publications.
Key Responsibilities
- Create high-quality content for dissemination across electronic and print media.
- Identify high-value stories, collect and verify data and write compelling narrative.
- Write and edit a wide range of fundraising content.
- Manage the proposal development, grant writing, reporting, and stewardship process for key donors, including conceptualizing, researching, writing, and editing of proposals according to donor requirements with a focus on principal and major gift proposal solicitations.
- Draft correspondence, such as letters of introduction and acknowledgement.
- Draft content for alumni relations engagement.
- Draft content for appeals, particularly for digital fundraising.
- Create content for newsletters, annual giving reports, the website and different types of publications.
- Commit to donor confidentiality and confidentiality of information and projects undertaken by the Office of Advancement.
- Maintain professional competency in the fields of philanthropy and advancement and practice self-learning and professional development.
- Contribute to the success of the Office of Advancement by performing other related duties and responsibilities, as assigned.
Qualifications & experience
Qualifications and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree.
- 3-5 years of business writing experience, preferably in non-profit fundraising.
- Creative thinker with Excellent English speaking and writing skills.
- Able to produce a range of eye-catching content that engages different audiences, whether online or in print.
- Excellent interpersonal, diplomatic and advocacy skills, with the ability to communicate complex issues succinctly across a variety of formats to a wide range of audiences.
- Able to interact with a broad spectrum of stakeholders including VIPs, board members, faculty, staff, students and alumni.
- Advanced skills in searching the internet for information.
- Advanced knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
- Organized and systematic, able to juggle overlapping priorities to meet multiple deadlines.
- A team player. Able to build effective working relationships and trust with colleagues at the Office of Advancement and the wider University community.
- Experience in the higher education sector is preferred.
Diversity Statement
It is the policy of the American University of Kurdistan to provide an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, and any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. The University promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace and makes recruiting decisions exclusively on the basis of qualifications, merit, and current work needs. This policy applies to all hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, remuneration, benefits, and training procedures within our Institution.