About XPRIZE

XPRIZE competitions change the world for the better by accelerating innovation life cycles, catalyzing markets, and energizing stakeholders.  

The XPRIZE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and incentivizing breakthroughs to the most critical challenges facing humanity. Since its beginning in 1994, the Foundation has been building and continues to build a vision of hope and abundance for humanity’s future by harnessing the power of innovators, technology, and resources.  

Through incentive prize competitions, XPRIZE enables people to create bold and transformative solutions that are scalable and drive real impact. XPRIZE competitions positively impact both the marketplace and humanity by addressing the market failures that have prevented significant breakthroughs across multiple sectors.  

An XPRIZE… 

sets an audacious but achievable goal that aims to overcome challenges deemed impossible. It tackles some of humanity's most pressing issues by redefining what is achievable and pushing the boundaries of human potential.  

defines and addresses a clear problem through extensive research, a design sprint, and a competition that catalyzes the development of the next breakthroughs to put humanity on the path toward a preferred future state for all. The desired outcome from an XPRIZE is clear and measurable, and the rules of the competition are transparent and easily understood.  

democratizes innovation by encouraging expert and nonexpert participation and multidisciplinary collaboration.  

catalyzes markets and revitalizes stagnant industries by increasing awareness of market failures and accelerating innovations to address them.  

is highly leveraged, with competing teams attracting and mobilizing investment capital, partner support, and new members in pursuit of the prize. Philanthropic dollars are thus magnified in support of a solution.  

Our first XPRIZE, the $10 million Ansari XPRIZE for private spaceflight, spurred an industry and created exponential breakthroughs. Since then we have provided over $140 million in incentives through these competitions. Each prize has created an industry-changing technology that brings us closer to a better, safer, more sustainable world.  

The use of incentive competitions, or prizes, to accelerate innovation goes back over 300 years, to when the British Admiralty launched the Longitude Prize in 1714 to find a better way to navigate our seas. In the years since, several well-known innovations have resulted from incentive competitions, including canning as a form of food preservation (a competition launched by Napoleon in 1795), modern plastics (the Billiard Ball Prize, 1863) and commercial aviation (the Orteig Prize, 1919).  

This is more than a job to us. When you work at XPRIZE, you’re making a positive impact on some of the biggest challenges facing our world. Whether you’re working in prize design or development, marketing and communications, stakeholder relations, business operations or any other department, you’re playing a critical role in turning the impossible into the possible.

Role Summary 

XPRIZE is seeking an experienced, dynamic and motivated Senior Specialist of Sponsorships specializing in corporate giving and fundraising. This is a front line, externally facing fundraising/sales role. 

Responsibilities 

• Conduct prospect research of corporate and foundations entities, and develop a targeted prospect list for XPRIZE’s annual Visioneering Summit and other XPRIZE initiatives
• Develop high quality customized sponsorship proposals in coordination with Sr. Director Stakeholder Relations, and Events & Experiences/Marketing.
• Work with Finance to generate invoices, ensure payments are received and charitable receipts and acknowledgment letters sent.
• Coordinate and track all aspects of corporate and foundation sponsorship pipeline from proposals, to contract execution, to benefits fulfillment
• Develop comprehensive sponsorship reports in a timely manner in coordination with various internal departments
• Keep abreast of key corporate moves and changes on prospect list (WSJ, NYT, Google alerts, etc.)
• Ensure exceptional stewardship of major corporate donors and sponsors, always seeking ways to improve communications and relationships.
• Work closely with the Head of Global Brand Partnerships to create a robust prospecting, cultivation and long-term engagement strategy for the newly created Corporate Innovation Board Membership
• Act as the day-to-day POC for sponsors/brand partners, as well as an internal advocate representing their goals and objectives in cross-departmental meetings. 

Requirements 

• A Bachelor’s degree
• Five years (minimum) of fundraising or sponsorship sales experience, working directly with corporations and/or foundations.
• Proven and highly successful track record of corporate fundraising/sales.
• Ability to identify corporate and foundation prospects and develop strategies to secure funding
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Superior verbal and written communication skills
• Must have an entrepreneurial spirit and focus
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office Suite programs, prospect research tools, fundraising databases (Salesforce.)
• Ability to meet or exceed deadlines by demonstrating initiative and ownership of projects
• Customer-focused with excellent follow-up
• Organized with outstanding project management skills
• Highly driven, motivated and results-oriented
• Must be able to work collaboratively across all departments
• Must be able to proactively research, identify, create and close new business opportunities.
• Ability to travel locally and out of town for related meetings and marketing opportunities, including evenings and weekends.
• Non-profit work experience a plus
• 5+ years in sponsorship sales, with proven track record of exceeding sales targets preferred
• Event Marketing experience preferred
• Established relationships with decision makers at corporations and foundations preferred
• Master’s Degree preferred

Come change the world with us.

XPRIZE Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to having a truly inclusive workforce. We do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.