Sr. Manager of Planned Giving

Job Description

Job Description

Location: Phoenix, AZ or Washington, DC

Job Summary

The Senior Manager, Planned & Legacy Giving is responsible for creating, leading, and advancing the organization's planned and legacy giving strategy in alignment with the overall fundraising strategy. This role develops and implements strategies to secure planned, blended, and other complex gifts while managing a portfolio of donors and prospects capable of making significant long-term philanthropic commitments.

The Senior Manager serves as the organization's subject matter expert in planned, legacy, and alternative giving. The role provides strategic guidance to donors and collaborates with legal, financial, and other professional advisors, ensures compliance with applicable laws, and organizational policies, and partners across the Private Resource Development (PRD) team to integrate planned giving into broader fundraising strategies.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic relationship management
• Strategic planning, portfolio management, and pipeline development
• Persuasive communication, presentation, and influence
• Financial, legal, and analytical aptitude
• Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder partnership
• Donor-centered service and stewardship

Responsibilities

Planned & Legacy Giving Strategy & Pipeline Development

• Develop and lead the organization's planned and legacy giving strategy in alignment with fundraising priorities and long-term philanthropic growth.
• Create and execute targeted campaigns, educational initiatives, and donor outreach to increase awareness of and participation in planned and legacy giving.
• Build and advance a sustainable pipeline of planned and legacy giving prospects, increasing the number of Consider, Intender, and Confirmed Gift in Will donors.
• Use donor data, giving history, engagement trends, wealth insights, and relationship intelligence to identify, qualify, prioritize and move prospects through the pipeline. 
• Develop strategic relationships with attorneys, financial advisors, accountants, estate planners, trust officers, and other professional advisors to generate referrals, and facilitate complex charitable gifts.
• Monitor planned giving revenue, pipeline growth, documented gift intentions, and other key performance indicators to evaluate effectiveness and inform decision-making.
• Evaluate market trends, donor behavior, and program performance to identify opportunities for growth and innovation.
• Represent the organization at donor meetings, educational events, conferences, and other external engagements.

Donor Portfolio Management & Stewardship

• Manage a portfolio of planned and legacy giving donors and prospects, developing individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Build trusted, long-term relationships with donors and their families through meaningful conversations, personalized engagement, and exceptional service.
• Secure planned, blended, and other complex gifts that reflect donor interests and organizational priorities. 
• Lead the growth and stewardship of the organization's Legacy Society through recognition, communications, events, and ongoing engagement.
• Engage spouses, family members, and other key influencers, when appropriate, to strengthen donor relationships and support multigenerational philanthropy.
• Partner with Major Gift Officers and other PRD colleagues to integrate planned giving opportunities into broader donor strategies.
• Maintain accurate and timely donor records, contact reports, gift documentation, pipeline stages, and next actions within the CRM.

Planned, Alternative & Complex Giving

• Promote and facilitate gifts of stock, donor-advised funds, qualified charitable distributions, cryptocurrency, real estate, beneficiary designations, and other non-cash assets. 
• Work with legal counsel, financial institutions, accountants, and other professional advisors to structure gifts in accordance with donor intentions and organizational policies.
• Maintain current knowledge of charitable gift planning, estate planning, tax considerations, and applicable legislation. 
• Coordinate with internal partners to ensure the accurate processing, acknowledgment, compliance, and administration of planned and alternative gifts.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, nonprofit management, communications, or a related field required. An equivalent combination of education, professional training, certification, and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of five years of progressive experience in planned giving, legacy giving, charitable gift planning, estate planning, major gifts, financial services, trust services, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success securing planned, blended, and other complex gifts while managing a donor or client portfolio.
• Knowledge of planned and legacy giving vehicles, estate planning principles, charitable gift planning strategies, and non-cash giving methods.
• Experience working with attorneys, financial advisors, accountants, and other professional advisors.
• ExperienceusingCRM systems (preferably Salesforce) and donor analytics to identify prospects, manage a fundraising pipeline, and inform strategy.
• Strong initiative, strategic thinking, sound judgement, and the ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills. 
• Ability to build trusted relationships with donors, families, and professional advisors.
• Ability to travel up to25% of the time, including occasional evenings and weekends.

Safeguarding Policy

FH strives to provide an environment free from sexual exploitation and abuse and harassment in all places where relief and development programs are implemented. FH holds a zero-tolerance policy against sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. FH expects its employees to maintain high ethical standards, protect organizational integrity and reputation, and ensure that FH work is carried out in honest and fair methods, in alignment with the Heartbeat Values, Safeguarding and associated policies. Violations to stated policies will be subject to corrective action up to and including termination of employment.

Note: The skills, responsibilities, and qualifications outlined above are not exhaustive and may be subject to change as per the organization's needs.