Individual Giving Manager

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Individual Giving Manager is a high-energy, self-motivated fundraiser responsible for building relationships that grow Saddle Up!’s community of individual supporters. The position manages a portfolio of donors and prospects, cultivates relationships that bring people closer to the mission, solicits annual fund gifts, and identifies opportunities for increased philanthropic investment in programs, capital priorities, the endowment, and planned giving.

The successful candidate will have a genuine passion for Saddle Up!’s mission to provide children and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to grow and develop through therapeutic, educational, and recreational activities with horses. The Individual Giving Manager will thoughtfully pursue opportunities to build meaningful relationships and secure the resources needed to sustain and expand the organization’s impact.

Job Responsibilities

Portfolio Management and Fundraising

• Serve as the organization’s primary relationship manager for a portfolio of approximately 100 individual donors and prospects, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding annual gifts while encouraging additional program, capital, endowment, and legacy investments.
• Develop and implement individualized moves-management plans for assigned donors and prospects, including research and identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Meet established goals for donor visits, meaningful contacts, solicitations, dollars raised, donor retention, upgrades, and new donor acquisition.
• Create tailored giving strategies and written plans that reflect each donor’s interests, capacity, engagement, and relationship with Saddle Up!.
• Identify annual fund donors with the potential and interest to make greater philanthropic investments and develop appropriate pathways for deeper engagement.
• Maintain an active schedule of donor meetings, calls, tours, events, and other personal outreach.

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Develop a deep familiarity with Saddle Up!, its programs, riders, families, therapy horses, volunteers, outcomes, financial needs, and strategic priorities, and use that knowledge to connect donors meaningfully with the mission.
• Provide thoughtful and timely stewardship, including acknowledgments, impact updates, personalized communications, recognition, and opportunities to experience the mission firsthand.
• Work collaboratively with the Director of Development and development team to retain and grow giving societies, recurring-giving programs, and leadership-level annual donors.
• Partner with development colleagues to plan and execute donor cultivation and appreciation activities, including receptions, farm tours, small gatherings, and other relationship-building events.
• Attend occasional evening and weekend events, meetings, and donor activities as needed.

Communications and Proposals

• Write compellingly for a wide range of purposes, including personal and group emails, donor correspondence, program descriptions, gift proposals, cases for support, organizational updates, briefings, and stewardship reports.
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team to develop proposal materials, donor communications, impact stories, and broad-based fundraising messages when appropriate.
• Prepare donor meeting briefings, talking points, proposals, gift documentation, and follow-up materials for the Director of Development, CEO, board members, and other organizational leaders.

Data, Reporting, and Collaboration

• Ensure data integrity by consistently and accurately recording donor interactions, relationship information, next steps, proposals, and outcomes in the donor database as part of the moves-management process.
• Maintain complete, current, and accurate donor and prospect records, including contact information, interests, relationships, recognition preferences, and giving history.
• Work closely with the Director of Development and appropriate staff to identify priority donors, prospects, donor segments, and targeted fundraising initiatives.
• Request, review, and use donor reports, dashboards, and portfolio analytics to monitor progress, establish priorities, identify opportunities, and achieve strategic goals.
• Coordinate with development, finance, program, volunteer, marketing, and executive staff to ensure accurate donor information and a consistent donor experience.
• Provide support to the Director of Development and organizational leadership as requested and perform other duties appropriate to the position.

Qualifications

Required Experience and Qualifications

• Three or more years of professional fundraising, donor relations, sales, business development, or closely related experience; nonprofit and human-services experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors and managing a portfolio through a disciplined moves-management process.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate persuasively and tailor messages for different audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build authentic, respectful relationships with donors, prospects, volunteers, board members, colleagues, riders, and families.
• High attention to detail with exceptional organizational, time-management, and project-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously, exercise sound judgment, take initiative, and meet deadlines.
• Experience using donor-management or CRM software; proficiency with Microsoft Office and comfort learning new systems.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, work ethic, integrity, and understanding of ethical fundraising practices.
• Commitment to outstanding donor cultivation, stewardship, customer service, teamwork, and Saddle Up!’s mission.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, marketing, business, public relations, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, capital campaigns, donor events, or giving societies.
• Knowledge of the Middle Tennessee philanthropic community and experience engaging donors in a relationship-based fundraising environment.
• Experience with Salesforce or a comparable donor database.

Work Environment and Position Expectations

• This position is based at Saddle Up!’s active farm and equine-assisted services campus and includes regular interaction with riders, families, volunteers, staff, horses, and farm operations.
• The role requires local travel for donor meetings and community engagement and occasional evening or weekend work for events and donor activities.
• The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Additional Information

Benefits

• Generous PTO allotment
• 401k and matching opportunity
• Insurance options with support from SU!
• Continuing education opportunities

How to Apply

To apply for the role please send a cover letter and resume to Tina Corkum, Director of Development, at View email address on us.fitly.work.

About Saddle Up!

Saddle Up! provides children and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to grow and develop through therapeutic, educational, and recreational activities with horses. As a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center, Saddle Up! is committed to safety, inclusion, excellence, and meaningful outcomes for every rider and family we serve.

Equal Opportunity Statement. Saddle Up! is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse and inclusive workplace. Employment decisions are made without regard to legally protected characteristics and in accordance with applicable law.

Details

• Date Posted: August 27, 2026
• Type: Full-Time
• Job Function: Fundraising / Revenue Development
• Service Area: Children / Youth
• Start Date: 09/30/2026
• Salary Range: $55-65K
• Working Hours: 40 hrs/wk; M-F 8:30am - 5:00pmn