Development Officer

Job Description

Job Description

Development Officer

LOCATION: Rocky Boy, Montana

Wage: $65,000 - $75,000 DOE

STATUS: Full-Time, Exempt

Veterans Preference

American Indian Preference

Closing Date: Open until filled

The Great Plains Veterans Services Center (GPVSC) was established on June 24, 2015, and recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization in February of 2016. The GPVSC is headquartered on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation in North Central Montana. The GPVSC established the Veterans Support Services (VSS) program in January 2017. The purpose of this program is to provide Veterans with access to all VA benefits they have earned; assist unemployed Veterans in becoming self-sufficient by transitioning them into the workforce; support homeless Veterans or at-risk for homelessness in attaining and maintaining housing; provide mental health and suicide prevention support; and provide case management to assist Veterans in overall quality of life needs. The VSS program’s service area includes three Indian Reservations and five rural Montana counties. In 2020, the GPVSC began operating its Veterans Transportation Services (VTS) program. This program provides transportation services to rural Montana Veterans for VA and VA-referred appointments. The VTS program’s service area includes six Indian Reservations and 45 rural Montana counties.

JOB OVERVIEW:

At the direction of the Executive Director, the Development Officer establishes and develops GPVSC's individual-giving program to build sustained philanthropic support for its Veteran-serving mission. The position builds and manages a portfolio of current and prospective donors; cultivates annual, recurring, mid-level, major, and long-term gifts; develops donor systems and campaigns; coordinates fundraising activities and events; and works with program and communications staff to maintain effective outreach, donor communications, public-facing content, and consistent branding.

DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop an individual-giving plan, calendar, goals, budget recommendations, and strategies for donor acquisition, retention, renewal, upgrades, recurring giving, and long-term relationship development.
• Build and manage a qualified portfolio of current and prospective donors; conduct calls, meetings, tours, visits, solicitations, and timely follow-up with disciplined documentation.
• Identify and qualify prospects, build a donor pipeline, and coordinate cultivation and solicitation activities involving the Executive Director, Board members, staff, and organizational representatives.
• Plan and implement annual and year-end appeals, giving days, recurring-giving efforts, reactivation of lapsed donors, and selected special campaigns through mail, email, online, and in-person channels.
• Develop and manage donor database, giving-platform, acknowledgment, stewardship, segmentation, prospect-pipeline, confidentiality, and reporting practices in coordination with leadership and Finance.
• Track and report donor acquisition, retention, recurring gifts, upgrades, reactivation, solicitation activity, campaign results, and gross and net fundraising revenue; recommend improvements based on results.
• Plan and coordinate fundraising events, sponsorships, promotion, logistics, donor engagement, budgets, and post-event follow-up with staff, volunteers, and the Organizational Readiness Coordinator.
• Develop donor-facing cases for support, impact stories, campaign messages, giving-page content, and print and digital materials while protecting Veteran privacy and obtaining required permissions.
• Coordinate GPVSC social media, website-content review, communications calendars, branding, merchandise, marketing, and design with program managers, communications specialists, and the Executive Director.
• Train and support leadership, Board members, and staff in donor cultivation, charitable requests, donor meetings, follow-up, and stewardship; represent GPVSC professionally at meetings and events.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS and ABILITIES

• Knowledge of individual giving, donor stewardship, annual appeals, recurring giving, and the stages of a major-gift relationship.
• Strong relationship-building, listening, public speaking, persuasive writing, digital communication, project-management, and analytical skills.
• Sound judgment, discretion, confidentiality, attention to detail, initiative, and the ability to manage competing projects and deadlines.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education and experience equivalent to a degree in communications, marketing, business, nonprofit management, or a related field, plus three years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, donor relations, community engagement, or comparable relationship development.
• Experience with donor cultivation or solicitation, campaigns, customer relationship management systems, donor-facing writing, and disciplined follow-up.
• Experience building an individual-giving program or managing a major-donor portfolio.
• Experience working with nonprofit executives, Boards, volunteers, and cross-functional staff on donor cultivation and fundraising activities.
• Experience with Veteran-serving organizations, tribal communities, or rural Montana communities.
• Experience coordinating fundraising events, online giving, social media, website content, branding, merchandise, or donor communications.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS

Work involves regular computer use, writing, telephone and virtual communication, in-person donor meetings, community events, and organization-wide coordination. Travel within GPVSC service areas is required, with occasional evening, weekend, or overnight work for donor meetings, fundraising events, outreach, and training.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Must hold a valid Montana driver's license and successfully complete a driver's history check.
• Benefits include SEP retirement plan, paid time off and holidays, dental, vision, accident, short-term and long-term disability and life insurance.
• Successful applicants are subject to drug testing and background checks.

POLICY and COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS
Great Plains Veterans Services Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.