Development Strategist

Are you a relationship-builder with a passion for animals? The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is looking for a Development Strategist to help create better futures for pets and their people. In this hands-on, on-site role, you'll drive multi-channel fundraising campaigns, craft compelling impact stories, manage a portfolio of mid-level donors, and work to strengthen our annual fund.


We welcome candidates from a variety of backgrounds - including recent graduates, career changers, and those with journalism or storytelling experience. A bachelor's degree or three years of nonprofit fundraising experience is required.

Ready to make a difference? If you're entrepreneurial, detail-oriented, and energized by connecting donors to a cause they love, we'd love to hear from you.

JOB SUMMARY: The Development Strategistis responsible for advancing the organization's financial and relational goals with end-to-end support of direct mail, digital campaigns, recurring gifts, donor stewardship, and events. Working to renew and upgrade support, they will also manage a portfolio of mid-level donors, strengthening relationships through personal cultivation and solicitation. The Development Strategistis an engaged team member, collaborating within the Development and Marketing departments on strategies, events, and activities.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Create and implement donor-centric content for multi-channel fundraising campaigns to support retention, renewal, and acquisition including direct mail, giving days, texting program, and photo contests.
• Track results of campaigns and events, compiling data to measure progress towards organizational goals. Create and distribute outcome reports that present campaign analytics and results in a timely fashion.
• Steward a portfolio of mid-level donors and prospects (35-50), including: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and recognition for assigned donors and prospects.
• Develop and maintain relationships, stewarding and expanding the reach of the Kennel Sponsorship and Love Lives Forever Memorial programs.
• Manage and maintain contest, communication and giving platforms as assigned, including Gogo Photo, Give Butter, Tatango, Brevo and Fundraise Up.
• Support best in class stewardship by coordinating quarterly impact reports and donor-facing newsletters, and making weekly thank you calls as assigned.
• Partner with the Director of Development to lead fundraising events, taking responsibility for planning, logistics, audience development, materials, and outcome reporting.
• Lead the collection of urgent need, impact stories, and related photos by monitoring animal care database and collaborating with other departments, community adopters, and foster volunteers.
• Assist planed giving efforts by coordinating with FreeWill representative(s) to deploy planned giving campaigns as advised.
• Participate in strategic funding discussions, assessing donors' giving history and philanthropic capacity, to increase donor engagement and build a pipeline between annual, major, and planned giving.
• Support the creation and implementation of new fundraising strategies in collaboration with the Development and Marketing teams, maximizing the use of data, current best practice, and other resources to inform decisions.
• Provide complete and accurate data entry in Raisers Edge/NXT, recording actions and mailings, maintaining up-to-date contact information, personalized solicitation plans (opportunities) and all other relevant details.
• Partner with Development and Marketing teams to ensure all communication is consistent with brand standards and organizational messaging.
• Support donor-centered stewardship and cultivation events as assigned.
• Represent the organization at community events, networking functions, and engagement opportunities as assigned, effectively articulating its mission, programs, and funding needs.
• Give tours of the shelter as appropriate and/or assigned.
• Cross train and serve as back-up for the Donor Systems Specialist, to cover time off and/or assist with gift entry during heavy donation seasons.
• Keep informed and up-to-date about the shelter's program work.
• Handles animals in the shelter's care as required.
• Contribute to team efforts by accomplishing other tasks and special projects as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:


To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty well. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or three years of non-profit fundraising experience.
• Ability to relate to people of diverse backgrounds, training, and experience.
• High attention to detail and the ability to audit work for accuracy and quality.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Finalist applicants must satisfactorily complete a pre-employment background check.

While previous non-profit fundraising experience is strongly preferred, the Humane Society encourages exceptional candidates from a broad variety of backgrounds to apply, including recent graduates and those seeking a transition from the private sector, including individuals with journalism and/or storytelling experience.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Two year's experience in fundraising or related field, preferably with an animal welfare organization or other non-profit organization.

• Strong knowledge of fundraising principles.
• Passion for animal welfare and creating better futures for pets and their people.
• Posses an entrepreneurial spirit, crafts creative solutions and opens doors to new donor relationships.
• Ability to work independently with proven adeptness at collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to develop and advance relationships with a diverse community of internal and external interestholders.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (especially Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• CRM database and communication systems experience, preferably with Raisers Edge/NXT, FreeWill, Monday, Word Press, Tatango, Gogo Photo, Give Butter and/or Brevo.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The position requires the individual to work daily in an office environment, in a space shared with colleagues and office equipment. The individual must have the ability and willingness to travel regionally as required in this position.

The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is one of Washington's largest nonprofit animal welfare organizations, providing essential care to more than 9,000 animals in our shelter each year. As a donor-funded organization, we rely on community support to find loving homes for nearly 7,000 pets, reunite more than 1,100 lost animals with their families and assist thousands more through innovative community programs.

The pay range for this role is:

28.77 - 31.97 USD per hour (Business Address)