Donor Relations Manager

Donor Relations Manager

This position provides a unique opportunity for an experienced Development professional to join a successful fundraising team in a supervisory role, support growth of the mid and major donor journey, while advancing the Center for Biological Diversity's mission to protect imperiled wildlife and wild places.

The Donor Relations Manager provides ongoing management of timely donor interactions, communications, campaigns and stewardship of the Center's Leadership Circle (donors who individually contribute $1,000 or more annually.) This donor cohort is crucial to the vitality of the Center's fundraising efforts, providing 80% of philanthropic revenues from 4% of the membership base.

The Donor Relations Manager manages a small team of Donor Relations Associates and supervises and serves as the project manager for seasonal as well as ad-hoc multichannel fundraising campaigns primarily to our Leadership Circle – leading their team to successfully raise increased funds largely through email as well as direct mail campaigns, phone, Zoom, and some face-to-face outreach. The Donor Relations Manager also cultivates and stewards their own portfolio of Leadership Circle donors, guides the associates to optimize relationships and philanthropic revenues via their own portfolio management, and provides strong year-round project management oversight for implementation of donor stewardship plans for Leadership Circle members, all mission critical activities.

This position manages and oversees the execution of a robust calendar of communications, including regular stewardship as well as issue-specific reports and the production of in-person and virtual events both calendared as well as opportunities that arise. This position oversees important daily/weekly stewardship processes such as informal and formal acknowledgement materials.

The Donor Relations Manager will ensure quality control for donor communications. They can also expect to directly engage in and oversee daily administrative activities such as maintaining up-to-date individual donor records, obtaining and analyzing donor and campaign information from the database, preparing fundraising reports and researching individual donors. The Donor Relations Manager will report to the Membership Director. This position will regularly communicate with members of the development program's senior leaders, conservation program staff, communications, finance and IT team as needed.

There are seasonal periods of increased intensity in this role's work tied to spring, fourth quarter through year-end into the new year, along with frequent ad hoc fundraising campaigns as needed.

Essential job duties and responsibilities include:

• Plan, oversee, and support the production and execution of multiple fundraising campaigns, appeals and reports designed to increase philanthropic support from our base of Leadership Circle members.
• Develop calendars and timelines for execution of campaigns, reports, proposals, events and other outreach to donors.
• Provide year-round stewardship of Leadership Circle members to ensure fundraising goals are met and exceeded.
• Develop and implement stewardship plans designed to increase retention and engagement for key donors.
• Manage donor relations staff to ensure timely, high quality, effective and increased donor communications, stewardship and fundraising activities.
• Ensure Leadership Circle members' inbound communications via email, handwritten notes, and phone calls are addressed promptly and with a high level of care and attention.
• Research and identify new prospects to pass on to the Chief Development Officer, Deputy Development Director, Membership Director and Major Gifts Manager for major gifts development.
• Cultivate a portfolio of Leadership Circle donors. Support donor relations staff's work to successfully manage their own portfolios.
• Draft, format, and send letters, emails, proposals, reports, etc., for our Leadership Circle, Owls Club, individual and family funders. Assist in preparation of same for MGOs.
• Directly engage Leadership Circle members through phone calls, 1:1 zoom calls and some face-to-face meetings as well as individual emails.
• Collaborate with the membership and development operations teams on direct mail and email fundraising campaigns, as well as supporting stewardship, cultivation and solicitation for the Center's growing segment of monthly donors.
• Ensure donors receive timely and high-quality informal thank you emails, cards, and calls as well as formal tax-receipt and acknowledgement letters.
• Review data with a high attention to detail and careful decision making that will ensure donors are communicated with according to pre-set strategies and according to their preferences.
• Plan, coordinate, and support implementation of donor events and webinars and support post-event follow-up communications.
• Support Chief Development Officer on planned giving efforts via campaigns, regular Owls Club communications and welcome letters.
• Move nimbly to implement rapid communications in response to breaking news, or in response to requests for reports or other information.
• Stay on top of trends in both the environmental movement as well as in best practices for donor stewardship.
• Assist with other projects as assigned.

Essential qualifications and skills include:

• Five to seven years of proven successful fundraising experience, demonstrated interest in caring for donors.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills.
• Extensive experience with donor relationship management databases or similar.
• Excellent supervisory skills and experience managing a staff of 2-3 people, as well as demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills.
• A proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Analytical with an exceptional ability to pay attention to detail, great organizational skills, and high-level accuracy in completing complex tasks.
• Strong abilities working with data in Microsoft Excel.
• Highly motivated and self-confident character, with solid work ethic as well as a strong drive to move projects forward quickly and follow through with staff regarding their completion.
• The ability to learn and complete tasks quickly.
• Experience working in a rapid response environment that can require quick, thoughtful decision making and evolution of campaign planning.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to organize time, manage diverse activities and personal interactions, and meet short-term and long-term deadlines.
• Deep familiarity with implementing quality control processes and procedures.
• High energy level and excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong affinity for the Center for Biological Diversity's mission.

Working conditions include:

Seasonal increase in workload and potential increase in hours, particularly from April-May and fourth quarter-January. Working with standard office equipment, such as a computer, printer, copier and scanner, as well as job-specific equipment. This is a hybrid position with some time required in the office. Working remotely is allowed, but the space must be conducive to keeping member information confidential, making calls and responding to emails in a timely fashion, and maintaining a productivity level equal to in-office hours.

Physical requirements include:

The ideal candidate must be able to complete all physical requirements of this job with or without a reasonable accommodation. This is not a complete description of all workplace conditions, and conditions are subject to change per the Organization's discretion.

Cognitive

Ability to process and analyze information: Frequently

Exchange accurate information: Frequently

Communicate and express oneself with others: Frequently

Interaction with other colleagues: Frequently

Interaction with the public/co-collaborators: Frequently

Physical

Reading (ingest data): Frequently

Working on a computer: Frequently

Typing: Frequently

Writing by hand: Frequently

Sitting: Frequently

Walking: Occasionally

Standing: Occasionally

Lift/Carry 0-25 lbs: Occasionally

Lift/Carry 25-75 lbs: Rarely

Hiking: Occasionally

Climbing up or down stairs: Occasionally

Bending: Occasionally

Squatting: Occasionally

Reaching overhead: Occasionally

Repetitive motions: Frequently

Ability to drive: Frequently

Location Conditions

In person required (versus remote work): Occasionally

Travel required*: Occasionally

Night or weekend work: Occasionally

Work in outdoor conditions: Occasionally

*Attendance at our remote annual all-staff retreat is encouraged. This could require travel and 4-5 days of time away from home each year.

Benefits include:

• Fully paid medical premiums for staff, and greatly discounted for families.
• Fully paid dental and vision premiums for staff and their families.