The Director of Individual Giving (DIG) will be responsible for managing a portfolio of donors and driving the strategy for our individual giving program with annual goals of approximately $3M. Working in close partnership with the Managing Director of Development and the Executive Director, the DIG will have primary responsibility for: creating and executing an operational plan in order to meet fundraising goals; developing strategies and cultivation plans for a portfolio of donors and prospects; and supporting the Managing Director and Executive Director to cultivate, solicit and steward donors. To be successful, s/he must be: strategic and able to operationalize complex plans, committed to consistently learning and growing, compelling and inspiring in all communication, big-picture oriented but obsessive about the details, and laser-focused on achieving outcomes and moving the needle towards outcomes.
The DIG will report to the Managing Director of Development and will work closely with and, as needed, be supported by the Development Team to achieve your goals.
Donor Strategy and Planning (25%)
- Develop and execute yearly cultivation/stewardship goals and plans for the individual giving portfolio.
- Plan and execute a yearly series of touch-points to cultivate potential individual donors and steward current supporters.
- Oversee the execution of events and campaigns aligned with the portfolio, including the Investor’s Roundtable Series, the Sponsor-A-Teacher annual program, and the Alumni Giving campaign.
Portfolio Management (50%)
- Build and manage a portfolio of 100+ individual donors giving $5,000 or more, building a strategy to renew and upgrade our current base and bring in new supporters.
- Support MD and ED in building excellent relationships with prospects and current donors in the portfolio, working managing those relationships through layers.
- Analyze the interests of donors and prospects to develop compelling pitches, engagement strategies and stewardship plans.
- Analyze historical and market data to inform revenue goals and benchmarks.
- Create high-quality meeting prep materials for the MDD and ED to conduct meetings and school visits; occasionally conduct/support these meetings.
- Draft and review compelling fundraising communications about Teach For America’s vision, priorities, and goals, including written appeals, renewal notices, reports, proposals, and event invitations.
- Create tailored pitches based on deep understanding of our individual donors, including verbal presentations, PowerPoint decks and “one-pagers” focused on local impact and cultivations.
- Create marketing materials for donor and partner constituents that highlight successes of sub-regions, corps members, and alumni.
- Provide strategic guidance for improved effectiveness and efficiencies of individual giving program, including prospect management, gift processing, and acknowledgment systems.
- Coordinate an effective program for recognition, involvement and stewardship of individual donors.
Development Operations (15%)
- Utilize Salesforce database to manage and input data related to individual giving portfolio and conduct prospect research.
- Track fundraising progress to goal.
- Maintain meticulous records of donor engagement.
- Develop and maintain systems to communicate progress to goal and strategies.
Regional Team Responsibilities (10%)
- Support, attend, and/or participate in all regional and development team activities, including corps member selection and matriculation, occasional corps member professional development Saturdays (4-5 per year), staff meetings, functional team meetings and retreats, and regional pre-service (one week in June).
- Support all shared development team responsibilities, including board meetings, school visits, etc.
- Attend and actively engage in professional development conferences learning groups.
Prior Experience
- 4-10 years of relevant professional experience
Work Demands
- Ability to travel around the Massachusetts region
- Occasional work required on nights and weekends
Skills
- Critical thinker who displays strong judgment in prioritizing problems to solve and opportunities to pursue
- Motivated by achieving results through others and able to manage towards outcomes
- Uncommon level of personal responsibility with exceptional goal orientation and a proven track record of success
- Highly organized with exceptional detail orientation and demonstrated ability to manage a high volume of work
- Keen understanding of the beliefs, contexts, and motivations of others
- Strong verbal and written communicator
- Dedication and commitment to educational equity in Massachusetts
- Knowledge of Salesforce (preferred), Excel, and PowerPoint required