The Donor Relations Manager (DRM) assists in the implementation of tactics for the ongoing cultivation of donors. They conduct initial exploratory meetings with donors and prospects to determine capacity for giving. The DRM provides ongoing opportunities for contact with past and current donors.
The Donor Relations Manager is responsible for the identification and qualification of major and planned gift prospects and assists in cultivating and soliciting donors through direct contact. The DRM will coordinate work with senior fundraisers. They will move prospects capable of gifts of higher amounts to the prospect pool for management by senior fundraising staff and integration into the Relationship Management process. They will work on a variety of activities including providing program information to prospects and drafting routine correspondence and acknowledgments. They will use the Conservancy’s donor database to update donor information, produce reports, and track and cultivate donors. The DRM identifies the correct contacts to go to for information on gifts of assets. They will effectively communicate or distribute information to assist staff in making decisions, solving problems, and improving workflow.
- Act independently on assigned tasks and exercise independent judgment based on analysis and experience.
- Annual fundraising goal of $100,000 or more, along with a goal for bequest notifications.
- Coordinate projects with several variables, work within a defined timeline and budget.
- Does not supervise any staff, but may supervise interns, volunteers and/or temporary staff.
- Ensure compliance with TNC policies and procedures and external (donor/legal/IRS) requirements.
- Financial responsibility includes working within a budget and meeting fundraising goals for local and worldwide conservation.
- Manage a portfolio of 75 – 125 individual donors with the capacity to make a gift up to $10,000 once the portfolio is developed and be responsible for 75 – 125 visits and 225 – 375 moves annually.
- Persuasively convey the mission of TNC to diverse groups who are important to the organization’s overall prosperity.
- Refers difficult questions and unusual problems to supervisors.
- Travel at least 50%; occasional overnights.
- Work environment involves only infrequent exposure to disagreeable elements and minor physical exertion and/or strain.
- Work is diversified and may not always fall under established practices and guidelines.
- Work within scope of program’s strategic goals.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and 2 years experience or equivalent combination.
- Experience building relationships with staff, customers or similar.
- Experience generating reports and interpreting the data.
- Experience in business writing, editing, and proofreading.
- Experience working across teams.
- Experience, coursework, or other training in fundraising principles & practices.
Desired Qualifications
- Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
- Ability to determine an individual’s interests, capacity and potential for helping the Conservancy meet its goals, and act appropriately to tie those interests with the Conservancy’s work.
- Ability to implement individualized cultivation, solicitation and recognition plans.