This is an exciting opportunity for the right individual to help take Teach For America’s planned giving program to the next level! The planned giving program at Teach For America is newly established with some baseline structures and systems in place, but the opportunity exists to really build this program from the ground up in alignment with Teach For America’s efforts to continue to build a diversified and sustainable funding model. The Managing Director of Planned Giving will be the first full-time position dedicated to planned giving, and will be charged with setting the vision, strategy, creation, and execution of the planned giving program.
This includes a suite of highly important strategic vision and execution work including developing, disseminating and executing policies across the enterprise; creating marketing/stewardship materials and experiences; and working across multiple stakeholders inside and outside of the enterprise to execute the program.
While it is not in the current scope that this individual would directly be soliciting planned giving prospects, this role may involve a full range of donor cultivation duties/portfolio management through other frontline fundraisers, including working with other development staff to develop planned giving as a critical component of a strategic fundraising plan. This role demands a strong spirit and desire for collaboration, as you will be working as a part of a team to diversify funding resources and engage in long-term financial planning, including a partnership in regional/national endowment investments where appropriate.
This position has significant potential to raise resources for Teach For America, and its results help drive our overall fundraising success. In addition, because the Managing Director, Planned Giving will learn about highly personal financial circumstances, the incumbent must adhere to the highest ethical, moral and professional standards, with behavior that is beyond reproach.
Fundraising Strategy & High Stakes Execution (60%)
Setting Vision & Direction for our Re-Launched Planned Giving Program
- Researching, developing and setting short and long term vision and direction for planned giving program including developing metrics for measuring success and managing execution of strategies aligned to vision
- Ensuring the alignment of the planned giving program to the strategic direction of national Development team in concert with VP, Individual Giving and Senior Vice President, Development
Developing, Disseminating & Executing Policies
- Updating and maintaining our gift acceptance policy and ensuring we have highly sophisticated guidance on complex estate giving matters
- Working to create and maintain internal systems and ensuring strong record keeping
- Managing and owning compliance for the enterprise in accordance with gift agreements
- Working with advisors and estate planners on gift/grant agreements
Developing Marketing Materials & Executing Cultivation/ Stewardship Opportunities
- Partnering with the prospect strategy and research team to identify planned giving prospects across the enterprise (regional/national); segmenting and aligning strategies for key audiences
- Creating a centralized approach/expectations for cultivation & stewardship (potential development of a planned giving/legacy society/donor community)
- Working with our internal teams and external vendors to create marketing materials/campaign strategies (website, collateral, one pagers, mailings, etc.)
- Drafting tailored communications, reports, stewardship updates, meeting prep and updating materials to support frontline fundraisers in their portfolio management/stewardship
- Ensuring consistent stewardship of planned giving donors (both directly and through current portfolio managers)
Forecasting, Tracking & Measuring Data
- Working with VP, Individual Giving to set short, medium, and long-term measures of success for the program and forecasting long-term potential
- Tracking, evaluating and measuring progress consistently, and using learning to inform strategy to pursue opportunities and identify challenges
Providing Education, Coaching & Expertise as a Subject Matter Expert (30%)
- Working with key senior executives and fundraisers across the organization to provide education, training and key tools to execute planned giving
- Providing tools and resources to the VP, Individual Giving and Senior Vice President, Development to help engage key donor constituencies such as the National Board and National Council
- Providing training/coaching and information to regional and national fundraisers including prep and materials for donor meetings, coaching to solicitors, centralized training for planned giving across the enterprise
- Serving as primary liaison with senior executives and development teams on planned giving related issues and concerns. Educate and coach frontline fundraisers about planned giving concepts, including bequests, retirement planning, life insurance, income tax planning, gifts of complex assets, life income gifts, charitable trusts, and how these concepts can maximize philanthropy
- Providing staff and key volunteers with updates on legislative and/or legal issues which will impact charitable giving
Engaging on Special Initiative (as needed/assigned) (5%)
- Partnering to support endowment policies/campaigns
- Supporting and executing elements of the 30th Anniversary alumni summit in alignment with key responsibilities (likely related to a donor legacy society)
- Partnership on funding model work/exploration for long-term sustainability
- Providing specific reports and updates to organizational leaders
Other Duties As Assigned (5%)
- Seven to ten years of previous fundraising experience with an emphasis on planned giving, preferably in higher education or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Self-motivated and possess a demonstrated ability to articulate planned giving concepts and strategies with credibility to a diverse constituency
- Knowledge of estate planning preferred, including wills, trusts and estate and gift tax laws and knowledge of the legal recordkeeping requirements for fundraising and documenting donations
- Experience in sales, marketing and finance preferred
- Ability to work independently, and conduct research and analysis, goal-setting, communication and project management
- Entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to work closely with the VP of Individual Giving to build and expand the program across the enterprise
- A highly motivated self-starter with the ability to lead, work in a team setting, and work independently; have comfort with gray areas, navigating multiple stakeholders, and an orientation towards problem-solving
- Comfort in researching and analyzing large groups of data to uncover planned giving prospects
- Excellent verbal and written communication aptitude
- Capable of handling numerous tasks at once and still meeting deadlines
- Strong strategic thinking skills; uses rigorous logic, data, and prior knowledge to perform analyses, identify key trends, develop insightful conclusions and systematically prioritize work
- Superb written and verbal communication as well as attention to detail
- Willingness to take ownership/accountability of the program, while having to reach outcomes through others
- Expert project manager with history of building effective systems and efficient operations
- Proficiency and comfort with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required
Work Demands
- Travel periodically (2-3 trips per quarter) for team meetings, etc.