The Donor Relations Manager works as part of the philanthropy team to identify and qualify major gift prospects. He/she will coordinate and implement effective multi-year strategies and plans for gift prospects, including corporate, foundation, and individual donors. We are seeking an energetic and dedicated professional with experience in philanthropy who works best in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and enjoys being on the road and out with donors. Our ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to conservation and the ability to build and leverage strong community relationships in Vermont.
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 Moves Management process. They will work on a variety of activities including providing program information to prospects and drafting routine correspondence and acknowledgments. They 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.
RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE
- 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 and work flexible hours.
- 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.
- 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.
- Ability to use existing technology to achieve desired results.
- Direct fundraising related experience.
- Experience in managing and tracking multiple prospects and donors.
- Experience with database administration and spreadsheet software.
- Knowledge of current trends in the specific field.
- Strong organization skills, accuracy, and attention to detail.
The Nature Conservancy offers competitive compensation, 401k or savings-plan matching for eligible employees, excellent benefits, flexible work policies and a collaborative work environment. We also provide professional development opportunities and promote from within. As a result, you will find a culture that supports and inspires conservation achievement and personal development, both within the workplace and beyond.