Regional Donor Relations Manager

Job Title: Regional Donor Relations Manager – (Mid-Level)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Work Schedule: Full-Time

Date Revised: July 2024

Mission

Create and execute an annual strategy for raising mid to major gifts by engaging in caseload work that uses individual plans of care (IPOC) to achieve financial and donor retention goals. Success in this position means fostering strong relationships with current and prospective mid-level donors, equipping them with continual knowledge of their impact and opportunity to give, all while moving them through their individual IPOC as well as identifying those with potential to lift giving to major gifts. Create and execute a church engagement program while implementing the tools and best practices with the organization’s Faith Leaders Program. Assist in executing regional and national donor events as needed.

Reporting Relationships

Employee reports to VP of Development

Other Key Relationships

External: Individual donors, organizations, businesses, churches, and other para-church organizations.

Internal: Grants Acquisition Manager, Director of Development Operations, Development Staff, Marketing/Direct Response, Program Staff, and Communications Staff

Essential Job Functions

Strategic Relationship Management

• Be “high touch, high communication”, with their assigned portfolio.
• Cultivate and grow relationships via in-person visits, phone, email, video calls, and social media channels.
• Have a high emotional intelligence and a capacity to “read the room” with potential donors in creating optimal opportunities for impactful giving.
• Identify, research, qualify, and engage mid-level gift prospects and businesses for events and solicitation.
• Be responsible for creating, maintaining, and tracking multiple touchpoints with donors across multiple channels.
• Require regular travel in order to cultivate new and existing relationships with donors.
• Develop and execute an individual plan of care (IPOC) strategy for each donor, church, or prospect in the pipeline.
• Involve donors and churches in the ministry, ask for gifts, negotiate and close; thank donors, report back to them, and steward relationships.
• Engage current donors, donor prospects and churches in ongoing dialogue about how their vision and passion match with the mission and ministry of American Leprosy Missions.

Strategic Fund Development

• Responsible for identifying donors’ capacity for giving and crafting appropriate financial asks/invitations to partner with the organization..
• Measure, track, and grow donors’ affinity with the organization and its mission by creating engagement opportunities and a giving community for donors.
• Prepared to accompany Donor vision trips to the field, which may be an example of one such opportunity.
• Research, recommend, and implement strategies to raise the positive profile of the organization among civic, business, and church leaders in strategic local communities.
• Manage the VP of Development’s caseload as it relates to your region, supporting the VP of Development in donor cultivation including setting up meetings and providing donor briefings.

Cultivation and Stewardship – Transformational Giving Experience Development

• Help plan and implement funding campaigns, events and activities (volunteer experiences, Field Tours, Receptions, Micro-events, Giving Clubs, etc.) for individual major gift donors. Create and manage cultivation/appreciation events for individual major gift donors as appropriate.
• Communicate regularly with assigned major donors, working with the Communication Department to develop major gift materials, including briefing memos, proposals, stewardship materials, thank you notes, letters, written updates, etc.
• Network with existing and prospective donors to meet new potential donors and convert those relationships into tangible financial support.
• Implement donor appreciation programs to recognize, thank and educate current donors.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Track and report weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual fundraising activities to achieve major gift revenue goals.
• Track and report relationship management activities using constituent relationship management systems including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of prospective and current individual major donors.
• Effectively use database technology and other resources to assess giving potential, and to track donor communications, including appropriate recognition and thanking of major donors. .

Other Duties as Assigned:

Although not Essential Job Functions, employee may also be responsible for the

following from time to time:

• Perform public speaking assignments as requested and required.
• Provide on-site event assistance for donor events.
• Prepare donor briefings when requested.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
• Occasionally required to attend appropriate work-related meetings outside of
  normal business or working hours.
• Assist with other work-related tasks as assigned by the immediate supervisor.

Accountabilities

To perform this job successfully, the employee should achieve or maintain acceptable productivity levels, quality levels, and outcomes in the areas listed below:

• American Leprosy Missions’ Team Values are lived out
• Personal annual fundraising goals are met or exceeded
• Mid-level donor and church revenue is increased
• Accurate and timely record keeping are recorded in CRM software
• Goals and objectives set forth in the organization’s performance management system are met.

Competencies

To perform the job successfully, the employee should possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors:

• Initiative – Without prompting, takes proactive steps to manage and improve all work tasks and operations. Is innovative, responsible, and insightful. Can manage multiple projects simultaneously through multi-tasking. Has a sense of urgency to achieve goals.
• Accountability – Experiences a sense of responsibility to the organization, its donors and other stakeholders, and the community when making decisions that affect the organization; not forced by policy to do what is right and fair, but has an internal sense of responsibility. High emotional intelligence; likable.
• Communication – Speaks clearly and writes effectively and persuasively in positive or negative situations; listens to management, co-workers, donors, end recipients, vendors, and others to effectively and efficiently share information and ideas; demonstrates effective group presentation and meeting skills. Skilled in written communication, particularly donor-facing.
• Relationship Building – Has the ability to connect and influence a large and diverse group of people; is seen as a bridge-builder and someone who is “good to work with;” can build and maintain meaningful professional relationships. Servant leader, someone who displays humility. Relationship orientation, warm, focused listener. Truth-teller who holds confidences.
• Results-Oriented Thinking and Behavior – A genuine concern for effectiveness; possesses the desire to get the job done with excellence; mentally, is focused on getting the best results for actions taken; does not settle for mediocrity. Comfortable exploring new ideas. Enjoys participating in and collaborating with a team. Creative, out of the box, thinking to create memorable experiences remotely.

Required Education, Experience, and Skills

• Agreement with and willingness to sign the organization’s statement of faith
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, public relations, communications, or a related field or at least three years of experience in business, philanthropy, development, or fundraising
• At least three years’ demonstrated successful experience in major gift fundraising or other related position(s), such as sales.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse donor base
• Excellent presentation and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering healthy relationships with donors/customers
• Self-motivated; able to work independently.
• Strong knowledge of prospect research, donor screening, and major donor models, such as Donor Search
• Agreement with and willingness to sign the organization’s statement of faith
• Ability and willingness to share the Christian faith through word and deed
• Note: This position requires a minimum of 15% travel

Preferred Education, Experience, Skills

• Demonstrated success in raising five-figure donations through personal solicitation
• Demonstrated success in cultivating long-term relationships
• Experience in the development department of a faith-based organization, NGO, college, or university
• Experience with recordkeeping and donor databases, especially Salesforce
• Experience managing and developing a direct response fundraising platform