Director Transformative Giving

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) in St. Louis is seeking a management team member to lead fundraising efforts and supporter relations in its Mission Advancement unit. Responsibilities include overseeing staff, developing budgets, and modeling ethical behavior.

Ideal candidates will have a relevant degree, strong leadership and communication skills, and a commitment to the values of the LCMS. Experience in a non-profit setting is essential. This role supports the Synod's mission to promote charitable giving.

Qualifications

• Active membership in an LCMS congregation.
• 6+ years in a non-profit environment with 3+ years in management.
• Experience in leading a high-performing team.

Responsibilities

• Supervise MADV staff and assist in strategic planning.
• Support fundraising and contributor relations.
• Assist in developing the operating budget.

Skills

Goal setting

Team leadership

Communication skills

Fundraising principles

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Master's degree preferred

CFRE certification preferred

Job description

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is dedicated to making known the love of Christ by word and deed within our churches, communities, and the world. The LCMS Mission Advancement (MADV) unit connects people in their voluntary charitable giving to the Synod’s ministry and mission efforts. It works in a manner consistent with Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions while complying with legal, regulatory and ethical principles expected of all trustworthy philanthropic organizations. MADV works closely with the LCMS Communications department to support the mission and ministry efforts of the Offices of National Mission, International Mission and Pastoral Education (all of which report to the LCMS Chief Mission Officer) as well as the general operations of the corporate Synod.

Reporting Relationships

• Reports to the MADV executive director.
• Relates to, collaborates with and supports other MADV directors.
• Supervises select MADV staff and interacts with the staff of other MADV subunits.
• Working relationships will also include other departments of the Synod, entities and partners as they relate to specific programs and projects.

Essential Job Functions

• Serves on the MADV management team (cabinet) to strategically plan and carry out the unit’s work of fund-raising, contributor care and constituent relations.
• Provides the MADV executive director with frequent counsel and updates on significant contributions holding the potential to transform the organization’s overall mission capacity and transform the way the involved contributor sees themselves in the overall mission of the Christian church.
• Assists the MADV executive director in developing the annual operating budget for the Transformative Giving subunit, including the cost of personnel and activities required to uplift, support and strengthen constituent relationships in a way worthy of the Gospel.
• Leads recruiting, orientation, training, mentoring and supervision of the Mission Advancement staff, drawing on staff involvement from other MADV subunits as appropriate, and holds the Transformative Giving subunit accountable for work to be performed under the unit’s annual and long‑range plans and its policies and procedures.
• Models ethical behavior and upholds the highest standards and principles, serving as a professional example for other MADV staff.
• Designs and implements strategies and activities to move prospects and donors to higher levels of giving.
• Assumes management responsibility for the funding of select initiatives that do not fall readily into campaigns/special programs, member engagement, missionary support and pastoral formation/care areas.
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the President, the Chief Mission Officer or the MADV executive director.

Education And Experience

• Active membership in good standing in an LCMS congregation, faithful to the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, and supportive of the Synod's Constitution, Bylaws, and policies.
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a related field; a master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Advanced education or certification in fundraising or development/advancement best practices (e.g., CFRE) strongly preferred.
• Six or more years’ experience in a non‑profit or professional environment including three years of manager‑level experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading, supervising, and developing a high‑performing team, including setting goals, providing feedback, managing performance, and fostering a collaborative working environment.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to set and achieve goals.
• Ability to function in a management system that emphasizes results and accountability.
• Ability to rapidly build positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, major gifts colleagues and other MADV staff members to strengthen teamwork.
• Ability to plan, organize, execute and evaluate strategies and activities; openness to positive improvements and new approaches in resource development and fund raising.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral, including giving presentations.
• Strong working knowledge of Christian stewardship principles and the ability to apply those principles in a fundraising environment.
• Familiarity with the Synod's doctrine, practices, mission, structure and/or programmatic ministries strongly preferred.
• Ability to engage/work effectively with a broad spectrum of Synod stakeholders, e.g., senior executive leadership, rostered church workers, lay congregants, agencies, auxiliaries and other partners of Synod to secure interest, involvement and investment in the work of Synod.
• Willingness to travel when warranted with colleagues and contributors.
• Knowledge of financial matters and a willingness to use technology to enhance productivity.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position is responsible for directly supervising a number of other staff members in MADV, including but not limited to:

• Mission Advocates and Research Manager
• Gift Planning Manager
• Grants/Foundations Staff