Donor Engagement & Annual Giving Officer

South Carolina Aquarium; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 50,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

South Carolina Aquarium seeks an Individual Giving Officer to grow annual giving societies and programs, under the direction of the Senior Giving Programs Officer. You will manage a defined donor portfolio, execute appeals, and advance giving from $500–$9,999 toward major gifts of $10,000 and above.

You will collaborate with Advancement and Strategic Communications, coordinate direct-mail and digital appeals, and track performance to inform strategy. Evening and weekend events are expected.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising, annual giving, donor engagement, stewardship, and relationship management.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to thoughtfully cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors.
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment while effectively executing within established strategies, goals, and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of annual giving donors and prospects, developing and executing individualized cultivation, solicitation, renewal, upgrade, and stewardship activities.
• Actively engage new and existing donors within Watershed Society and Conservation Stewards, building relationships and facilitating increased giving and deeper engagement over time.
• Identify donors with interest, capacity, and engagement to move toward major giving and partner with the Senior Giving Programs Officer and other gift officers to facilitate appropriate next steps.
• Execute the Aquarium’s annual giving appeal strategy under the direction of the Senior Giving Programs Officer, coordinating direct-mail and digital appeals in collaboration with Strategic Communications, including content development, audience segmentation, production, scheduling, and performance tracking.
• Implement donor segmentation strategies for appeals and annual giving initiatives, providing results and donor insights to help inform future strategy.
• Track and evaluate response, revenue, participation, and other relevant measures associated with annual giving initiatives and provide results to the Senior Giving Programs Officer to support ongoing program evaluation.
• Serve as project lead for the execution and production of the Annual Report, working under the strategic direction of the Senior Giving Programs Officer and collaborating with multiple divisions to coordinate content, donor recognition, financial reporting, review, and production.
• Manage the onsite recognition Make Your Mark program, including donor communication, content coordination, recognition fulfillment, and implementation.
• Execute stewardship and recognition initiatives for annual giving donors and giving society members in alignment with the broader donor stewardship strategy.
• Create and coordinate donor engagement opportunities and experiences that strengthen relationships with Conservation Stewards, Watershed Society members, and other annual giving donors.

Skills

Donor engagement

Fundraising

Relationship management

Communication skills

Project management

Job description

South Carolina Aquarium seeks an Individual Giving Officer to grow annual giving societies and programs, under the direction of the Senior Giving Programs Officer. You will manage a defined donor portfolio, execute appeals, and advance giving from $500–$9,999 toward major gifts of $10,000 and above.

You will collaborate with Advancement and Strategic Communications, coordinate direct-mail and digital appeals, and track performance to inform strategy. Evening and weekend events are expected.