Donor Relations Associate

The Salvation Army USA Central Territory; Southfield (MI); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Pension contributions

Paid time off

403(b) retirement plan

Employee discounts

Birthday off

Job summary

The Salvation Army USA Central Territory is seeking a Donor Relations Associate to advance the Great Lakes Division’s fund development by managing donor relationships and driving major gift efforts. You will steward Tier-C donors, craft personalized communications, and collaborate with the Development Department to meet organizational goals.

Responsibilities include donor data entry, travel within the Great Lakes area, and weekly strategy meetings with the Senior Donor Relations Director.

Qualifications

• 4 - 5 years of relationship building or related work experience
• Proficient in writing proposals and donor communications
• Strong conversational and presentation skills with emotional intelligence
• Excellent documentation and activity tracking
• Proven ability to relate to diverse individuals including executives and major donors
• Problem solving, initiative, and follow-through
• Comfort with direct donor interaction including discussions of personal finances and major commitments
• Team player who collaborates with officers, staff and volunteers
• Independent work capability in a fast-paced environment
• Highly organized with multiple projects and priorities

Responsibilities

• Manages a portfolio of 250 - 300 Tier-C donors
• Identifies major gift prospects among Tier-C donors
• Coordinates cultivation, solicitation and stewardship for Tier-C donors
• Oversees activities that foster appreciation and stronger donor bonds
• Partners with leaders and Development Department to achieve goals
• Captures donor information into the database regarding interests and capacity
• Keeps current with Salvation Army programs and communicates mission to donors
• Meets weekly with the Senior Donor Relations Director for strategy
• Identifies effective communication methods; face-to-face for top accounts possible
• Travels within local community and Great Lakes Division
• Performs other duties as assigned

Skills

Relationship building

Writing skills

Communication skills

Documentation

Donor interaction

Team player

Independent work

Organization

Strategic thinking

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Teams

SharePoint

Job description

At The Salvation Army our employees are the heartbeat of our mission. We foster a community of passionate people dedicated to changing lives and bringing hope to those who need it most.

Position Summary: The Donor Relations Associate plays an integral role in the success of the Great Lakes Division’s fund development efforts. The Donor Relations Associate serves a portfolio of donors by initiating, building and maintaining dynamic, reciprocal relationships with individuals, couples, and families who have a desire to partner financially with The Salvation Army.

• Manages a portfolio of 250 - 300 of the organization’s Tier-C giving prospects and donors.
• Works collaboratively with the Donor Relations staff to identify major gift donor prospects among the Tier-C donors and helps steward donors who have reached their maximum giving potential.
• Coordinates the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship efforts for Tier-C donors through strategic communications, mission-driven donor experiences, and personalization.
• Oversees a range of activities that result in donors feeling appreciated, developing deeper bonds with, and greater affection for The Salvation Army and its mission.
• Partners with leaders, colleagues, and members of the Development Department to achieve organizational goals.
• Captures new information for entry into the donor’s database record regarding donor’s interests, relationships, life events, and information about capacity for philanthropic giving.
• Learns and stays current with information about Salvation Army programs and projects and effectively communicates the mission to donors.
• Meets with the Senior Donor Relations Director on a weekly basis for accountability and to discuss strategy and moves.
• Identifies and utilizes the most effective means of communication with individual donors (phone, email, regular mail, texting, etc.). For accounts that qualify at the highest level within the tier, face-to-face communication may be possible.
• Travel within local community and throughout the Great Lakes Division, as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education/Experience:

• 4 - 5 years of relationship building or related work experience or comparable experience, or any equivalent combination of training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:

• Excellent writing skills and the ability to create proposals and marketing material for donors.
• Effective conversational and presentation skills, demonstrating emotional intelligence and situational awareness.
• Must keep good documentation through contact reports and activity tracking, according to Salvation Army protocols.
• Proven expertise in developing and maintaining positive relationships with diverse individuals, including executives, leadership volunteers and wealthy donors, as well as internal stakeholders and leadership.
• Skilled in problem solving, strategic thinking, creativity, initiative and good follow-through.
• High level of comfort with direct donor interaction, including discussions of personal and family finances and asking for major financial commitments.
• Team player with the ability to collaborate effectively with officers, staff and volunteers for successful achievement of position and department goals.
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly organized and able to effectively manage multiple projects and competing priorities with professionalism and grace.
• Demonstrated orientation to achieve goals, with a drive to achieve established goals within agreed upon timeframes.

Computer Skills:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365
• Working knowledge of TEAMS and SharePoint
• Willingness to learn new software as needed

Certificates and Licenses:

• Complete Safe From Harm training, and keep current as needed
• Must have and maintain a current valid driver’s license and pass the Salvation Army Motor Vehicle Record check (MVR)

Additional Information

The Salvation Army offers the following benefits:

• Health Care Benefits which include:
• Medical
• Vision
• Hearing
• Flexible spending accounts
• AFLAC
• Voluntary life insurance benefits
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability options
• Pet Insurance
• Pension contributions (currently 6.0% of your earnings) begin the first quarter after 1 year of employment.
• Vesting starts after three years of employment, 100% vested after five years of employment
• The Salvation Army also offers a 403(b) voluntary retirement savings plan in which you may participate immediately, with approved vendors. There is currently no organizational match for 403(b) contributions.
• Employee Discounts
• Paid Time Off which includes:
• Sick days begin accruing the first of the month following 30 days of employment and you may begin to use accrued sick days once available.
• Up to (6) earned sick days per year may be used as discretionary days.
• Vacation begins accruing the first of the month after one full calendar month after employment begins, and you may begin to use vacation days after (90) days of employment.
• The accrual rate is based upon years of service and approved hours worked.
• You will receive up to 2 personal days per year based on date of hire.
• Birthday off with pay.
• Paid holidays are effective immediately.

The Salvation Army is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates who are back-to-work, US Veterans, people with disabilities, people who have been impacted by the justice system, and/or people without a college degree are encouraged to apply.

Mission Statement:

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.