Donor Relations Coordinator- 11-001 - SC/ DHQ - Development

The Salvation Army Southern California; Carson (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The Salvation Army Southern California is seeking a Donor Relations Coordinator to implement donor-related activities, cultivate mid-level donors, and upgrade giving levels. You will work with the Donor Services Director and Development leadership to strategize fundraising plans and create stewardship programs.

The role requires strong communication, relationship-building, and organizational skills, with a focus on donor recognition, reporting, and data entry in our CRM systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or comparable experience in nonprofit fundraising.
• 3–5 years of fundraising experience with a proven track record.
• Exceptional interpersonal, conversational and writing abilities.
• Proven expertise in developing and maintaining relationships with diverse donors and stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with initiative and strong follow-through.
• Willingness and ability to travel; valid driver’s license.
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced environment and maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a strategic communications plan to identify and solicit mid-level donors ($1,000–$2,499).
• Call and thank donors; follow with written receipts and acknowledgments.
• Collaborate with Development leadership on stewardship and recognition plans.
• Create stewardship materials and donor-facing communications.
• Coordinate annual fund solicitations with direct mail programs.
• Maintain donor data in CRM and generate prospect reports.
• Assist in planning donor events to advance involvement and giving.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Presentation skills

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Travel willingness

Independent work

Organizational skills

Confidentiality

Emotional intelligence

Education

Bachelor’s degree or comparable experience

Tools

Donor database

WealthEngine

CRM

Microsoft Office

Job description

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.

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Donor Services Director the Donor Relations Coordinator (DRC) is responsible for implementing administrative and donor-related activities for mid-level donor development. This position identifies, cultivates, solicits, stewards and upgrades mid-level donors to major giving levels. The DRC consults with the Director of Development, Donor Services Director and consultants to strategize mid-level donor fundraising efforts. This position plays a critical role in the fundraising effort of the Southern California Division through donor communication and interface.

Salary (Exempt): $75,000- 80,000

Essential Functions

• Create and implement a strategic communications plan to identify, educate, cultivate and solicit gifts from donors giving $1,000-$2,499 with the goal of increasing their annual level of giving.
• Call and thank donors who have given between $1,000 to $2,499 for the calendar year. Follow with a thank you letter and receipt for each gift.
• Partner with Development leadership to implement customized stewardship plans and donor recognition strategies.
• Develop stewardship plans for donors at various recognition levels within the major gift and planned giving programs. Collaborate with fundraising staff to follow acknowledgement and recognition procedures for gifts that are consistent across audiences. Also identify and develop recognition opportunities.
• Coordinate annual fund solicitations at year end with direct mail program.
• Research and compose thank you letters and stewardship letters to mid-level donors.
• Research mid-level donors and prospects utilizing tools such as Donor Search to determine financial capacity.
• Enter donor contact and cultivation information into donor database.
• Review daily unassigned donor giving reports for prospects.
• Create stewardship materials such as postcards, holidays letters, gifts tags and other donor-facing marketing materials.
• Work with members of the Development team to coordinate events that advance donor involvement, cultivation and stewardship.
• Attend monthly fundraising meeting and work closely with Major fundraising directors.
• Participate in all other duties and activities as requested or assigned.

Essential Qualifications

• Must embrace, support and reflect well on The Salvation Army’s mission and values through one’s professional responsibilities and behavior at all times.
• Bachelor’s degree or comparable experience, plus a minimum of 3-5 years of experience in a non-profit fundraising role with a proven track record of success.
• Exceptional interpersonal, conversational and presentation skills, demonstrating emotional intelligence, situational awareness, excellent writing abilities and strong case development and pitching skills.
• 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.
• The selected individual should enjoy problem solving, think strategically and creatively, and take initiative with good follow through.
• A high level of comfort with direct donor interaction is a must, including discussions of personal and family finances and asking for major financial commitments.Team player, able to check ego at the door, with an ability to collaborate effectively with officers, staff and volunteers for successful achievement of position and department goals.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly. Valid Driver’s License required.
• Able to work independently in a fast-paced environment without extensive admin support. Must be highly organized and able to effectively manage multiple projects and competing priorities with professionalism and grace. Must keep good documentation through contact reports and activity tracking, using The Salvation Army protocols and CRM.
• Demonstrated goal-oriented, with a drive to achieve agreed upon goals within agreed upon timeframes.
• Performs other related duties as assigned by Donor Services Director or Divisional Director of Development.

Working Conditions

Ability to walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis. Ability to grasp, push, pull objects such as files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead. Ability to operate computer, fax and telephone. Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.

Mental Demand

• Work under stressful conditions.
• Interact with others with courtesy and tact.
• Manage and prioritize multiple projects in an organized and efficient manner to meet tight deadlines.
• Complete projects on schedule.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Maintain regular and punctual work attendance.

Physical Demands

The position requires sitting; climbing and/or balancing; stooping, kneeling, bending, stretching, crouching and/or crawling; standing; walking; manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination; use of vision; driving a vehicle; pushing/pulling/lifting/carrying 25 pounds; traveling by airplane; both outdoor and indoor navigation of settings.

Communication Demands

The position requires: professionally communicating verbally with co-workers, other departments and program staff, clients, vendors, donors, volunteers, board members, philanthropic decision-makers, and officers; written communication; talking on the telephone; responding to written or verbal requests; training/giving verbal and written instructions; receiving verbal and written instructions; writing/composing written language; reading; visiting/working at other worksites and non-worksite locations; communication via the latest technologies.

Equipment Needs

General office experience with a working knowledge of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Working knowledge of integrated database applications and ability to use new software with basic training, including donor data base, wealth engine & others.

Skills, Knowledge, & Abilities

• Valid driver’s license required.
• Travel as necessary.
• Computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office tools and familiarity with donor management software and email applications.
• Professional and positive. Excellent people skills.
• Able to multi-task and set reasonable priorities.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Good organizational skills.
• Ability to follow instructions and offer constructive suggestions for improvement.
• Good judgment and common sense.
• Must demonstrate high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Must be able to handle confidential material and maintain department confidentiality. Understands and embraces the mission of The Salvation Army.