Donor Relations Director

Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate Donor Relations Director to join their dynamic team. This pivotal role involves building and nurturing relationships with major donors, focusing on strategic fundraising efforts in the Greater Cincinnati area. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in non-profit fundraising, exceptional communication skills, and a commitment to the organization's mission. With a goal of raising significant funds to support vital community programs, this position offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact. Join a collaborative environment where your contributions will help shape the future of the organization and support those in need.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in non-profit fundraising with proven success.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential.
• Experience with donor tracking and CRM software preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 125 major donors and 75+ prospects.
• Develop strategic communications plans for donor engagement.
• Lead solicitations and maintain relationships with major donors.

Skills

Fundraising

Interpersonal Skills

Communication Skills

Problem Solving

Goal Setting

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Professional Certification (CFRE)

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Organization: Salvation Army Southwest Ohio and Northeast Kentucky

Job Description

Donor Relations Director | The Salvation Army | Southwest Ohio/Northeast Kentucky

About The Salvation Army
For more than 150 years, The Salvation Army (TSA) has stood firm as a faith-based organization in its commitment to those who are facing a variety of difficulties and challenges in their lives. Wherever there is a need, you’ll find TSA. With a team of over 1.5 million members, TSA serves over 30 million Americans in the United States annually, and over 130 countries around the world.

The Southwest Ohio Northeast Kentucky
(SWONEKY) Division programs include emergency response to individuals in crisis, Emergency Disaster Response, empowering youth through summer camps and programs, supporting older adults, alleviating hunger, combatting addiction, fighting human trafficking, brightening the holidays, and overcoming poverty.

About the Position:
In FY24, The SWONEKY Division raised more than $16.5 M annually to fund programs and services. The new Donor Relations Director will be part of a 15-person team and report to the SWONEKY Divisional Director of Development. This position is also part of the Eastern Territory’s Major Gift program and is joined by other colleagues doing the same role in other locations as well as working with TSAE support and colleagues in Gift Planning, mid-level, Corporate Relations, and Grants.

The Donor Relations Director (DRD) is one of three DRD roles in the SWONEKY Division and will play an integral role in the overall success of The Salvation Army’s major gift fund development efforts. This position will focus on building major donor relationships with particular emphasis in Greater Cincinnati and regions in Ohio approximately south of interstate 70. This position inherits an established portfolio of donors and will determine the major gift strategies and communication associated with the discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts. They will have a portfolio of about 125 prospects, a pipeline of approximately 75 donors, and a goal for FY25 of $1,850,000.

The DRD will bear the primary responsibility for managing his/her major donor portfolio for fundraising and in command of a high-end portfolio of donors and prospects within this geographic area. In this role, the DRD will identify, cultivate, solicit, acknowledge, steward and upgrade major gift prospects and donors, acting as the primary contact between The Army and all major donors and seeking to engage these donors with The Salvation Army for long term partnerships and potential gift planning strategies. It is expected this position will be out in the field over 50 percent of the time and attend regular staff meetings. This position also has a full-time administrative assistant to support the work of the DRD.

Key Responsibilities:

• Establishes and creates a strategic communications plan to identify, educate, cultivate, and solicit gifts for all major donors each fiscal year.
• Manages a portfolio of 125 major donors and a pipeline of 75+ potential major donors, following the prescribed strategic communications plan that is personalized for each donor.
• Appropriately transitions donors between portfolio tiers as engagement and philanthropic goals change.
• Develops a written moves management plan for every Tier A donor on portfolio.
• Establishes and works to meet annual goals for each major donor and for the major gifts program each year and becomes familiar with the fundraising needs/priorities of DHQ and region.
• Leads in all one-to-one solicitations, gift acknowledgement and stewardship communication of major donors, traveling and meeting with donors, as necessary.
• Works in close conjunction with other fund development officers, ensuring collaboration between direct mail, foundation, corporate, and gift planning efforts.
• Works in close collaboration with local corps officers, program directors and fund-raising staff, representing local Army resource development needs based on the residence of prospective donors.
• Helps shape overall policies and strategies to continually increase major gifts revenue and program growth.
• Provides assistance and leadership for written proposals to major donors.
• Provides support for new donors, pledge donors campaign donors, and recurring donors.
• Enter all donor interactions into Salesforce as it pertains to major donors.
• Help marry direct mail and online efforts as it pertains to major donors.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Key Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this role will have:

• A minimum of five years’ experience in a non-profit fundraising role with a proven record of success.
• Effective interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication abilities.
• Proven expertise in building and maintaining positive relationships with diverse individuals.
• Should enjoy problem solving and exude energy and initiative.
• A high level of comfort with direct donor interaction, including discussions of personal and family finances and asking for donations is a must.
• Able to work independently in a complex environment, managing multiple projects and conflicting priorities.
• Willing to travel regularly and demonstrates the ability to set and achieve goals as well as meet deadlines.
• A proficiency in Word and Excel, as well as experience with donor tracking and/or CRM database software (Salesforce) is preferred.
• Well-developed oral and written communication skills.
• Should have a desire to learn and be a collaborative team player.
• Must embrace and support The Salvation Army’s mission and have a heart for serving.
• Professional certification (CFRE) is a plus.