Donor Relations Manager

The Center for Biological Diversity; Tucson (AZ); Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Center for Biological Diversity in Tucson, AZ is seeking a Donor Relations Manager to lead a small team and drive leadership-circle fundraising efforts. You will oversee multi-channel campaigns, steward major donors, and manage portfolios while aligning with the organization’s mission.

Responsibilities include strategic planning, event coordination, and rapid-response communications. The role requires strong communication, project management, and data analysis skills in a hybrid work setting.

Qualifications

• Five to seven years of successful fundraising experience.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills.
• Extensive experience with donor relationship management databases.
• Excellent supervisory skills and experience managing 2–3 staff.
• Analytical with strong attention to detail.
• Strong project management skills.
• Experience with rapid response campaigns and events.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel for data analysis.
• High energy, self-motivated, and mission-driven.

Responsibilities

• Plan and oversee fundraising campaigns, appeals and reports.
• Provide year-round stewardship of Leadership Circle donors.
• Manage donor relations staff and portfolio management.
• Ensure timely donor communications via email, mail, calls.
• Cultivate Leadership Circle donors and optimize relations.
• Review data with attention to strategy and donor preferences.
• Plan and support donor events and webinars; post-event follow-up.
• Respond rapidly to breaking news or reporting requests.
• Stay informed on environmental trends and donor stewardship best practices.
• Assist with other projects as assigned.

Skills

Fundraising experience

Verbal communication

Written communication

Staff supervision

Attention to detail

Project management

Rapid response

Teamwork

Quick learner

Interpersonal skills

Mission alignment

Quality control

Tools

Donor CRM

Excel

Job description

Reports to: Membership Director

Direct Reports to this position: Development Associates

Salary Range: $76,000 - $85,000

Location:Tucson, AZ

Is this position in the Bargaining Unit?[] Yes[ X ] No

About the Center

The Center for Biological Diversity, a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, believes the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature — to the existence of a vast diversity of wild animals, plants and people. Because diversity has intrinsic value, and because its loss impoverishes society, we work to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction. We do so through science, law, activism and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters and climate that humans, other species and all communities need to survive and thrive.

We want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive.

Position Summary

This position provides a unique opportunity for an experienced development professional to join a successful fundraising team in a supervisory role, support growth of the mid and major donor journey, while advancing the Center for Biological Diversity’s mission to protect imperiled wildlife and wild places.

The Donor Relations Manager provides ongoing management of timely donor interactions, communications, campaigns and stewardship of the Center’s Leadership Circle (donors who individually contribute $1,000 or more annually.) This donor cohort is crucial to the vitality of the Center’s fundraising efforts, providing 80% of philanthropic revenues from 4% of the membership base.

The Donor Relations Manager manages a small team of Donor Relations Associates and supervises and serves as the project manager for seasonal as well as ad hoc multichannel fundraising campaigns primarily to our Leadership Circle – leading their team to successfully raise increased funds largely through email as well as direct mail campaigns, phone, Zoom and some face-to-face outreach. The Donor Relations Manager also cultivates and stewards their own portfolio of Leadership Circle donors, guides the associates to optimize relationships and philanthropic revenues via their own portfolio management, and provides strong year-round project management oversight for implementation of donor stewardship plans for Leadership Circle members, all mission critical activities.

This position manages and oversees the execution of a robust calendar of communications, including regular stewardship as well as issue-specific reports and the production of in-person and virtual events both calendared as well as opportunities that arise.

The Donor Relations Manager will report to the Membership Director. This position will regularly communicate with members of the development program’s senior leaders, conservation program staff, communications, finance and IT team as needed.

There are seasonal periods of increased intensity in this role’s work tied to spring, fourth quarter through year-end into the new year, along with frequent ad hoc fundraising campaigns as needed.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Plan, oversee and support the production and execution of multiple fundraising campaigns, appeals and reports designed to increase philanthropic support from our base of Leadership Circle members.
• Provide year-round stewardship of Leadership Circle members to ensure fundraising goals are met and exceeded. Develop and implement stewardship plans designed to increase retention and engagement for key donors.
• Manage donor relations staff to ensure timely, high quality, effective and increased donor communications, stewardship and fundraising activities.
• Ensure Leadership Circle members’ inbound communications via email, handwritten notes, and phone calls are addressed promptly and with a high level of care and attention.
• Cultivate a portfolio of Leadership Circle donors. Support donor relations staff’s work to successfully manage their own portfolios.
• Review data with a high attention to detail and careful decision making that will ensure donors are communicated with according to pre-set strategies and according to their preferences.
• Plan, coordinate and support implementation of donor events and webinars and support post-event follow-up communications.
• Move nimbly to implement rapid communications in response to breaking news, or in response to requests for reports or other information.
• Stay on top of trends in both the environmental movement as well as in best practices for donor stewardship.
• Assist with other projects as assigned.

Essential Qualifications and Skills

• Five to seven years of proven successful fundraising experience, demonstrated interest in caring for donors.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills.
• Extensive experience with donor relationship management databases or similar.
• Excellent supervisory skills and experience managing a staff of 2-3 people, as well as demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills.
• A proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Analytical with an exceptional ability to pay attention to detail, great organizational skills, and high-level accuracy in completing complex tasks.
• Strong abilities working with data in Microsoft Excel.
• Highly motivated and self-confident character, with solid work ethic as well as a strong drive to move projects forward quickly and follow through with staff regarding their completion.
• The ability to learn and complete tasks quickly.
• Experience working in a rapid response environment that can require quick, thoughtful decision making and evolution of campaign planning
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to organize time, manage diverse activities and personal interactions, and meet short-term and long-term deadlines.
• Deep familiarity with implementing quality control processes and procedures
• High energy level and excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong affinity for the Center for Biological Diversity’s mission.

Working Conditions

Seasonal increase in workload and potential increase in hours, particularly from April-May and fourth quarter-January. Working with standard office equipment, such as a computer, printer, copier and scanner, as well as job-specific equipment. This is a hybrid position with some time required in the office. Working remotely is allowed, but the space must be conducive to keeping member information confidential, making calls and responding to emails in a timely fashion, and maintaining a productivity level equal to in-office hours.

Physical Requirements

The ideal candidate must be able to complete all physical requirements of this job with or without a reasonable accommodation. This is not a complete description of all workplace conditions, and conditions are subject to change per the Organization’s discretion.