Leadership Giving Manager

Wilderness Inquiry; BLOOMINGTON (MN); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Wilderness Inquiry seeks a Leadership Giving Manager in Bloomington, MN to cultivate a 300+ donor portfolio and design a multi-channel giving program. You will use personalized emails, video, calls, and in-person conversations to thank donors, share impact, and invite greater support.

The role emphasizes donor retention, upgrades, and coordination of the comprehensive campaign, with CRM, proposal materials, and events support to grow the major gifts pipeline.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of professional fundraising, development, or donor relations.
• Proficient in fundraising databases (CRM) and data-driven donor segmentation.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication abilities.
• Experience managing portfolios and coordinating donor outreach at scale.
• Commitment to ethical standards and donor privacy.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio management for 300+ mid-level donors and prospects with targeted outreach.
• Develop and quantify multi-channel donor engagement to drive upgrades.
• Coordinate campaign materials, reports, and major gift transitions.
• Maintain CRM records, reports, and donor communications with the team.
• Support events and communications for campaign activities and governance bodies.

Skills

CRM experience

Donor relations

Communication skills

Data segmentation

Project management

Ethical standards

Tools

Neon One

Raiser's Edge

Salesforce

Bloomerang

Job description

Wilderness Inquiry’s mission is to connect people of all ages, backgrounds, identities, and abilities through shared outdoor adventures so that all people can equitably experience the benefits of time spent in nature.

At Wilderness Inquiry, we believe that everyone belongs. We work to ensure this belief holds true in our workplace, in our community, and in the outdoors. We pursue this belief through our mission and shared values of paddling together, nurturing inclusion, seeking the exceptional, and finding a way.

Position Summary & Dimensions

As the Leadership Giving Manager, you will build deep, long‑term relationships with the people who power Wilderness Inquiry’s mission. This role designs and runs a giving program for donors who give between $500 and $5,000 each year, managing a portfolio of 300+ donors and prospects. You’ll use a mix of personalized emails, calls, video, and in‑person conversations to thank donors, share the impact of their gifts, invite increased support, and identify those ready for larger, campaign‑level commitments.

As the bridge between broad annual appeals and highly individualized major gifts, you’ll focus on donor retention, upgrades, and qualification for the major gifts pipeline. You will also help coordinate and administer Wilderness Inquiry’s comprehensive campaign and its volunteer campaign committee, ensuring staff and volunteers have the information, materials, and follow‑up support they need to successfully engage donors.

Dimensions

Working Title: Gift Officer
Position Classification: Manager
Employment Conditions: Exempt
Department/Section: Development
Classification Range: $70,000 – $80,000/year
Reports To: Senior Manager of Development
Supervisory Responsibilities: NA

Essential Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibility 1: Portfolio Management & Cultivation (50% FTE)

Tasks

• Manage a dynamic, segmented portfolio of 300+ mid-level donors and prospects.
• Develop and execute multi-channel outreach strategies (highly tailored emails, personalized videos, phone calls, and direct mail with personal touches) to build meaningful donor relationships at scale.
• Actively conduct targeted face-to-face, virtual, or phone call discovery meetings to uncover donor intent, affinity, and capacity.
• Implement timely, creative cultivation and stewardship touchpoints to report back on the specific impact of donor investments.

Responsibility 2: Pipeline Development & Qualification (25%)

Tasks

• In partnership with Senior Manager of Development, analyze donor giving data and wealth-screening information to identify annual fund donors ready to be moved into the mid-level tier.
• Systematically qualify mid-level donors for major gift and campaign gift capacity, partnering with the Senior Manager of Development and Development Director to smoothly transition 10–20 upgraded donors into major gift portfolios annually.
• Prepare materials for quarterly portfolio evaluations, with recommendations for moves between annual fund, mid-level, and major donor portfolios.
• Collaborate with the annual giving team to ensure mid-level messaging is distinct from, yet complementary to, broad direct response campaigns.

Responsibility 3: Comprehensive Campaign & Committee Administration (25% FTE)

Tasks

• Maintain accurate and detailed records in the CRM database, including timely input of contact reports, updated donor stages, and active proposal tracking.
• Draft campaign proposals and customized briefing materials for Campaign CREW and Board members.
• Manage follow up from CREW meetings ensuring CREW members, Executive Director and Development Director have resources and materials needed for next steps.
• Coordinate with the Senior Manager of Development and team to develop highly personalized donor communications including impact reports, quarterly campaign updates, donor newsletter, etc.
• Partner with the Development team, campaign committee and Board members to coordinate campaign events (house parties, launch event/50th Anniversary celebration) including follow up actions.
• Support the Executive Director and Development Director in managing their campaign prospect work by conducting donor research, preparing materials, drafting proposals, etc.

Responsibility 4: Embrace Values, Community Agreements and Other Roles/Responsibilities as Assigned

Tasks

• Actively engage in other duties as assigned, including mission-oriented activities, programs, and core audience engagements.
• Support organizational special events including Seasonal Staff Training (May & September), Great River Race, Opportunity Fund, Quarterly Board Meetings, and other in office gatherings.
• Perform all job responsibilities in a manner that centers Wilderness Inquiry values and supports a healthy, safe, and productive work environment for all employees by adhering to Workplace Community Agreements .

Please note: These are not intended to encompass all roles and responsibilities of this position; other duties may be assigned at the discretion of the supervisor.

Qualifications and Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Professional Experience: 2 to 4 years of direct experience in professional fundraising, development, or donor relations. (Equivalencies in highly relational, data-heavy fields like corporate sales, account management, or customer success are acceptable).
• Database Literacy (CRM): Proven experience navigating, pulling lists, and tracking donor interactions within a fundraising database or CRM (e.g., Neon One, Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, Bloomerang).
• Frontline Communication Skills: Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to speak passionately and articulately about a mission to donors over the phone, via video, and in person.
• Data Competency: Strong comfort with data segmentation, Excel, and running baseline reports to track portfolio trends such as retention and upgrade rates.
• Project Management Capacity: Demonstrated ability to manage a portfolio of hundreds of records concurrently, maintaining 100% follow-through on all tasks and deadlines.
• Ethical Standard: Full commitment to and compliance with the AFP Code of Ethical Standards, particularly regarding donor privacy.
• Ability to pass a background check.

Desired Qualifications and Characteristics:

• Passion for Wilderness Inquiry’s inclusive mission, outdoor adventure, and connecting people to the benefits of nature
• A self-starter who takes initiative
• Collaborative and team-oriented
• Willingness to listen, learn, and continuously improve
• Flexible, persistent, and attentive to detail
• Enjoys variety and is open to learning new roles
• Excitement for deepening connections with supporters of Wilderness Inquiry’s mission

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to use a telephone and computer.
• Must possess a legal driver’s license and ability to drive a car.
• Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This is a hybrid position that reports to Wilderness Inquiry’s Headquarters in Bloomington, MN. Individuals can expect 2-3 days in-person each week, with opportunities for remote work when responsibilities allow. Some events and other work may take place in the evening and/or on weekends.

Wilderness Inquiry is a Minnesota-based equal opportunity employer and follows all applicable state and federal employment laws. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, gender identity, and sexual orientation), marital status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, age, familial status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, or protected veteran status. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.