Midlevel Gifts Manager, Development

Vera-Institute-of-Justic; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 113,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Education benefits

Employer-funded retirement plan

Merit pay

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Vera Institute of Justice is seeking a Mid-Level Gifts Manager in Brooklyn, NY, to cultivate and steward a portfolio of mid-level donors. The role involves targeted engagement strategies, direct donor outreach, and partnership with the Major Gifts team to advance philanthropic support for Vera’s mission.

Responsibilities include preparing proposals and stewardship reports, coordinating events, and maintaining accurate donor records in the CRM.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 6+ years of relevant experience.
• 3+ years of fundraising or relevant relationship-management experience.
• Experience in advocacy, policy, research, or social-justice organizations.
• Strong communication, writing, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated success managing donor relationships or closing gifts.
• Comfort using CRM systems and performance metrics (Raiser’s Edge preferred).

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 200 mid-level donors and prospects.
• Develop and implement individualized strategies to retain and deepen donor relationships.
• Conduct substantive donor outreach, including phone calls, virtual meetings, and in-person visits.
• Coordinate closely with the Major Gifts team to identify and transition qualified prospects.
• Prepare briefing materials, proposals, and stewardship reports as needed.
• Staff donor cultivation and stewardship events as required by the engagement calendar of the Development Department.

Skills

Donor relations

CRM systems

Communication skills

Writing

Relationship management

Data-driven fundraising

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

Job description

The Mid-Level Gifts Manager is responsible for the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a portfolio of individual donors, helping to grow and sustain philanthropic support for Vera’s mission. This role manages a defined group of mid-level donors, implements targeted engagement strategies, and identifies supporters with the capacity and interest for deeper investment in Vera’s work. This is a frontline fundraising role with direct revenue responsibility and no staff management.

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 200 mid-level donors and prospects.
• Develop and implement individualized strategies to retain and deepen donor relationships.
• Conduct substantive donor outreach, including phone calls, virtual meetings, and in-person visits.
• Coordinate closely with the Major Gifts team to identify and transition qualified prospects.
• Prepare briefing materials, proposals, and stewardship reports as needed.
• Staff donor cultivation and stewardship events as required by the engagement calendar of the Development Department.

2. Communications

• Execute targeted mid-level campaigns, stewardship touchpoints, and cultivation opportunities.
• Partner with the Associate Director of Digital Fundraising and the Communications teams on segmented donor messaging.
• Oversee the entire Annual Report process, including collaborating with the Development and Communications teams to facilitate the strategic direction, writing, and design.

3. Data Management

• Maintain accurate donor records and activity tracking in the CRM.

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required

• Bachelors degree and 6+ years of relevant experience. In lieu of degree requirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered.
• 3+ years of fundraising or relevant relationship-management experience.

Preferred

• Experience in advocacy, policy, research, or social-justice organizations.
• Strong communication, writing, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated success managing donor relationships or closing gifts.
• Comfort using CRM systems and performance metrics (Raiser’s Edge preferred).
• Proven ability to build deep and lasting relationships with a variety of partners – both internal and external.

Location

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in‑office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits

The compensation range for this position is $113,000-115,000. In addition, this position is part of a bargaining unit represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) UAW 2325. Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institute’s total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field, supporting Vera staff—both personally and professionally—is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well‑being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer‑funded retirement plan, and flexible time.

Vera is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.