Donor Relations Manager

About the Role – Donor Relations Manager 

Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations, the Donor Relations Manager plays a key role in developing and implementing research, relationship-building, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for a growing individual donor program for both Groundswell’s 501c3 and 501c4. This position will also directly oversee a portfolio of mid-level donors and collaborate with the Communications team to acquire and steward grassroots donors. This role will help support the long-term sustainable growth of Groundswell and will have a deep personal and professional connection with our core values.  

The ideal candidate has a positive, “can-do” attitude and the ability to work collaboratively with all staff and external partners and stakeholders in a diverse and fast-paced remote environment; is self-motivated and highly organized, with exceptional attention to accuracy; is flexible and can manage multiple deadlines simultaneously; and exercises good judgment in handling confidential donor information. The candidate will demonstrate their ability to write persuasively and have excellent interpersonal communication skills to engage a wide range of donors. 

Your responsibilities will include:

Individual Donor Fundraising & Donor Relations

• In thought partnership with the Director of Donor Relations, design and implement an engagement plan for mid-level donors and collaborate with the Communications Team to implement a plan specific to grassroots and online donors. 
• Spearhead the growth of mid-level and grassroots donor portfolios, including working with leadership and key staff to funnel prospects into the solicitation pipeline.
• Prepare solicitation asks for both new and renewal donors, and perform solicitations (via email, mail, or phone, as preferred by prospect/donor).
• Produce appeals, updates, memos, reports/proposals, and other correspondence for individual donors and donor advisors in alignment with organizational messaging and brand guidelines.
• Support the Advancement team with in-person meetings and events as assigned, always working to steward and cultivate key relationships.

Program Planning & Management 

• Manage solicitation and stewardship of mid-level donors by the frontline fundraisers, including by developing research and briefing materials and overseeing scheduling.
• Develop a data-driven understanding of current donors and prospects to identify opportunities for growth, enhancement of the program, income diversification, and reporting for board and leadership.
• Work with the Director of Donor Relations to develop annual individual giving program goals and operational plans.

Who You Are:

• A Convener. You recognize that a well-prepared and supported community can achieve far more than a single, highly talented individual. You can bring together sector leaders and facilitate conversations to identify ways to attract resources to our cause.
• A Relationship-Builder. You thrive on meeting new people and like to foster relationships. You like learning what motivates people, what inspires their giving, and what makes them feel appreciated.
• An Exceptional Communicator. You have excellent oral and written communication skills. You can craft high-quality proposals and presentations and explain complex concepts in a clear manner, combining intellect and intuition.
• Highly Ethical. You will be asked to make sensitive and critical judgment calls, and as such, you are known for your integrity; you take that reputation seriously. You always choose to make the right decision versus the easy decision. You know what information is sensitive, and you will protect it accordingly. 
• An Abundant Thinker. You believe that we are living in a world of abundant resources and that the right team of partners can make incredible things happen. You bring relentless curiosity and creativity to every task, project, and engagement.
• Committed to Inclusion. You're always asking, "whose voice is not at the table?" You have experience working with diverse teams and successfully navigating cross-cultural communication in both local and global.
• Equity-Driven. You have experience centering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in organizational practices. You bring sensitivity to issues of privilege, class, and race and are dedicated to incorporating principles of social justice into decision-making and strategic initiatives.

What You'll Need:

• At least 5 years of related and progressively responsible experience in fundraising and development.
• Knowledge and experience with annual giving, special events, major donor programs, and planned gifts.
• Demonstrated understanding of the importance of relationship-based connections with supporters.
• Impeccable judgment and discretion in dealing with sensitive and confidential information.
• Ability to work gracefully under pressure and handle competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Very generous benefits include fully paid-for employee and family health, dental, vision, and a matching 401K plan, as well as additional employer-provided reimbursements for fertility expenses, gender-affirming health care costs, and midwifery/doula expenses that are not covered by insurance. 
• Three weeks of vacation upon hire and a generous holiday schedule, including a week during the summer and the last two weeks of December off. 

When you apply, we kindly ask you to remove your schools from your resume. There is no need to reformat your resume and leave your degree as is; simplify it to "B.A. Economics," for example. Just remember to remove any references to undergraduate and graduate school names where possible. This "bias-reduced" process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments instead of resume proxies (e.g., where you went to school).