Membership Engagement Manager

Capitol Land Trust is seeking a Membership Engagement Manager to lead and manage our annual giving, member relations and fundraising program.

The Membership Engagement Manager will be responsible for driving the strategic direction and implementing expansion of our annual giving program. The Membership Engagement Manager will build broad support for our mission within the community by increasing the public’s exposure to our unique natural environment, by connecting members to other members, our programs, and our preserves, and by fostering relationship building between our staff and board and members.

The primary role of this position is to achieve fundraising goals of the organization by fostering a culture of philanthropy with board and staff. Responsibilities include developing and implementing individual membership engagement strategies and communications, planning and delivering member events, and responding to member inquiries in a manner which deepens their engagement with our organization. They will also be responsible for raising Capitol Land Trust’s profile, supporting growth of key areas of fund development, and diversifying the pool of support for our mission. This position works closely with the Executive Director, Associate Director, Events, Communications & Outreach team, as well as program staff, Board of Directors, and community volunteers.    

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Individual Member Engagement:

• Manage annual giving and major gifts program, and support planned giving and capital campaigns; Implement strategies to retain and grow our individual donor base.
• Support the Board of Directors and staff to develop strong, mutually beneficial relationships with individual members that result in our community being more engaged with, and enjoying the benefits of, our conserved lands.
• Provide collaborative leadership and recommendations to the Executive Director and Board on all matters relating to individual giving, member engagement and donor communications to implement fundraising plan.
• Manage membership database (Little Green Light) to track contact information, donation history, event participation, outbound communication history, and other pertinent information.
• Cultivate relationships with donors and make direct solicitations.
• Lead Development Committee and all associated task teams.
• Provide fund development support and training to the Board of Directors.
• Train and lead staff members to support fundraising and communications efforts.
• Coordinate fundraising and member engagement events by utilizing the diverse strengths of other staff and volunteers.
• Plan and work with outreach team to implement property tours and social gatherings at CLT preserves designed to connect our community to our conserved lands.
• Build and implement a comprehensive donor-centered cultivation plan that supports the organization’s strategic goals and integrates with our organization-wide communication plan.

 Communications:

• Support organization-wide communications and coordinate various streams of donor centered communication related to individual membership program.
• Work with the other staff to target and engage diverse audiences.
• Create content for our monthly e-newsletter The Heron, website, Facebook page, and printed newsletter, in alignment with the organization’s Communications Plan.
• Serve as a point of contact for a wide array of stakeholders including donors, project partners, funders and others.  

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS  

• Nonprofit fundraising and communications experience, especially in relation to annual giving and major giving.
• Experience supporting and growing board engagement in fundraising.
• A strong desire to be a part of and support Capitol Land Trust’s community to achieve our goals and mission.
• Excellent communication skills, including written, graphic, verbal and listening.
• Enthusiasm and talent for story-telling and engaging diverse audiences.
• Possess a high level of emotional intelligence, confidence, and competency when working with people to collaborate and build trust.
• Comfortable working with relationship databases and Excel in order to accurately record information and create reports to track progress towards goals.
• Two to five years relevant work experience – may include community building, development, communications, environmental education, customer centered sales, project management, volunteer coordination, or administrative work.
• Demonstrated ability to strategically promote an organization to increase its profile and fundraising capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to be proactive, creative, strategic and entrepreneurial while working independently.
• Ability to work under pressure with ease and humor.
• Experience planning and prioritizing competing demands to meet tight deadlines.
• Experience planning and executing capital campaigns and events.
• Knowledge of the area and local communities.
• Commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Able to work evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Preferred experience with a variety of platforms including: WordPress, InDesign, Little Green Light and other graphics, word processing, and presentation creation/editing applications. 

About Capitol Land Trust:

Capitol Land Trust, established in 1987, conserves natural areas and working lands in south Puget Sound and the Chehalis River basin covering four Washington counties. Our 2021-2025 Strategic Plan sets forth ambitious goals for protecting marine shorelines, rivers and their connected forests, rare prairie habitats, and working lands. It also sets forth ambitious goals to more deeply engage the communities where we work with a specific strategy to increase community connection and support through hands-on engagement with Capitol Land Trust properties and activities.