Annual Giving Specialist (Foundation for Physical Therapy Research)

Brief Description: This position will be responsible for designing and leading annual giving efforts and fostering relationships with annual and mid-level donors.

Title: Annual Giving Specialist

Department: Foundation for Physical Therapy Research

FLSA Status: Full-time, Exempt

Location: This position is located onsite at the APTA headquarters in Alexandria, VA.

About the Foundation

The Foundation for Physical Therapy Research is the only national nonprofit solely dedicated to funding physical therapy research and promising researchers through grants, scholarships, and fellowships. Through these investments, researchers go on to yield exceptional research that helps us learn more about the efficacy of physical therapy practices, pioneer breakthrough treatments, and build the evidence-base to define the value of physical therapy among payers, other health care professions, and patients.

The Foundation is an affiliate of the American Physical Therapy Association. Foundation staff are employed by APTA and receive the same employee benefits and adhere to APTA policies and procedures.

About APTA

Do you want to contribute to an organization dedicated to improving societal health? Would you like to collaborate with colleagues who are passionate about making a difference? Are you excited to work in a new state-of-the-art building designed to encourage movement, participation, and employee health?

Then you want to work for APTA!

APTA is the trusted leader for the physical therapy profession, representing more than 100,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and physical therapy students. Our approximately 150 employees support the association’s mission to build a community that advances the profession of physical therapy to improve the health of society.

Located in Alexandria, Virginia, APTA has outstanding employee benefits, including flexible work schedules, generous retirement contributions, and travel subsidies for employees who choose public and active transportation.

Summary

Join us in advancing the future of physical therapy research by leading annual giving and donor engagement at the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research. Reporting to the Manager, Development, the Specialist plays a pivotal role in cultivating a broad base of support through strategic campaigns, stewardship, recognition programs, and donor appreciation events. The Specialist also serves as the lead staff for the Foundation’s annual student-led fundraising initiative, a nationally recognized grassroots campaign.

This position offers the opportunity to work closely with senior leadership, the Communications team, and the Data Specialist to drive donor acquisition, retention, and growth. The ideal candidate is highly organized, passionate about building relationships, and adept at using data and insights to guide strategy and deepen donor engagement. This is a visible role with significant opportunity to shape the Foundation’s annual giving program and strengthen its impact on the physical therapy profession.

Essential Functions

Annual Giving & Donor Engagement

• Lead multi-channel annual giving campaigns (email, direct mail, digital, phone) that inspire donors to participate.
• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects with varying capacity to give up to $5,000 annually.
• Use segmentation, screening data, and CRM insights to tailor communications and deepen engagement with key audiences, including funded researchers.
• Partner with Communications to develop compelling appeals, donor recognition materials, and stewardship content that highlight impact.
• Track and evaluate annual giving campaign results, using data insights to inform future strategies.
• Co-lead digital fundraising campaigns, developing content and strategy for initiatives including Giving Tuesday, year-end appeals, lapsed donor outreach, social media-driven efforts, and e-news communications.

Student & Young Donor Engagement

• Drive engagement strategies for PT and PTA students and recent graduates, with a focus on the nationally recognized Marquette Challenge.
• Collaborate with Communications to create dynamic content for student-facing platforms (email, social media, and digital toolkits).
• Share the impact of Foundation-funded initiatives and present meaningful ways for faculty and students to connect with and support the student-led grassroots campaign.
• Partner with association staff to align campaigns with student member interests and ensure messaging resonates with student audiences.
• Lead meetings with faculty advisors and student coordinators, providing guidance, updates, and relationship building support.
• Support and empower volunteer fundraisers, including student coordinators, to achieve campaign success

Events & Sponsorship

• Lead donor recognition and stewardship events at conferences and other venues, ensuring donors feel celebrated and valued.
• Collaborate with the Development & Operations Associate on venue research and logistical coordination.
• Manage stewardship of corporate donors and event sponsorships (up to $5,000): develop tailored proposals, ensure fulfillment of sponsorship benefits, and coordinate recognition.
• Coordinate workplace giving, member giving opportunities, conference initiatives, and matching gift programs.
• Ensure recognition events highlight donor impact, strengthen relationships, and reinforce the Foundation’s mission.

Staff Expectations

• Upholds and fosters team values
• Complies with all APTA policies and procedures
• Performs other duties as assigned to foster the achievement of association priorities

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, advanced training or certification in fundraising a plus
• 3-5 years of professional fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in annual giving programs
• Proven ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, with exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, take initiative, and work effectively both independently and collaboratively within a team
• Proficiency with donor databases (Raiser’s Edge preferred) and comfort with data management/reporting
• Excellent written communication skills, including writing, editing, and proofreading for donor-facing materials
• Ability to leverage AI tools responsibly to streamline donor communications, analyze giving trends, and enhance overall fundraising efficiency, while ensuring accuracy and consistency with our brand voice.

Travel Requirements

0 - 10% - local, National

How To Apply

Please send resume and cover letter, including salary requirements, when applying.

Principals only; no agencies; no phone calls, please. Candidates selected to participate in an interview will be contacted by Human Resources.

The American Physical Therapy Association is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or military status or any other characteristic protected by law.

APTA participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. For more information, please visit e-verify.uscis.gov.

APTA is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and invites and welcomes applicants with diversity of experience, mindset, and skills to add value to APTA and our staff community.

Located in Alexandria, Virginia, APTA has outstanding employee benefits, including flexible work schedules, generous retirement contributions, and travel subsidies for employees who choose public and active transportation.