Temporary Associate Director of Donor Care, Animal Protection Nonprofit

WHO WE ARE

The Humane League (THL) is a global nonprofit ending the abuse of animals raised for food. THL fosters a high-energy culture of teamwork and mission-driven problem solving, and we have earned recognition as Top Charity from Animal Charity Evaluators for all of their rating periods. Over the past few years, we’ve grown to a staff of 100+ talented individuals dispersed across the country and around the world. At THL, how animals are treated in the food system is at the forefront of our everyday work. As such, many of our staff are vegan by personal choice, and all of our THL-hosted events offer fully vegan menus. We welcome all mission-aligned candidates to apply, no matter where you are in your journey to end the abuse of animals raised for food.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

As the Temporary Associate Director of Donor Care, you will play a pivotal role within the Development team, spearheading the stewardship of our generous donors—with a focus on supporting our giving societies—and ensuring that the structure and systems are in place for the Advancement & Donor Relations teams to thrive in their fundraising efforts for The Humane League. You will lead a dynamic team dedicated to nurturing our donors and ensuring their experiences with THL are nothing short of exceptional, and you will be overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Donor Care team, guiding strategic initiatives to enhance our giving societies, and collaborating closely with the Events and Engagement Lead to orchestrate impactful stewardship events. This position reports directly to the Associate Vice President of Donor Relations.

This is a temporary, full-time, remote position. The temporary hire will provide coverage while a permanent staff member is on maternity leave, and overlap will be provided for training and onboarding. Employment is expected to be approximately eight months in duration, beginning on October 7, 2024. The duration of employment may be extended or shortened at The Humane League’s discretion. This position requires occasional domestic travel, this is equivalent to approximately 2-4 trips per year, some of which may be attended remotely, if preferred.

We are only able to consider applicants who reside in the United States and possess United States work authorization.

This position is open until filled with preference given to candidates who apply by August 28, 2024. If you are experiencing technical issues, please contact careers@thehumaneleague.org prior to the deadline. Please submit applications and all supporting documents in English. All application questions and materials need to be submitted here through the application submission, we do not accept applications through our careers email.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Management & Strategic Oversight

• Lead and empower a team of up to six Donor Care staff, with no more than four direct reports, who are focused on donor stewardship and Development operations. Foster a culture of collaboration and inclusion while encouraging professional development through mentorship and support. 
• Collaborate with the Associate Vice President of Donor Relations and Events & Engagement Lead to identify and develop strategic priorities and projects that enhance THL’s giving societies (Mended Heart Society, Legacy Society, and The Heart Beat).
• Direct the day-to-day Development operations to ensure that THL’s donors and fundraising partners have a positive experience with THL and are accommodated and acknowledged in an appropriate and timely fashion.
• Support and advise the Events & Engagement Lead with all stewardship and fundraising events for donors.
• Work with the Donor Relations Specialist to identify and develop strategic priorities and projects that enhance The Heart Beat monthly giving program and the Impact Squad peer-to-peer fundraising program.
• Effectively manage all budgetary items related to donor stewardship to ensure optimal allocation of resources in support of organizational goals and priorities.

Donor Stewardship & Engagement

• Direct the development of donor communications and engagement opportunities in collaboration with the Events & Engagement Lead, leadership, and other staff, including but not limited to impact reports, donation acknowledgement letters, stewardship events, donor surveys, and touch-points.
• Ensure that all donor inquiries are responded to and explored in a timely and professional manner, including inquiries to Development-managed email accounts and any inquiries that fall outside of the scope of individual giving, such as third-party giving, workplace giving, commercial co-ventures, and corporate giving.
• Manage giving society benefits for the Mended Heart Society, Legacy Society, and The Heart Beat, and ensure that all benefits are administered regularly.
• Work with the Director of Annual Giving and Communications team to advise on all mass non-fundraising communications to giving society members.

Development Operations

• Collaborate closely with the Development Operations Specialist and IT team to ensure donor data integrity and efficient systems for data hygiene, coding, data entry, gift processing, and relationship management are maintained, including correcting any errors or concerns with our caging company.
• Work with the Associate Vice President of Donor Relations and Development Coordinator to ensure that all third-party donation platforms maintain current information and branding, distribute donations to THL on time, and ensure that the submission of any required documentation that may be requested by these platforms is fulfilled.
• Work with the Development Coordinator to conduct donor research to identify prospects for recommended assignment to a mid-level or major gift portfolio or for legacy gift prospecting.
• Work with the Development Operations Specialist to develop and support reporting and analytic needs for the Development team.
• Collaborate with the Development Coordinator to ensure the precise management of grant agreement and fundraising contract deliverables. 
• Overseeing vendor relationships involved in executing Development operations and donor stewardship projects, such as fundraising events, mailings, and donation processing. This entails liaising with external partners and vendors, and ensuring adherence to terms and deadlines, thereby optimizing the efficiency and effectiveness of our fundraising initiatives.
• Stay current with THL’s Customer Relationship Management software to ensure timely documentation and leverage new technological features to improve donor experience.
• Develop and update Standard Operating Procedure documents for the Development team.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Minimum of 5 years of directly applicable professional experience, preferably in donor stewardship. Experience planning and executing intimate fundraising events, especially house parties. Experience with the operational functions of a Development Team, including donation processing and donor data management. 
• Demonstrated experience in managing staff and leading a team, fostering a culture of collaboration, mentorship, and professional development.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and develop initiatives that align with organizational goals. Capable of identifying opportunities and implementing strategic priorities to enhance donor stewardship and fundraising efforts.
• Proven ability to identify challenges and overcome obstacles to achieve goals effectively. Capable of implementing creative solutions to address complex issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Ability to analyze donor data and oversee analytic needs for the Development team to inform strategic decision-making. Experience with CRM software (such as EveryAction) and proficiency in interpreting data insights to optimize donor engagement strategies.
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to articulate ideas persuasively in presentations, reports, and donor communications. Proficient in crafting compelling narratives to engage donors effectively.
• Effective organizational skills with a high level of attention to detail and confidentiality. Experience in project management, including project management software (such as Asana), and establishing project scope, timelines, and execution. Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize and reprioritize effectively, and be flexible in adjusting expectations as new developments occur.
• Self-starter with a proactive mindset, capable of taking initiative, working autonomously, and following through to execute project ideas. Willingness to drive innovation and implement initiatives to enhance donor stewardship efforts.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with a high level of emotional intelligence, empathy, and diplomacy. Ability to build rapport with donors, colleagues, and stakeholders, fostering positive relationships and trust.
• Adaptability to thrive in a dynamic work environment, managing multiple projects simultaneously and adjusting priorities as new developments arise. Flexible approach to meet changing donor needs and organizational objectives.
• Outstanding collaborative spirit with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams. Willingness to collaborate with leadership, staff, and external partners to develop and execute coordinated strategies to enhance donor experiences.

Once your application has been reviewed, you will be notified via email with further details on the status of your application. If a candidate is moved forward, the interview process will be as follows:

• First Interview (via video call)
• Final Interview (via video call)
• Reference Check

Each stage is expected to last a week or two on average. For full details of our recruitment process please review this document.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual compensation range for this role is $88,597 - $108,285 USD. At The Humane League, we believe in maintaining a fair and equitable work environment for all employees. As part of our commitment to transparency and equity, we recently implemented a job architecture framework, which levels all of our roles according to size and complexity, as well as a compensation step system, which allows us to account for an individual's total years of related experience when determining their compensation. In addition, we have adopted a no negotiation policy for salaries. To determine a job's level, we carefully consider a variety of factors, including a job's size and complexity, required experience, knowledge, and/or skills, internal comparability, and market data. To determine final compensation, experience will be measured by considering prior work in jobs or activities that are related to the role at THL. Candidates whose experience places them at step 5 or above of their job level within our compensation structure will be awarded a senior designation. These new practices are aligned with our organizational values and will help us ensure we maintain clear, consistent, transparent, and equitable HR processes.

Employees enjoy full medical coverage, optional dental and vision packages, a 401(k) retirement plan, pet care & Rx discount plans, working from home, up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees, paid holidays, flexible vacation time, professional development, and the supportive environment at The Humane League!

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Humane League is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Women, people of color, people with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with laws and in furtherance of our commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

Accommodations

The Humane League is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. We trust individuals to self-identify and ask for the accommodations they need. An example of an accommodation might be extra time to complete a work simulation exercise, among many others. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please complete this form to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

AI Policy

We value original work and thought in the application process; with that being said, please refrain from using artificial intelligence to generate your responses. By submitting this application you agree to comply with this. Violations of this policy may result in being dismissed from the hiring process. If you need a reasonable accommodation to this policy, please see above for more information.