Development Manager

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY: 

This is an exciting time for a fundraising professional to join HistoryLink as we are celebrating the 25th anniversary. As the premier destination for exploring the vibrant tapestry of Seattle and Washington State's history, HistoryLink stands as the pioneering force behind the first and largest online encyclopedia dedicated to regional history. With over 8,200 original articles and an average of 4,500 daily visitors, including esteemed educators, inquisitive students, intrepid journalists, and devoted history aficionados, the impact of your work resonates far and wide. Join us on this exhilarating journey where your contributions can help to shape the narrative of tomorrow by exploring and honoring the past.

At HistoryLink, we passionately believe that history belongs to everyone, igniting a fervent dedication to enriching public discourse and individual lives through a deeper understanding of our shared past.  https://www.historylink.org/ 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The Development Manager will lead and manage all aspects of contributed income at HistoryLink. This includes the strategy, planning, execution, and all lead aspects of individual giving campaigns, major gift coordination, fundraising and project launch events, and grants (corporate, foundation, government). This role is ideal for an innovative thinker, who is proactive and can work as part of a team as well as independently. This position has the opportunity to create and build a fundraising program that leverages the 25 years of relationships, impact and reputation of an established non-profit that has untapped potential for someone who really wants to make a big difference.  The organization is ripe with committed donors, an active and diverse board, and an Executive Director ready to take the organization to the next level.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Fundraising Strategy and Process Management: 

• Contribute to the overall financial success of the organization, including the annual income and budgeting, department goal setting in line with the daily operations, and measuring funding key performance indicators. 
• Collaborate with the Executive Director to establish annual goals, objectives, strategies, and operations plan for the organization’s advancement activities.
• Oversee the process of managing current donors and donor prospects and monitor the progress toward achieving the fundraising goals. 
• Maintain the accuracy of the donor database (Little Green Light) content, acknowledgment and recording of donations, the sending of thank you letters, and creating contact reports and recording other key information for cultivation and stewardship purposes. 
• Manage all donor communications and processes related to the spring campaign, all fundraising events and end of year fundraising initiatives. 
• Perform research on existing and prospective major donors’ personal backgrounds, contact information, career history, and giving capacity. 
• Grow and optimize a robust major gifts prospect pipeline over the long term, collaborating closely with staff, board, and committee members focused on major gifts to implement individual donor cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Develop and implement donor engagement stewardship and recognition to express philanthropic gratitude and enhance donor loyalty.
• Manage corporate matching gifts, employee giving programs, donor donor-advised fund relationships to maximize donor impact. 
• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Board of Trustees to provide regular fundraising reports, seek donor cultivation input, and leverage their networks.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director on forming the Development Committee (a committee chaired by a board member) with a focus on relationship-building and asking/soliciting both in partnership with the Executive Director and volunteers, and solo. 
• Create an official Planned Giving program to ensure the future legacy of HistoryLink. 

Grants Management:

• Maintains annual grant calendar with operating or project focus details, deadlines, reporting requirements, recognition, etc. 
• Prepares and submits all general operating requests such as letters of intent and grant applications to existing funders and research new funding opportunities.
• Partner with programming staff to complete the grant requests, fulfill grant contracts, and data points for program reporting, grant expenditures, and final reports.  
• Assist the Executive Director with maintaining relationships by inviting funders to events, tours, and lectures and providing appropriate impact updates. 

Donor Communications: 

• Leverage organizational success stories that can be effectively used in development materials, grant proposals, and fundraising appeals.
• Ensure differentiated strategies for donor messaging across different platforms, like direct mail, digital appeals, social media/SMS, and events. 
• Manage the postings to a variety of online platforms such as GiveBIG, and Heritage listings (includes content updates on Guidestar and Charity Navigator).
• Craft content for donor solicitation and recognition on the website, social media posts and other online activities.
• Review audience engagement indicators, such as the crossover between the general newsletter audience and donor lists, as well as activities to encourage more donor participation (donor surveys, etc.). 

Event Project Management

• Maintain the calendar and all aspects of the timelines for annual and episodic events, including History Lunch, book launches, wine events, house parties, and other partner events. 
• Create event benefits packages for soliciting sponsorships through compelling stories, and impact data from past events, special projects, etc.  
• Work closely with staff on communicating with event table sponsors and motivating/managing table captains. Collaborate on event program elements like catering, the pre-event festivities, the in-kind donations and communicating to the participants throughout the event and follow up. 
• Craft fundraising talking points for the Executive Director and event keynote speakers to solicit event attendee support.
• Identify funder outreach opportunities/events where HistoryLink should have a presence to raise awareness of its work (corporate matching gift fairs, funder events). 
• Collaborate with contract employees, board members, and others to identify potential funders and partnerships outside of King County, with an emphasis on cultivating diverse networks. 

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree or relevant work equivalent in fundraising, sales & marketing, journalism, cultural anthropology, or any related field.
• A minimum of four years working in fundraising with experience with development systems, including knowledge of fundraising database (CRM) software and online giving tools.
• Superior written communication skills and ability to write inspiring and persuasive cases for support with a keen eye for detail.
• Experience applying an anti-racist/equity lens to fundraising and engaging staff and board in the evolution of fundraising practices towards a community-centric (CCF) approach. 

The ideal candidate:

• Has a passion for history and heritage, whether through direct experience or knowledge of history.
• Shares in the belief that a strong sense of historical identity is one of the greatest catalysts to achieving social empowerment.
• Has strong people and project management skills. In particular, this person is a fundraising “air traffic controller” who knows how to excel in managing upward by knowing how to keep initiatives moving towards results.
• Ability to thrive in sometimes ambiguous situations and use good judgment based on information and analysis in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment in a professional manner.