Development Manager (Donor Relations & Fundraising)

About Tilth Alliance

Tilth Alliance works in community with Washington farmers, gardeners and eaters to build a sustainable, healthy and equitable food future. Through our work we endeavor to promote and support the adoption of organic, regenerative, sustainable growing practices by farmers and gardeners throughout Washington; to make the food produced by these farmers and gardeners more accessible; and to inspire people to enjoy growing, cooking, and eating food that is both good for them, for their communities, and for the environment. The primary strategies we employ in this effort are advocacy, education and collaboration. Equity, inclusion and the promotion of a culture of anti-oppression are important outcomes expected of all the work we do.

Development Manager (Donor Relations & Fundraising)

A fabulous role for someone both data driven and passionate about fundraising who is keen to utilize all their experience while continuing to grow and develop. You are strategic in cultivating relationships with a portfolio of individual donors and corporate partners, methodical in keeping track of communications, and excel at organizing information and reporting. Part of a five-person Development Team, you will work closely with the Director of Development and be supported by the Development Coordinator, who has a portion of their time allocated to supporting this role. You will get a thrill from seeing how a growth in philanthropic dollars further enables Tilth Alliance and its communities to achieve their mission, and be fulfilled through building long lasting, mutually beneficial relationships across our community.

Job Responsibilities

Donor Relations & Cultivation

• Support donor stewardship by building and maintaining strong professional relationships through telephone and written communications, donor event attendance and other activities. Update constituent records to capture key information and cultivates enduring relationships
• Cultivate a portfolio of individual and corporate donors across giving tiers, developing campaigns and programs to effectively engage them with Tilth Alliance programs, events and activities
• Play a major role in planning and implementing online fundraising campaigns such as GiveBIG and Giving Tuesday, including campaign design, communications scheduling, mailing list segmentation, gift stewardship and collation of results
• Manage the donor receipt and acknowledgement processes, working in partnership with the Development Coordinator
• Resolve issues donors or members may have with donation processing, providing exemplary and timely service
• Own all aspects of membership payments (annual, gift & lifetime), including systems and processes for reminders & renewals
• In cooperation with the Marketing and Communications Manager, maintain an editorial calendar to promote fundraising events and campaigns across communications channels (e-mail, direct mail, social media etc.)
• Work with the Director of Development to ensure a data driven approach to fundraising, including analyzing data to inform campaign design and gift solicitations

Salesforce Database Management

Tilth Alliance uses Salesforce NPSP to track its fundraising, volunteer participation, class enrollment and other aspects of the organization’s work. The database integrates with our WordPress website through Gravity Forms, and payment systems through Square.

• Serve as a database subject matter expert, ensuring accurate integration and data transfer across systems and leading improvements and innovations
• Understand and oversee the many automated processes across the system
• Troubleshoot issues, supporting staff across the organization in their use of Salesforce including building out, or advising on, new reports and processes
• Advise on, oversee and administer information management and reporting for the Development Team including dashboards, campaigns, reports, and mailing lists
• Collaborate with the Development Coordinator on fundraising data entry, ensuring accurate development records are maintained
• Monitor giving activities in Salesforce by tracking results and helping analyze the effectiveness of fundraising methods and messages

Community Liaison

• Create relevant opportunities and respond to requests for Tilth Alliance to promote, table and/or talk at events, festivals, workplaces and similar.
• Play an active role in Development Team events, including Edible Plant Sales, annual Tilth Conference, Farm Fest, volunteer events and donor receptions
• When appropriate, be a Tilth Alliance representative at external events.

Team and Organizational Collaboration

• Actively participates in Tilth Alliance’s justice, equity, diversity and inclusion work to ensure continual progress in being an anti-racist organization.
• Collaborates with all Development Team staff on creating, implementing and managing goals and operating plans and take a hands-on approach to ensure team success.

Required Skills

• Proficiency in Salesforce or other CRM systems, online giving platforms, and other fundraising technology. Proficiency in Microsoft Office; ability to research and learn new business software programs
• Understanding of fundraising principles and practices
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, which transcend diverse audiences
• Demonstrated administrative skills, including recordkeeping, reporting, data administration and organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a professional demeanor, especially while working in a fast-paced environment of constant demands and frequent interruptions
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and promote a positive working environment, spirit of cooperation, and positive reactions to change
• Commitment to maintain confidentiality, integrity and a high degree of accuracy in both data and communication
• Self-directed and able to work independently as well as with a team

Desired Experience

At least 3 years of experience in fundraising, donor portfolio management and/or other related position; or combination of education and experience to successfully perform above responsibilities.

Benefits & Compensation

This is a full-time position (40 hours/week) that requires occasional evening and weekend work. It is eligible for our benefits package that includes medical (80-85% employer paid), dental (95% employer paid), employee-funded Flexible Spending Account, 401k with employer match most years, 10 flexible holidays (employee-chosen), 12 accrued sick days per year, 3 weeks paid vacation in years 1 and 2, 4 weeks in years 3 and 4, and 6 weeks in years 5+, employee discounts and produce shares, no cost for Tilth Alliance classes/workshops/conference attendance, and annual professional development stipend.

In line with our commitment to equity practices, the salary for this position has been carefully determined to reflect market standards and internal equity considerations. We value the skills and expertise that each candidate brings to the table, and we believe that our non-negotiable salary approach fosters a level playing field for all applicants. This practice aligns with our core values of transparency and fairness.