Senior Manager, Annual Giving

Mission: increase investment and participation in 4‑H programs to support the next generation of true young leaders. National 4‑H Council (Council) is committed to providing leadership and resources so that 4‑H programs are available to youth across the US. Our executive leadership team and Board of Trustees are dedicated to the belief that helping kids achieve their boldest dreams empowers not only them but also our communities to thrive today, tomorrow, and beyond. Council supports national and state 4‑H programs focusing on fundraising, brand management, communications, and legal and fiduciary services. Council also oversees the National 4‑H Conference Center and the National 4‑H Supply Service, the authorized agent for items bearing the 4‑H Name and Emblem.

Position Summary

Council seeks an innovative Senior Manager, Annual Giving, to plan, execute, and manage all phases of a comprehensive and well-coordinated annual giving program in support of Council's mission and strategic initiatives. The Senior Manager will develop strategies to target key constituent groups, such as alumni, lapsed donors, and convert non-donors to donors to increase average gift amounts. With guidance from the Vice President, Individual Giving & Events, the Senior Manager will develop the annual fund strategy and independently lead the execution of the appeals, stewardship, and acknowledgments defined in the strategy.

In response to COVID-19, all positions are temporarily remote.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership Duties

• Support the planning, development, implementation, budgeting, and maintenance of department functions.
• Administer and manage policies, standards, practices, and security measures for department functions to assure effective and consistent department operations.
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, mentor, evaluate, and develop assigned Associates according to Council's policies and procedures, ensuring the department's overall smooth functioning and consulting appropriate Human Resources staff as indicated.
• Provide guidance and direction for the development of all assigned Associates to improve the department's overall professionalism and the Council's support.
• Plan and direct the continual upgrading of equipment and procedures to maintain pace with technological progress, economic change, and business needs.
• Perform standard administrative and supervisory administrative duties, including weekly scheduling, timesheets, petty cash, expense reports, etc.

Annual Campaign Planning and Management Duties

• Develop and implement an annual fund program to increase annual gift support and participation. Lead the strategy, development, and implementation of direct mail campaigns to grow the annual fund.
• Partner and collaborate with the digital marketing team, the database administrator, creative services, vendors, and agencies to implement the appeals across 4-H channels, including direct mail.
• Manage the annual giving program's logistics, collaborating cross-functionally to develop a plan and provide various stakeholders with the information, messaging, and assets needed to execute across the organization.
• Spearhead workplace giving through Combined Federal Campaign, Corporate Employee Giving, and Council's Associate giving program and campaign.
• Manage a list of prospective annual fund donors to cultivate and solicit renewals or increased support. Responsible for a fundraising goal that will be set annually.
• Work with the Digital Marketing team and integrate the marketing planning annual strategy to ensure Online Giving is a coordinated component of the annual gift solicitation program.
• Coordinate the execution of various giving campaigns throughout the year in partnership with the digital marketing team, providing guidance, messaging, and assets to support the digital promotion.
• Oversee the planning and execution of The Legacy Awards Gala, VIP Receptions, and stewardship events.

Cross-Organizational Collaboration Duties

• In collaboration with the Resource Development Operations team, identify new prospects to add to the pipeline for both annual and major giving; ensure that timely gift acknowledgments are produced, and accurate reporting of the annual giving program.
• Operate the program within the approved expense budget.
• In cooperation with the Marketing and Brand team, ensure the messaging and brand standards of Council are met in all aspects of the Annual Giving Program; ensure Annual Giving solicitations are aligned with the brand promotional calendar and partner and cause marketing activations.
• In cooperation with the Client Relationship Management (CRM) Analyst, ensure data hygiene and donor management standards and policies are upheld.

General Duties

• Provide excellent customer service, anticipating and exceeding the needs of our donors.
• Update and maintain records as applicable in the CRM database.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills and Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or the equivalent in work experience.
• Must have a minimum of five to seven years experience in coordinating highly successful annual giving programs; three to five years of direct mail campaign experience.
• Must have at least three to five years of individual giving fundraising experience, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills and the ability to work across various technology platforms, including virtual and video conferencing and collaborative documents.
• Must be able to lead and support a cross-functional team and have strong project management, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proficient in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) required.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Dynamics StratusLive CRM or similar software preferred.
• Ability to interface with all levels of the organization and high-level donors and perform in a team-oriented environment.
• Must have exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills and self-directed initiative.

Travel Requirements: Travel may be necessary for up to 10% of the time (local, regional, national, international) by air, car, or rail. 

Position typically has the following Career Ladder:

• Development Director
• Senior Development Director
• Vice President of Development

ADA Requirements: The physical demands described here represent those that an Associate must meet to perform the position's essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, telephones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.
• May require some filing with the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary.
• Basic math skills needed to calculate formulas, commissions, discounts, and so forth.
• Must be able to lift 10 to 20 pounds.