Donor Relations - Gift Officer

The Seeing Eye, the world’s oldest organization devoted to breeding, raising, and training dogs to work as guides for blind people, has an opportunity available for a Donor Relations - Gift Officer at its main campus in Morristown, New Jersey.  Reporting to the Sr. Manager of Donor Relations, the successful candidate will be responsible for cultivating gifts of $5,000 and above from prospective and current donors with a focus on planned giving.

Essential Functions:

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 150 prospective and current donors in North America.
• Research current and prospective donors and apply acquired knowledge to enable successful donor cultivation and achievement of annual gift targets.
• Grow and oversee planned giving program through regular donor contact, outreach materials, personal visits, and recognition events.
• Keep timely and accurate records of donor communications in Raiser’s Edge.
• Engage prospects and donors with well-written communications, including financial calculations and legal requirements.
• Invite prospective/current donors to campus, conduct tours, and/or personally visit these donors in their hometowns.
• Develop collaborative working relationships with Donor & Public Relations team, Leadership Team, and key volunteers.
• Oversee donor cultivation and fundraising events.
• Identify, coordinate, and provide follow-up after special events to cultivate new donors.

Qualifications:

• Ten years of experience in fundraising and development
• Ideal experience will show evidence of one's professional growth through roles of increasing responsibility and accomplishments in those roles which consistently met or exceeded goals and expectations
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Well-honed communication skills as reflected in candidates writing and ability to speak in public forums
• Ability to build enduring relationships between donors and The Seeing Eye
• High degree of self-initiative
• Strong time management skills
• Commitment to team success
• Experienced user of Microsoft Office with proficiency as a Raisers Edge user desirable
• Ability to travel for day-trips for donor visits throughout NY/NJ/CT/PA and some multi-day travel trips, mostly within the U.S.

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, including salary requirements, and resume.