Senior Manager, Annual Giving

WHO IS USA LACROSSE

USA Lacrosse, a non-profit organization, is the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, leading the U.S. National Teams Program and establishing universal standards.  With nearly 400,000 members, we provide national leadership, structure, and resources to fuel and unify the sport's growth and enrich the experience of its players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders. 

USA Lacrosse believes a diverse staff best positions our organization to fulfill its mission.  We strive to attract and maintain a team of talented and dedicated professionals who reflect the diverse nature of our membership and the national lacrosse community.  We are committed to a staff culture that ensures everyone feels welcomed, valued, and included.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Manager, Annual Giving leads the strategic design, execution, and evaluation of USA Lacrosse's comprehensive annual giving and stewardship program.  Reporting to the Director, Development, the incumbent will be expected to set and execute a strategy to achieve USA Lacrosse's annual fundraising goals using a multitude of channels and platforms to engage, solicit, and steward a broad base of USA Lacrosse constituents to make donations toward our various programs and initiatives. 

A Typical Day Looks Like…

Giving Strategy & Relationship Building 

• Designs and executes a comprehensive annual giving program intended to solicit philanthropic support from a broad base of USA Lacrosse constituents to grow philanthropic support and revenue.
• Develops and executes strategies to acquire new donors from a variety of USA Lacrosse constituents. This includes retaining past supporters while acquiring and growing our donor base. 
• Provides strategic segmentation around securing current use and expendable funds, as well as building and retaining a long-term pipeline for philanthropic support.
• Creates and manages the USA Lacrosse solicitation calendar ensuring all solicitations are segmented, targeted, and key performance metrics are maintained and delivered on time.
• Collaborates with the Senior Manager, Foundation Services to analyze and report past and present fundraising results to help inform future marketing strategies.
• Works cross-departmentally with internal team members and departments to understand the scope and impact of USA Lacrosse's mission to identify annual giving needs and plan strategy and appeals.
• Continuously and systematically assesses the effectiveness of our solicitation strategies used to acquire, retain, and increase philanthropic support. This includes making recommendations for improvements to existing strategies and developing new ones so we are continually evolving the way we do things. 
• Leverages technology solutions and partners with internal team members to strategize and effectively segment constituencies to increase the personalization and efficacy of our campaign solicitations.
• Designs, implements, and manages recognition and stewardship plans for annual gift donors (i.e., the 1998 Society and other giving societies) to encourage and enhance incentives and appreciation to encourage, recognize, and promote personal engagement among our donors.
• Creates and coordinates appeals to our donor and constituent segments to show them why they should donate to USA Lacrosse and what their donations will help us accomplish for the sport and our athletes. This includes working with internal partners and external vendors and creating mailing materials to appeal to targeted audiences.   
• Works cross-departmentally to manage, develop, and coordinate fundraising strategies for programs to support internal initiatives and priorities, such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Center for Sport Science and Safety, National Teams, and Sport Growth and Development.

Administration & Communication 

• Collaborates with internal team members, the marketing and communications teams, and external vendors to coordinate print, mail, web, social media, and electronic solicitation efforts to ensure the collateral we produce is properly branded, aligned with our mission, and clearly communicates the purpose of our various fundraising campaigns.
• Collaborates with the marketing and communication teams to facilitate the design of all solicitation collateral to ensure the messaging aligns with the purpose and strategy of the fundraising campaign.
• Manages and maintains USA Lacrosse's platform for online giving through collaboration with the philanthropy, marketing and communications, and IT departments. This includes ensuing the accuracy and integrity of the data for reliable reporting.   
• Develops, coordinates, and executes donor stewardship communication efforts, such as the Giving Lacrosse newsletter to communicate with USA Lacrosse's donor so they can see their contributions in action.
• Provides timely and thorough reporting to the Director, Development and the USA Lacrosse leadership team on annual giving initiatives, donors, and revenue.

Event Planning & Participation

• Serves as the liaison for the USA Lacrosse Foundation team for USA Lacrosse events.
• Regularly attends USA Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Foundation events to represent the organization. This includes meeting and interacting with current and potential donors to encourage them to support USA Lacrosse philanthropically.   

Is This You…

• At least three (3) years of experience in fundraising, business/donor development, and/or annual giving or related experience.
• Previous work experience in a non-profit, association, or other member-based organization a plus.
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft 365 products, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of software’s used for fundraising, such as SalesForce, or comparable database applications used to track, monitor, and report on donor data with the aptitude to learn such software's.
• Working knowledge of fundraising concepts, principles, and best practices. This includes the ability to solicit and build relationships with prospects. 
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task and keep data organized for through analysis and reporting.
• Strong relationship building skills with the comfort and ability to “work a room” to persuade potential donors, while enhancing existing relationships.
• Excellent communication skills, including interpersonal, written, and verbal.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team with a “hands on” mentality.
• Discretion to handle sensitive and confidential matters and information.
• Ability to present a professional persona and presence to build relationships and establish credibility.
• Willingness to learn about the sport of lacrosse and appreciate the needs for developing funds to fuel its development and growth.
• Ability to align with USA Lacrosse’s Mission, Vision, and Values and Strategic Plan to support our initiatives and organizational goals.

Core Values & Competencies

• We Influence - Written and Verbal Communication
• We Serve - Customer Focused
• We Create & Innovate - Creativity
• We Collaborate - Peer Relationships
• We are Humble & Honest - Integrity and Trust 
• We Embrace Individuality - Diversity
• We Have Fun – Work Hard and Play Hard

Expected Hours of Work

This position is generally expected to work Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm and occasionally requires longer hours or weekend work as related to events and other business needs.  This is a hybrid position and works from the headquarters office in Sparks, MD three (3) days a week with the flexibility to work from home two (2) days a week. 

Travel Requirements

Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-area and overnight travel may be expected.

EEO Statement

USA Lacrosse is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other status/characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.  USA Lacrosse believes diversity and inclusion among our team is critical to our success as an organization, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.