Donor Relations Manager; ACLUW

The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU-WA is seeking a Donor Relations Manager. Reporting to the Associate Director of Individual Giving, the Donor Relations Manager (DRM) will feed the major gift pipeline by pre-qualifying major donor prospects. The DRM will create and implement a program to maintain and grow donations from the mid-level portfolio, donors giving annual gifts between $1,000-$10,000.

Through cultivation touches, regular communication, in-person meetings and small group events, the DRM will keep donors engaged and aware of the organization’s work. This role complements the solicitation and cultivation activities of the National organization with opportunities for deeper connections with the local organization.

Rejection can be the most challenging aspect of donor qualification work. Only a fraction of attempts will result in a meeting, and only a fraction of those donors will be qualified as major gift prospects. A successful candidate will be an optimist – positive, driven, self-directed, and disciplined.

The ACLU of Washington is a leader among state affiliates of the American Civil Liberties Union, the country's premier guardian of liberty. We work in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect and extend American rights to freedom, fairness and equality.

The ACLU is both nonprofit and nonpartisan. Our staff of 40+ employees and numerous volunteers work in a fast-paced, friendly and professional office in downtown Seattle. We are supported by more than 135,000 members, activists, and donors.

The mission of the ACLU-WA Development Department is to unlock the full potential of the partnership between donors and the ACLU to fund the defense and expansion of civil liberties. We are committed to integrating an understanding of the intersections of race, class, power, and privilege in our development work, particularly through our engagement with donors. We bring our donors closer to the organization and build long-term relationships with them by sharing the ACLU’s story, engaging donors how they wish to engage, and asking them to give us their full financial support.

We are a team of six who care deeply about the work of the ACLU. We enjoy working together and stay easily inspired by our amazing program colleagues who carry out the work of justice and equality.

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, socio-economic circumstance, or record of arrest or conviction. We do not conduct criminal background checks on our candidates.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Prospect Qualification (30%)

• Feed the major gift pipeline by qualifying major donor prospects through in-person meetings, phone screens, and cultivation events. Once qualified, ensure that they are successfully handed-off and appropriately assigned.

Donor Engagement (50%)

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 1,500 planned giving and mid-level ($1,000-$9,999) donors statewide. Mid-level donors are segmented into:
  1) Major donor prospects,
  2) Growth donors whose giving has the potential to increase,
  3) and Sustaining donors whose giving remains constant.
• Be the ACLU contact for mid-level donors. Keep them engaged and updated on the work of the organization through cultivation touches, regular communication and small group events. Offer opportunities for them to raise their hand for deeper engagement and portfolio assignment.
• Create small donor gatherings for the high priority segments of the mid-level portfolio. Offer a minimum quarterly in-person engagement opportunity to these segments.
• Solicit all mid-level donors by the end of the year in-person, on the phone, email, or through the year-end mail appeal.
• Thank donors in the mid-level portfolio as well as any new, unassigned donors when we receive their gifts (via phone, email, or card).
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate database records for the mid-level portfolio.

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