Senior Development Officer, Mid-Level Fundraising

Location: Portland, OR; or US Remote 

Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Regular 

Salary Level: US: Starting salary for this role will be $64,000 to $76,000 commensurate on experience.  

About Mercy Corps 

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact. 

Department Summary

Mercy Corps’ High Impact Philanthropy (HIP) team is a crucial component of the Resource Development Department. The team operates under the strategic leadership of the VP of High Impact Philanthropy to develop and enhance relationships with donors and prospects from the private sector.  As a sub-branch within the broader HIP team, the Mid-Level team focuses on donors giving between $1,000-$10,000 in a calendar year.  These Mid-Level donors are given a higher level of relationship management than general mass market donors, with the goals of better-retaining and upgrading this valuable audience and identifying candidates to move to a HIP Gift Officer portfolio (which focuses on $10,000+ givers).

General Position Summary 

The Senior Development Officer, Mid-Level Fundraising will work within the High Impact Philanthropy (HIP) team and collaborate with the Mass Market Fundraising team to cultivate, steward, and solicit a portfolio of 500+ assigned Mid-Level donors and high-capacity High Impact Mid-Level prospects across the U.S.  This position will help review, build strategy, and monitor Mid-Level versioning of Mass Market Direct Mail campaigns, assist with creating and maintaining donor journeys for each subset of Mid-Level donors, and assist with creating strategies for converting new donors directly to Mid-Level file.  

Essential Responsibilities

DONOR RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

• Cultivate, solicit, and steward an assigned portfolio of donors giving $1,000-$10,000 per year.
• Conduct ongoing, personalized outreach to assigned donors via phone, email, mail, texting, and in-person, with the goal of strengthening donor engagement with and commitment to the organization.
• Assist the Mid-Level Team with stewardship, cultivation, and solicitation of unassigned Mid-Level donors (General Pool audience).

DONOR RETENTION

• Partner with the Mid-Level Team to create strategic touchpoints to retain Mid-Level donors.
• Work with the Director of Donor Advancement to create donor journeys and outreach plans to re-activate donors before they drop out of our communication stream.
• Collaborate with the Director of Direct Marketing, Mass Market Sustainer Manager, Planned Giving Senior Manager, and High Impact Philanthropy team to maintain awareness of cross-selling activities and upgrade opportunities for the Mid-Level audience.

DONOR ACQUISITION

• Collaborate with the Mass Market Direct Mail team on strategies to convert new donors to Mercy Corps directly to the Mid-Level giving threshold.

MASS MARKET DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN SUPPORT

• Partner with the Director of Donor Advancement to represent the Mid-Level team in communications with the Mass Market Direct Mail team regarding the review and approval of Mid-Level versioning of Mass Market Direct Mail pieces.
• Inform the Mid-Level team of the content and strategy of upcoming Mass Market Direct Mail pieces to ensure the Mid-Level team’s communication plan is coordinated with the timing and content of Mass Market Direct Mail pieces.
• Monitor and assess Mass Market Direct Mail campaign performance for the Mid-Level audience and report results to the Mid-Level team.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options. 

Supervisory Responsibility 

The Senior Development Officer, Mid-Level Fundraising position has no supervisory responsibilities. 

Accountability 

Reports Directly To: Director of Donor Advancement 

Works Directly With: Mid-Level Development Officers, Director, Direct Marketing (Mass Market Fundraising), Direct Mail Manager (Mass Market Fundraising), Sustainer Manager (Mass Market Fundraising), Direct Mail Agency Partner (Mass Market Fundraising).

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders 

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects. 

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) and 4+ years of professional experience in client/customer/donor portfolio management and/or nonprofit development or fundraising, or related experience; experience with Mid-Level fundraising ($1,000-$10,000 per year) a plus.
• Understanding and experience with direct marketing, including the tools and analytics that support database marketing.
• Understanding and experience of monitoring Direct Mail campaign performance and metrics.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – both written and oral.
• Proven track record of working in a forward-facing role and knowledge of customer service practices.
• Strong organizational and time management skills, attention to detail and process, ability to record and track progress through CRM. 

While experience in humanitarian aid and NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) not-for-profit organizations is considered a plus; applications are open to candidates from diverse backgrounds, including the private sector, provided they possess the transferable skills outlined for this position. With a focus on professional success, we will provide comprehensive training tailored to align with Mercy Corps' specific requirements, aiming to enhance existing skills for a seamless transition into the role of Senior Development Officer, Mid-Level Fundraising. 

Success Factors 

The successful candidate will have an ability to develop personal relationships with a variety of people in a variety of contexts. They will be able to secure and increase contributions from donors and retain donors through ongoing communications. It will be critical to credibly represent both program content and the heart of Mercy Corps to external audiences as well as add constructively to a sense of team and shared goals. This individual will be passionate about delivering value to donors, while balancing those needs with the organization’s priorities, resources and objectives. They will be self-motivated, take initiative, and have a bias toward execution. Attention to detail, comfort with data and analytics, high integrity, and a passion for the mission of Mercy Corps are a must.