Donor Relations Manager

The Donor Relations Manager is responsible for cultivating Puget Soundkeeper’s donors and managing a portfolio of current and prospective Soundkeeper Circle members. The Soundkeeper Circle is our leadership giving level for individuals who contribute $1,000+ annually and an important pillar of our community. The Donor Relations Manager will be excited to nurture and grow this community of supporters.

They work closely with the Development Director and Executive Director to oversee stewardship activities that foster community among Circle members and develop a strong connection to Puget Soundkeeper’s mission. This position reports to the Development Director and is based in Seattle.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Identify and recruit new Soundkeeper Circle members and support strategies for mid-level engagement.
• Build, execute, and track a plan to raise $250,000 in major gifts annually, and to progressively grow in the next three years to $750,000 and beyond.
• Cultivate & manage portfolio of 100+ current and prospective Circle members.
• Oversee stewardship activities that foster community among Soundkeeper Circle members and encourage engagement with our mission and impact.
• Maintain contact records in EveryAction.
• Facilitate and support Executive Director, Development Director, and other staff and board members in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding relationships with current and prospective Soundkeeper Circle members.
• Develop & manage strategy for legacy & planned giving programs that provide philanthropic opportunities to donors through trusts, charitable annuities, life insurance, wills, and bequests.
• Contribute to team fundraising strategy and innovation on topics like funding opportunities, data analysis, fundraising program design & audience segmentation.
• Collaborate with the development team on prospect strategies, crafting a compelling case for support and funding proposals.
• Engage with cross-functional teams as needed to support fundraising activities as well as organizational planning and culture-building.

Education, Skills, & Experience

• An authentic and proactive communicator who is able to persuasively communicate across diverse audiences in ways that instill confidence and inspire people.
• Bachelor’s Degree or 4+ years of non-profit fund development experience.
• At least two years of successfully moving individuals toward taking action and making investments, ideally in an environmental organization.
• Experience with direct fundraising, including annual giving, individual solicitations, planned giving programs, strategic donor engagement, or complex fundraising project management.
• A strategic and data-driven thinker who is eager to build fundraising strategies that achieve income growth through a combination of proven approaches and explorations of new funding opportunities.
• Ability to manage up in supporting donor relationships held by the Executive Director and Development Director.
• High ethical standards and diligent recordkeeping to maintain confidential data.
• Technology proficiency and relationship management database familiarity, ideally with EveryAction or similar CRM.
• Dedicated to advancing the organizations' goals for diversity, equity and inclusion and a demonstrated ability to work with people of diverse races, ages, genders, abilities and economic backgrounds.