Annual Giving Manager

About Mercy Housing California

Home is where our lives unfold: where we gather, where we learn, and where we grow. However, affordable housing is one of the great crises of our time. In California, where home values and rents are among the most expensive, nearly one-third of renters spend more than half their income on housing. There is not a single city or county where a full-time minimum-wage worker can afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.

Mercy Housing California (MHC)—the largest regional affiliate of Mercy Housing, Inc., which is the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in the country—works to address this challenge. The organization develops and operates affordable service-enriched housing that becomes the foundation for our residents’ hopes and aspirations. Today, MHC oversees over 160 communities that together serve more than 20,000 residents across the state.

An industry leader, Mercy Housing California is proud to…
Participate in all aspects of affordable housing development
Provide critical resident services
Pioneer innovative housing solutions that are emulated by peers nationwide
Combine our deep local knowledge with the strength of a national system

Mission Values
At Mercy Housing, we believe that business and mission are not competing values. Employees are expected to contribute to a mission- and values-centered culture. Employees are expected to articulate and incorporate the mission and core values of Respect, Justice, and Mercy into their day-to-day work. We are more effective when diverse groups of people, including residents, feel valued, respected, and included.

The Opportunity

Mercy Housing California is seeking a thoughtful, detail-oriented Annual Giving Manager to help build the systems, strategies, and donor experiences that strengthen and expand its individual giving program. This newly elevated role reflects the organization’s commitment to professionalizing philanthropy operations while creating more meaningful engagement opportunities for donors. Based in Sacramento and reporting to the Regional Director of Philanthropy, the Annual Giving Manager will play a central role in advancing Mercy Housing’s annual giving efforts while ensuring donors experience personalized, high-quality stewardship throughout their philanthropic journey.

This is an ideal opportunity for a fundraising professional who enjoys balancing strategy with execution. The Annual Giving Manager will oversee integrated annual giving campaigns across direct mail and digital channels, coordinate employee workplace giving initiatives, and develop thoughtful donor stewardship and recognition programs that inspire long-term loyalty. Equally important, this individual will serve as the operational hub for the philanthropy team—managing gift processing, maintaining accurate donor records, supporting fundraising events, and ensuring the behind-the-scenes systems that power successful fundraising operate efficiently and effectively.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative philanthropy team during an exciting period of growth and evolution. Mercy Housing California benefits from a deeply mission-driven culture, a stable organizational foundation, and a leadership team committed to strengthening fundraising through new ideas and best practices. The Annual Giving Manager will collaborate closely with colleagues across California and the national organization while helping shape how annual giving, donor communications, and stewardship are delivered throughout the region. This role offers significant opportunities to recommend improvements, implement creative donor engagement strategies, and help establish processes that will serve the organization for years to come.

Success during the first year will be measured by more than campaign results alone. The Annual Giving Manager will become immersed in Mercy Housing’s complex organization, establish trusted relationships with colleagues across regional and national teams, strengthen philanthropy operations, and begin implementing thoughtful, donor-centered strategies that create a more personalized giving experience. This is an outstanding opportunity for an annual giving or philanthropy operations professional who enjoys building systems, improving processes, and creating exceptional donor experiences that fuel long-term philanthropic growth.

Required Qualifications

• A high school diploma or equivalent.
• At least three (3) years of experience in annual giving for a nonprofit organization.
• Experience managing fundraising operations, donor databases, and gift processing.
• Passion for improving systems, creating exceptional donor experiences, and strengthening philanthropy operations within a mission-driven organization.
• Familiarity with a comprehensive philanthropy enterprise, including annual fund, major gifts, corporate giving, foundation relations, grants, and events.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across a geographically dispersed team.
• Ability to maintain a hybrid work schedule in Sacramento.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Proven success managing annual giving programs and implementing multi-channel fundraising campaigns.
• Experience with donor management systems, preferably Raiser’s Edge.
• Experience creating donor stewardship and recognition programs that strengthen donor retention and engagement.
• Knowledge of philanthropy operations, including gift processing, donor-advised funds (DAFs), recurring gifts, and fundraising best practices.
• Experience partnering with marketing and communications teams to develop donor-facing fundraising materials.
• Demonstrated ability to use fundraising data and reporting to evaluate campaign performance and inform strategy.
• Experience supporting volunteer engagement, employee giving, or corporate partnership initiatives.

Compensation

The expected base salary for this position is $80,000-$90,000, commensurate with experience. All employees at Mercy Housing California are also eligible for a generous comprehensive benefits package including PTO and paid holidays; medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) retirement plans; Employee Assistance Program; and many more.

This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, with office presence in Sacramento.

Application Process

Benefactor Group is pleased to be assisting Mercy Housing California with this executive search. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. All applications are considered highly confidential. To be considered for this position, please submit an application at this link: https://bit.ly/MHC-AnnualGivingManagerApp.

To learn more about Mercy Housing California, please visit: https://www.mercyhousing.org/california/.

Please do not contact Mercy Housing California staff or board with questions or interest in the role. All inquiries about the position should be directed to Benefactor Group.

Benefactor Group Recruitment Team
Hr@benefactorgroup.com
http://www.benefactorgroup.com