Development Manager

About the role

The Development Manager is responsible for developing and implementing fundraising strategies to connect supporters to the Zoo's mission through financial support. The Development Manager cultivates new relationships while strengthening relationships with current supporters through growth and stewardship. Working collaboratively with the Development team, executive leadership, volunteers, and Zoo staff, the Development Manager builds meaningful relationships that inspire philanthropic investment in wildlife conservation, education, animal care, and capital initiatives.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and monitor the goals and metrics for development activities, including annual gifts, major and planned gifts, events and sponsorships
• Create and execute strategies to build and maintain a large sustaining base of donors including personal engagement and engagement with programs
• Create and manage portfolio of approximately 80-100 major gift donors and 20 high-level prospects
• Cultivate and engage new prospective donors through research and individualized cultivation planning
• Create and implement individual donor and prospect engagement plans to map out communications touchpoints and roadmap
• Work with Vice President of Development to schedule meaningful engagement through meetings with donors in portfolio
• Promote the Zoo's legacy giving society through donor outreach and educational opportunities
• Identify planned giving prospects within the existing donor base
• Conduct introductory conversations regarding bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, and other planned giving vehicles
• Coordinate with donors' professional advisors and outside counsel as appropriate
• Maintain accurate documentation of planned gift intentions and stewardship plans
• Maximize use of computer operations and technical software applications including Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Ensure that the relationship management software (Raiser's Edge) is effectively used and that there is compliance with all policies
• Research and create proposals, pitch decks and funding prospectus documents
• Organize and file correspondence and other records
• Create and share tracking and reporting tools for internal collaboration
• Interact with Zoo visitors courteously and offer proper attention at all times

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university or equivalent preferred
• Minimum five to eight years work experience
• Demonstrated success in donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship

Physical demands

• Regularly required to sit; use hands
• Occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell
• Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus

Work environment

• Occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts and outside weather conditions
• Noise level is usually moderate