Donor Communications Manager

Overview

The Donor Communications Manager (DCM) is part of the Philanthropy Team, reporting to the Deputy Director of Philanthropy, while working closely with the Marketing and Communications (Marcomms) Team. They help achieve the strategic priorities of the Philanthropy team by developing engaging communication materials for donors and coordinating the dissemination of organizational communications through close partnership with key departments (Philanthropy, Marcomms, and Community Engagement). They maintain current, expert knowledge of donor communications tools and practices and play a key role in strengthening alignment, visibility, and impact across the organization.

Primary Responsibilities

• Distill Sonoma Land Trust's work into stories, presentations, and written materials that resonate with donors, including writing copy and compiling visuals for case studies, case statements, one-pagers, print collateral, and emails, in alignment with organizational branding.
• Demonstrate strong project management skills with the ability to keep all donor communications materials accessible and up to date and create a pipeline of materials for upcoming projects and campaigns.
• Support and participate in communication efforts for events and campaigns; including the development of themes, messaging, and talking points - both written and creative communications.
• Strategically manage the donor communications calendar with the wider organizational calendar to ensure timely delivery of communication pieces.
• Act independently within broad program goals to prioritize tasks in the absence of specific instructions and exercise independent judgment to identify and solve problems.
• Implement and manage new initiatives that will ensure department and organization-wide goals and strategies are achieved.
• Manage multiple vendors/contractors (e.g. graphic designers, printers), including adhering to established budgets and negotiating contracts.

Essential Qualifications

• A passion for conservation and environmental issues.
• Exceptional written communication skills and the ability to translate complex concepts into clear and actionable content.
• Proven ability to plan, write, and edit written materials for use with donor solicitations, grant proposals, donor reports, member communications, and events, in ways that build donor engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to write for donor audiences and use communication to engage and inspire current and prospective donors with a mission or cause.
• Track record of excellence in project planning with the ability to self-direct, anticipate roadblocks, meet deadlines, and prioritize among competing goals, while maintaining attention to detail.
• Ability to present information in a professional manner, using established brand standards, templates, Canva and/or Microsoft products.
• Strong team player, who thrives working in a fast-paced environment, while meeting deadlines.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with staff across an organization.
• Experience using diplomacy and tact to build strong relationships.
• Experience in interviewing, researching, and compiling information from many sources into engaging stories.
• Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience are valued.
• Knowledge of and basic understanding of database best practices.
• Knowledge of current trends around communications and philanthropy.

Schedule, Salary & Benefits

• Full-time, 40 hours per week, exempt status.
• Starting salary is $98,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
• Position located at the Sonoma Land Trust office in Santa Rosa, California.
• Hybrid model, with 50%+ time each week in the office.
• Paid time off including paid vacation based on tenure, 15 paid holidays, and paid sick and family leave.
• 100% of employee premiums for medical, dental, and vision, and 75% of dependent premiums.
• 5% employer contribution to retirement plan after one year of employment.
• Employee life and disability insurance.
• Pre-tax dependent care coverage plans for dependent or elder care.
• An employee assistance program for mental health, coaching, and financial or legal services.
• A lifestyle account annual stipend for wellness or gear purchases.

About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust works in alliance with nature to conserve and restore the integrity of the land, with a focus on climate resiliency. The organization is also committed to ensuring more equitable access to the outdoors. Since 1976, the non-profit Land Trust has protected over 60,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission and was the recipient of the 2019 Land Trust Alliance Award of Excellence. For more information, please visit the Sonoma Land Trust website.

We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment that is representative of the communities we serve. We know that having varied perspectives leads to better outcomes to solve the complex problems of conservation, climate change and environmental justice in Sonoma County. And to best serve the people of our community, we are taking the actions outlined in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Plan.