Donor Growth Strategist

General Summary

The Donor Growth Strategist personally identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards a managed portfolio of donors giving between $500 and $2,499.99 annually, moving them from a one-to-many direct response experience toward individualized, relationship-based philanthropy.

Essential Tasks

• Manages a qualified portfolio of 500–750 mid-level donors giving $500–$2,499.99 cumulative annually, with individualized touchpoint plans and revenue goals for each assigned relationship.
• Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards portfolio donors using Artificial Intelligence, personal phone calls, handwritten notes, email, and impact communications—targeting 8–12 meaningful contacts per donor per year.
• Qualifies new mid-level prospects surfaced from direct mail upgrades, recurring donor files, lapsed major donors, and event attendees; documents a written qualification note for each new prospect within 30 days of assignment.
• Achieves a portfolio donor retention rate of 70% or higher year-over-year and tracks year-over-year revenue from the same donors, not only bottom-line totals.
• Maintains complete and timely records in Virtuous CRM, logging all donor contacts, proposals, and stewardship activity; follows established procedures for tracking, qualifying, and reporting gifts in accordance with Development protocols.
• Collaborates with the Director of Individual Gifts and Development team to graduate qualified donors into major gift portfolios; participates in review meetings and maintains warm relationships during donor transitions.
• Collaborates with direct mail and digital fundraising channels to ensure mid-level portfolio donors receive a coherent, high-touch experience that complements—rather than duplicates—mass communications.
• Surfaces planned-giving conversations where appropriate.
• Conducts research to identify prospects and creates strategies to match prospects’ interests to the priorities of St. Matthew’s House.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; at least three (2) years of related fundraising or donor relations experience required.
• Demonstrated ability in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors; experience in a portfolio-based or relationship fundraising environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability in planning and implementing long- and short-range development initiatives in conjunction with organizational strategic planning processes.
• Proficiency with a fundraising CRM (Virtuous, Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce NPSP, or equivalent); demonstrated ability to make data-driven decisions using giving history, retention metrics, and portfolio analytics.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with leadership, prospects, donors, and/or volunteers across a wide range of roles and backgrounds.
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills; ability to craft compelling donor correspondence, solicitations, proposals, and impact narratives and to present effectively to small and large groups.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage a portfolio of 500+ donor relationships simultaneously using AI assisted touchpoint planning, CRM documentation, and calendar management.
• Ability to exercise good judgment, demonstrate an understanding of ethics related to development activities, and use discretion in interactions with donors, prospects, volunteers, and others; must maintain confidentiality of donor information.
• Ability to foster effective working relationships within a team environment and to work collaboratively across St. Matthew’s House.
• Community relations skills and the ability to communicate and work effectively within a diverse community consistent with St. Matthew’s House’s mission to serve those experiencing hunger, homelessness, and addiction.
• Demonstrated passion for and alignment with the mission, vision, and Core Values of St. Matthew’s House: Helpful, Healing, Excellence, and God-Honoring.
• Flexibility in work hours; this position requires some evening and weekend availability for donor cultivation events and organizational activities.
• Ability to travel locally within Collier, Lee, and adjacent counties for donor visits, program site tours, and events; estimated local travel 20–30%.
• Relatively little physical effort is required; however, must be able to move about the facility, sit for an extended period, and possess the manual dexterity required to operate a computer and other business equipment.
• Must have a valid FL driver’s license and meet the standards of St. Matthew’s House approved driver criteria.

Performance Expectations

• Portfolio revenue goal met or exceeded (set at hire based on assigned portfolio baseline)
• Donor retention rate: ≥70% of portfolio value year-over-year
• Meaningful donor contacts: 8–12 per assigned relationship per year (includes automated touches)
• Donor upgrades: 10% of portfolio increases gift by ≥20% within 12 months
• Major gift pipeline qualifications: 15–25 donors graduated to major gifts per year
• CRM documentation: 100% of contacts logged within 72 hours
• Portfolio coverage: active touchpoint plan on file for 50% of assigned donors within 90 days of hire