Manager, Annual Giving Reports

Organization Overview

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) envisions a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being and communities wield the power to ensure they thrive. CDF’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

We serve and advocate for the largest, most diverse generation in America: the 74 million children and youth under the age of 18 and 30 million young adults under the age of 25, with particular attention to those living in poverty and communities of color. CDF partners with policymakers, aligned organizations and funders in this service. The Children’s Defense Fund is the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice by wielding the moral authority of programmatic proximity and community organizing to inform public policy. For more information visit www.childrensdefense.org.

Position Summary

The Manager, Annual Giving (MAG) works collaboratively with the Director of Individual Giving, external direct response consultants, and internal Communications and the Institutional Advancement teams to implement and manage a comprehensive Annual Giving Program that is aligned with the mission and priorities of CDF. Using an intelligent segmentation strategy, the MAG will manage all facets of the Annual Fund Program with a major focus on fundraising and engagement campaigns (direct response, digital, peer-to-peer, and social media) and in-person stewardship activities. The goal is to increase acquisition, donor retention, annual revenue, and engagement across all audiences. The MAG will create compelling messaging and innovative multichannel outreach using data to make informed decisions and create a pipeline of donors from general to mid-level, major and planned giving. This role will also carry a small portfolio of mid-level donors and is the primary liaison to our state registration, data analytics and planned giving vendors. The ideal candidate for this role is data-savvy understanding the critical role donor analytics plays in direct response; can work to deadlines while managing multiple projects at once; and has strong writing and editing skills with an ability to distill complex information into compelling, yet concise messages.

Responsibilities

• FundraisingDevelop and execute a comprehensive annual giving program; monitor fundraising goals; and create, implement, evaluate, and continuously refine strategies and programs for successful fundraising with each constituency.
• Works with direct response consulting firm and related parties to coordinate and execute timely production of appeals
• Directs and develops the regular and mid-level donor groups, including tracking donor acquisition and lapsed renewal, assisting with stewardship activities, and working with prospect managers on appropriate solicitation of their prospects.
• Implement a robust donor experience plan, coupling a responsive acknowledgement process (stewardship of gifts to CDF) with a best-in-class donor experience program to increase retention and contributions (number of gifts/amounts) and move donors along the giving pipeline.
• Identifies annual fund donors and prospects between the $250 and $5,000 giving level with a focus on increasing annual gifts. Makes recommendations for movement of assigned donors to mid-level and major gift prospect tracking.
• Develops and implement strategies for and overseas recurring and other donor loyalty programs including upgrades and stewardship
• Manage a small portfolio (30 – 50) of mid-level giving prospects

Support to Fundraising Efforts

• Act as primary point of contact with direct response consultant, planned giving vendor, third-party contractors as well as in house communications team, and appropriate program staff to develop strategies, secure content and ensure timely delivery of services and adherence to mutual commitments
• Has primary responsibility for liaising with State Registration vendor and for updating and filing state and corporate registrations with support from admin staff
• Has primary responsibility for workplace giving initiatives
• Works closely with the Sr. Major Gift Officers and Prospect Researcher on monthly giving and legacy society cultivation and stewardship
• Provide logistical support for giving and legacy society events and communications plans, in partnership with Institutional Advancement colleagues.
• Coordinates with Advancement services team on gift acknowledgements, data integrity and hygiene issues.
• Work with public affairs and communications team to gather content for campaigns; work with them to ensure timely updates of acknowledgements, donation forms, social media messages and other print and digital collateral.
• Generates innovative strategies for engaging donor segments informed by data on donor behaviors
• Other related duties as assigned.

Required Education & Experience

• Associate degree or higher
• Three or more years of related experience in a non-profit environment
• Direct experience with Raiser’s Edge / RE NXT or other CRM
• Demonstrated experience using fundraising data to plan and inform decision making
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, particularly Word and Excel
• Experience working in a deadline driving, face-paced environment

Preferred Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Direct experience managing an annual fund program
• Direct experience planning and implementing giving societies
• Familiarity with State Registration process or working with related external vendors
• Experience working in culturally and racially diverse environment

Competencies

• Achieves results within established timelines.
• Diligently attends to details and pursues quality in accomplishing tasks.
• Coordinates ideas and resources to achieve goals.
• Examines data to grasp issues, draw conclusions, and solve problems.
• Breaks down problems and issues into subcomponents and then assesses the costs, benefits, and risks of various options prior to selecting a particular approach.
• Manages own time, priorities, and resources to achieve goals.
• Expects that obstacles will occur and refuses to use them as an excuse for not achieving results.
• Works collaboratively with colleagues across multiple diverse teams to drive activity that achieves or exceeds individual and team goals.

Personal Characteristics

• Maintains composure in highly stressful or adverse situations.
• Conveys ideas and facts in writing using language the reader will best understand.
• Promotes cooperation and commitment within a team to achieve goals and deliverables.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and relational skills.
• Passion for CDF's mission and purpose and ability to communicate this passion to others.
• Willingness to be hands-on in a role that is demanding and requires a high level of energy and professionalism.

Type of work environment associated with the job

• Indoor, hybrid office (3days/wk) and home (2 days/wk) setting
• Occasional travel may be required

Additional comments

Children's Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, economic status, or status as an individual with a disability. Consideration will be given to qualified candidates on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Salary commensurate with experience. Attractive benefits package.

A background check and/or pre-employment assessments will be performed in compliance with local, state, and federal law on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer.

Note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of all responsibilities required and does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.