Cultivation Manager

Food For The Hungry Inc•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

The Cultivation Manager leads the strategy, development, and execution of single-gift fundraising appeals to generate income for FH’s field ministry. This role owns the single-gift giving program for existing supporters—including sponsors, mid-level, major and mass donors—and is responsible for growing, retaining, and reactivating single-gift donors. Working closely with the Major Donor team, Insights Manager, Email Marketing Manager, Digital team, and external vendors, the Cultivation Manager delivers insight-driven, multi-channel appeals, with a strong focus on Direct Mail excellence, ROI, and donor engagement.

Requirements

Exceptional project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
Strong understanding of Direct Mail fundraising, production processes, and vendor management.
Highly analytical, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and make insight-driven decisions.
Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills.
Detail-oriented, proactive, and solutions-focused.
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Project Management, Fundraising, or a related field, or equivalent experience
Minimum 5+ years experience in fundraising or marketing, ideally with Direct Mail experience
Demonstrated experience working with printers, mail houses, and creative agencies
Strong budget management and ROI analysis experience
Demonstrated organizational, interpersonal, communication, and analytical skills
Experience contributing to continuous improvement initiatives within a fundraising or marketing function.

Nice To Haves

Relevant fundraising qualifications or professional development (e.g. CFRE, FIA, or equivalent) is desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of single-gift appeals, with a primary focus on Direct Mail, supported by email, digital, SMS, and other channels.
Develop appeal strategies that maximize response rates, income, and long-term donor value.
Own sponsor bounceback appeals, driving effective upsell from sponsorship to single-gift giving.
Partner with the Philanthropy (Major Donor) team to develop targeted appeals for mid-tier and major donor segments.
Develop and deliver strategies to retain active single-gift donors and reactivate lapsed donors using insight-driven segmentation and messaging.
Apply fundraising best practices to drive donor engagement and income growth.
Work closely with the Insights Manager to define and refine segmentation strategies aligned with fundraising best practice.
Integrate retention goals into appeal strategy and execution by managing donor lifecycle segments
Lead testing strategies across offers, formats, creative, timing, channels to improve appeal performance.
Monitor appeal performance against KPIs and income targets, and ROI benchmarks, identifying risks early and recommending recovery actions where required.
Conduct post-appeal analysis, including income, response rates, costs, ROI, and translate insights into actionable recommendations for future campaigns.
Brief the creative agency on copy and design for appeals, ensuring alignment with strategy, audience, and objectives.
Develop and brief eDMs (and SMS, if included) for each Direct Mail appeal, working closely with the Email Marketing Manager on format and timing, and segmentation aligned to the communications calendar.
Create and approve digital assets and landing page copy for each appeal.
Partner with the Digital team and Web Developer to ensure each appeal has a strong, effective online presence.
Deliver Direct Mail appeal campaigns on time, on budget, and to agreed quality standards.
Manage relationships with printers, mail houses, and production vendors, ensuring quality, timelines, and cost control.
Lead vendor negotiations and contract management, building strong, trusted, long-term partnerships.
Own appeal budgets end-to-end, maintaining accurate financial tracking, monitoring spend, forecasting income, and projecting channel growth.
Review appeal costs to identify efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities without compromising income or donor experience.
Ensure all materials meet brand, safeguarding, and compliance requirements.
Brief Donor Care and the Philanthropy (Major Donor) team on upcoming appeals to ensure alignment, gather feedback, and equip teams to respond confidently to donor inquiries.
Perform other duties as required.