Donor Relations Associate

Ceres Community Project•Santa Rosa, CA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

As a key member of the fundraising team, the Donor Relations Associate cultivates and builds relationships with individual donors to sustain and grow our community of supporters and our mission impact. Primary duties include planning and implementing our annual giving campaign for donors contributing under $1,000; stewarding a portfolio of lower-level Leadership donors; creating effective, timely and accurate donor communications; processing individual gifts; maintaining database integrity; and monitoring performance through effective use of reports and dashboards. The successful candidate will be experienced in donor relations and interested in growing in a fundraising career, possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, and be energized by creating and sustaining systems and experiences that enable strong donor relationships.

Requirements

A commitment to Ceres Community Project’s mission and operating principles
BA or equivalent experience strongly preferred
A minimum of 1-2 years’ experience in fundraising or a closely related field; understanding of fundraising principles and donor stewardship
Excellent interpersonal skills including effective written and verbal communication and follow through.
A strong customer service orientation, able to interact professionally and warmly with a diverse range of people
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team
Excellent attention to detail and data integrity
Strong project management skills, motivation and ability to proactively plan, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines
Proficiency with Salesforce or another nonprofit donor database, including data entry and reporting
Ability to utilize and adapt to a range of technology including MS Office
Able to work occasionally in evenings and on weekends, and to travel to local events
Comfortable working in an environment where giving and receiving feedback is part of the culture.

Responsibilities

Create and implement successful annual development plan for community-level giving
Develop and manage annual fund campaign calendar including stewardship activities and events
Identify donors who have the capacity to become monthly or major donors and develop strategies, campaigns and activities to increase their engagement and giving
Utilize reports and dashboards to track progress towards financial goals and inform decision making
Draft campaign appeals to specific audience segments in collaboration with Director and Digital Marketing Specialist
Build, manage and grow a portfolio of donors and prospects by developing effective and meaningful cultivation, solicitation and stewardship to help donors understand their impact, and to ensure they feel personally connected to Ceres; set and meet donation giving goals.
Regularly update gift acknowledgement templates
Create mailing lists for direct mail
Monitor Development email and phone line and respond to donor inquiries in a warm, prompt and professional manner
Draft or contribute to other donor-centric communications as needed, such as planned giving materials, annual reports, or impact reports
Maintain confidentiality of donor data; follow donors’ wishes regarding acknowledgement, anonymity and communications preferences
Process donations and create gift logs according to department SOP’s
Send tribute emails or cards
Send accurate and timely acknowledgement letters and year-end statements
Maintain accurate pledge records, track outstanding pledges, and draft reminders
Maintain accurate donor and gift records in Sharepoint and Salesforce CRM, including household configuration, background notes, communications requests, and outreach records
Manage ticketing and donor relations for annual Harvest of the Heart event
Support other donor events, including drafting invitations, creating guest lists, welcoming guests and helping with set-up and break-down as needed
Attend other community events and speaking engagements as needed
Other duties as assigned