Major Gift Manager

Save the Sound, Inc.•New Haven, CT

4d•$85,000 - $105,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Save the Sound is seeking a full-time major gift manager to join their team. This role is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors, with a focus on individual donors who give annual donations of $1,000 to $50,000. The position involves developing organizational goals for major donor revenue, acting as a primary relationship manager, strategically developing and executing cultivation and stewardship plans, and establishing personal benchmarks for donor interactions. The major gift manager will also collaborate with development and program staff, and the Board of Directors Development Committee, to plan and execute donor cultivation and stewardship events. This position reports to the Executive Vice President of Philanthropy and requires frequent travel throughout the region, with availability for evening and weekend events.

Requirements

Five or more years of relevant major donor fundraising experience.
Demonstrated success securing and growing significant individual gifts.
Excellent and effective communications skills, written and oral, to convey the organization’s needs, strengths, and funding opportunities to donors through letters, appeals, proposals and written impact reports.
Interest and ability to build meaningful, authentic relationships with donors, volunteers, and colleagues.
Strong organizational skills and superb attention to detail.
Self-motivated and able to work independently and as a team player.
Experience using donor databases or CRM systems.
Willingness to frequently travel throughout the region.
Applicants must have access to a car and a current driver’s license.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and throughout employment.
Availability to work evening and weekend events is required.

Nice To Haves

Blackbaud experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Recommend, develop, and execute cultivation and solicitation strategies designed to engage prospective donors in ways that encourage their philanthropic investment.
Manage and grow a portfolio of major donors and prospects.
Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans including preparing written updates and proposals.
Conduct donor visits, calls, and outreach to build long-term relationships.
Collaborate with senior leadership, board members, and program staff on donor engagement and gift solicitations.
Identify, research, and qualify new major gift prospects.
Develop strategies to increase donor support and engagement.
Develop and plan strategic fundraising and friend-raising events to cultivate prospects.
Prepare donor updates, proposals, reports, and other fundraising materials.
Acknowledge and recognize donors in a timely manner.
Support major donor communications, appeals, and stewardship initiatives.
Maintaining positive and productive working relationships with all Save the Sound staff members, including providing and receiving constructive feedback.
Participating in building productive relationships with Save the Sound's members, external partners, policy makers, and the general public.
Completing all administrative work on time, such as timesheets, purchase orders, project reports, and planning documents.