Senior Major Gifts Manager

Bennington College•Bennington, VT

1d•Remote

About The Position

Beyond Plastics is seeking a Senior Major Gifts Manager to join their team at Bennington College. This role will focus on cultivating prospects, stewarding donors, and engaging individuals in fundraising opportunities and events to ensure the fiscal strength of Beyond Plastics. The position involves identifying, engaging, and soliciting major and mid-level gifts from individual donors, as well as securing support for fundraising events. The Senior Major Gifts Manager will report to the Development Director and will be responsible for planning and implementing a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program. While the role serves national fundraising goals, the majority of engagement occurs in the Northeast, particularly along the Boston to DC corridor, with a significant focus on the NYC metro area. This position offers a remote work arrangement. Bennington College is committed to diversity and inclusivity, and all employees are expected to uphold these values.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree.
A minimum of five years of experience in relationship building and stewardship in a non-profit setting.
Demonstrated experience identifying, securing, and building relationships with individual donors.
Ability to maintain donor records and conduct donor research.
Experience working effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Excellent problem-solving skills and a solution-oriented approach to work.
Ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects to meet deadlines.
A strong interest in ending plastic pollution through policy change and a commitment to the goals of Beyond Plastics.
A demonstrated commitment to environmental justice and civic engagement.
Confidence, maturity, creative thinking, and excellent listening skills to engage with donors and maintain confidentiality.
Superior written communication skills, specifically grant writing.
Entrepreneurial, innovative, and strategic thinking skills.
Proficient in Google Workspace and Raiser’s Edge.
Successful completion and acceptable results of a background check.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the design, planning, and execution of fundraising events.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive national donor relations program, with a focus on the Northeast.
Support donor moves management and touchpoints.
Visit individual donors one-on-one, in-person and virtually, to ascertain donor priorities and needs, build relationships, and solicit gifts.
Write individual donor correspondence and other content.
Manage fundraising digital outreach strategy in collaboration with the Senior Digital Strategy Manager.
Ensure effective donor and event records management.
Work with the Development & Outreach Coordinator for Action Network fundraising uploads and data management, including monthly reconciliation of individual donor gifts, donor list re-engagement, and clean-up.
Reconcile fundraising event funds.
Upload donor reports and reconcile fundraising records from Raiser’s Edge with recommended stewardship actions.
Lead fundraising event planning and coordination, attending when geographically possible.
Provide management for all Development fundraising and donor cultivation events and activities, including event concept development, fundraising strategy, vendor relations, RSVPs, invitation creation (Canva), and event budgeting.
Work with members of the Development & Outreach team to craft compelling email and social media messaging to maximize fundraising event attendance and funds raised.