Annual Fund Manager
Job summary:
The Annual Fund Manager is a key member on the CSO’s Development team who is responsible for the planning and execution of annual giving strategies for donors at the $1-$4,999 level. A special focus of this position’s work is growing the Annual Fund program, which requires high-touch stewardship for 1,000+ households. With the CSO’s Director of Donor Engagement, the Annual Fund Manager will carry out a significant stewardship and acquisition campaign of personalized cultivation touchpoints.
Success in this role requires enthusiastic and clear communication with internal and external constituents, excellent project management skills, creativity and vision, as well as enthusiasm for the cause that will inspire a strong case for support. There is also significant technical expertise required in using the CSO’s CRM, Raiser’s Edge NXT, to manage donor data, organize prospecting efforts, and pull lists and data.
Essential duties and responsibilities:
Annual fund development
• Develop and carry out an annual strategy to retain, acquire, and grow donors at the $1-$4,999 giving levels
• Maintain a portfolio of 75-100 annual fund donors and prospects
• With support from the Director of Donor Engagement, implement multi-channel and broad-base fundraising campaigns that include renewals, increased giving, donor acquisition, monthly giving and special giving
• Work with certain members of the Development and Marketing teams to prepare an institution-wide calendar of patron communications and events, with a special focus on Annual Fund solicitation, cultivation and stewardship plans to fulfill the CSO’s short- and long-term Annual Fund goals
• Oversee the quarterly donor newsletter sharing communications about benefits, events, impact stories and donor reports
• Ensure giving pages on the CSO website are current and reflect active giving campaigns
• Maintain the CSO Donor Roster for all program books
• Lead the annual renewal and acquisition campaigns with direct mail, phone calls, events, and volunteer engagement
• Manage and implement the development, execution, and promotion of Annual Fund-related events and benefit fulfillment
• Provide the CSO’s graphic designer with direction for timely delivery of materials that represent the CSO brand and meet best practices in donor communications
• Develop new strategies for philanthropic engagement such as online giving, monthly giving and other initiatives to increase annual fund giving
Development operations
• In conjunction with the Database Manager, ensure a high level of stewardship is supported by the care, keeping, and configuration of all CSO annual fund data in Raiser’s Edge
• In conjunction with the Database Manager, create and track annual Membership Solicitation, Stewardship and Prospecting
• Monitor, analyze and report on the progress of individual giving campaigns; draft communications, outlines, status reports, and planning documents for members of the senior staff and Board of Directors
• Attend concerts and member events as a representative of the CSO staff both during and after office hours
• Flexibility to adjust schedule as needed (with notice when possible) for support at events, which frequently occur on evenings and weekends
Skills:
• 3-5 years related experience in Development, preferably in the arts
• A background and/or interest in symphonic music preferred
• Ability to craft a compelling, donor-specific case for support and solicitation package
• Success in annual fund management and broad knowledge of the principles of fundraising
• Demonstrated success in events management, timelines, planning and cultivation
• Interest in and dedication to communicating the CSO’s priorities to an external audience
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills with the ability to initiate and build relationships with prospective individual donors via telephone and in person
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, with a talent for building strong and productive relationships across constituencies
• Demonstrated success in organizing work, meeting strict deadlines, and setting priorities
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and networking skills with individuals and large groups
• Creative, professional, and entrepreneurial spirit
• Ability to maintain highly sensitive and confidential donor information
• Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge and the Microsoft Office suite of products
• Excellent critical thinking, strategic planning, and problem-solving
• Night and weekend work required
