Position: Development Manager
Salary: $50,000-$60,000
Reports to: Executive Director
Organizational Overview:
Our Vision | Virginia is a state in which LGBTQ+ people – every demographic, race, ethnicity, zip code, and experience – are valued and thriving.
Our Mission | Equality Virginia confronts systemic inequities to liberate the full spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination and oppression.
Position Summary: The Development Manager will work closely with our Executive Director and communications team to prospect, steward and engage new and existing donors at all levels. They will work with the Executive Director on executing annual fundraising campaigns including our annual gala- the Commonwealth Dinner.
They should enjoy interacting with donors and building relationships. They will have strong writing skills and an understanding of solicitation emails. They will work with different departments to execute the individual giving campaigns. They will actively prospect utilizing donor tools and maintain prospect databases and calendars.
About the team and you: At Equality Virginia, we are committed to using an intersectional approach in our work. Equality Virginia’s work focuses on macro-level systems change and our success is inherently tied to the collective liberation of all oppressed peoples.
You are organized and a strong communicator, both written and verbal, with a passion for promoting LGBTQ+ work in Virginia. You have an understanding of how LGBTQ+ issues intersect with racial justice, disability justice, and economic justice priorities. You understand how to work collaboratively with team members to develop realistic and achievable goal-oriented plans.
Frequently cited statistics show that femme, trans, and nonbinary people, as well as Black, Indigenous, and people of color of all backgrounds apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Equality Virginia encourages you to break that statistic and apply. No one ever meets 100% of the qualifications. Equality Virginia’s team engages in hard work and heart work and the team values authenticity, empathy, compassion, and kindness–we’re a close-knit team that works together regularly.
Key Objectives and Responsibilities:
Ensure Equality Virginia meets or exceeds its annual income goals from grassroots and mid-level donors by maintaining current donors, building relationships, managing direct mail and e-appeal campaigns, and actively prospecting while supporting the Executive Director. Craft and implement customized development strategies and campaigns for various organizational segments, including 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC.
Primary responsibilities:
Grassroots Donor Program
Using the developed annual calendar, write e-appeals throughout the year and collaborate on fundraising strategy for Give OUT Day, Giving Tuesday, and seasonal fundraising campaigns
Acknowledge donations between $1 and $500
Stewardship
Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors by creating and executing engagement plans and strategies to secure ongoing and new contributions.
Ensure that donor and gift records and reports are maintained accurately and updated in a timely fashion in EveryAction
Create and send tax receipts for all donations annually
Review information tracking processes regarding acknowledgment, recognition, ongoing communications, and continued cultivation of past and current donors to enhance their relationship with the organization and increase the likelihood of continued contributions
Devise consistent, accurate, and appropriate information-sharing mechanisms for stewarding prospects and donors across the organization.
Prospecting
Build a consistent mid-level and major donor prospect pipeline
Document donor interactions in the database, EveryAction, and conduct appropriate research on donors and prospects
Create a system to track prospects and move them through the donor cycle
Maintain and monitor planned giving program including research on bequests
Solicitation
Be the primary solicitor for portfolio
Make asks for donations and donation increases via a variety of communications
Commonwealth Dinner and Other Events
Sponsorships
Create sponsorship tiers and attain gala fundraising goals by securing individual, small business, and corporate sponsorships
Assist with setting meetings for executive director and corporate sponsors
Build database of prospective sponsors
Collect and track logos and sponsor ads for Commonwealth Dinner
Marketing &
Attain gala fundraising goals by meeting annual ticket sale goals
In collaboration with Digital Manager and Executive director, assist in the development of gala materials, including print and email invitations, social media promotion, and press releases
Logistics & Volunteers
Assist in the development of all gala logistics, including guest registration, stage program, onsite volunteer management, and all follow-up activities as necessary
Develop, support, and manage volunteer steering and host committees
Manage vendors and contracts
Qualifications
Experience & Education
At least 3 years of experience in donor relations and fundraising ideally in a nonprofit or advocacy setting
At least 2 years experience using EveryAction
Have experience directly asking for donations
Have experience in writing compelling fundraising emails and other materials
Have experience creating and maintaining a stewardship calendar
Have experience managing small and large-scale in-person fundraising events.
Skills
Must be able to multi-task and demonstrate good judgment and decision-making when working with donors.
Have excellent organizational, interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
Exhibit excellent social skills, with large groups as well as with individuals
Be detail-oriented, well-organized, focused, and goal-oriented, with a high level of initiative and energy
Exhibit problem-solving skills and use judgment in situations requiring independent initiative and tact
We especially encourage applications from people who have any of these additional qualifications:
Have experience managing contractors and vendors.
Have experience managing direct mail campaigns.
Have experience engaging corporate donors.
Have experience with grant applications and working with foundations.
COMMITMENT:
Physical Requirements
Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time
This position will require occasional travel
The person in this position may be required to sit or stand for extended periods, move objects up to 25 pounds, operate office equipment, open and close filing cabinets and boxes, observe visitors, and communicate messages by telephone.
Location Requirements
Benefits
Equality Virginia is dedicated to providing all employees a competitive salary, 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off and holidays, 401k plan with employer contribution, employee cell phone, paid parking, and a professional development stipend. The salary for this position is $50,000-$60,000. This is a full-time position.
Next Steps
Email jobs@equalityvirginia.org with a resume and cover letter that answers the questions below in PDF format. Please be sure to put “Development Manager” in the subject line of your email.
Describe a time you implemented a fundraising strategy and what lessons you learned from that experience.
How do you balance maintaining and growing donor relationships while tracking the contributions and overseeing online campaigns?
What’s your approach to creating meaningful fundraising events focused on small dollar/grassroot donors?
Here’s what you can expect from our interview process:
Application Review
Panel Interview ~60 minutes
Interview with Executive Director ~30 minutes
Applications must be submitted by 6pm on April 5th, 2024. We are looking to fill this position by April 26th, 2024.