Development Officer

Job Description

Feeding South Dakota is the state's largest hunger-relief organization, with a mission to end hunger in South Dakota. We are guided by our Core Values to Serve with Compassion, Work with Purpose, and Connect with Intention. Through our programs and agency partners we are providing food in all 66 counties of our state and fighting hunger in rural communities, metro areas and Native American Reservations.

Job Summary

The Development Officer is responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing the individual major donor and planned giving programs to meet the organization’s fundraising goals, including building the individual donor base. 

Job Responsibilities

Portfolio Management

• Contributes to Feeding South Dakota’s annual fundraising goal by managing an increasingly productive portfolio of individual and corporate donors with ongoing success, with a focus on major donors. 
• Develop and implement appropriate identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for major gift prospects and donors.
• Makes direct, face-to-face solicitations, and assists the Board of Directors, and other staff with their solicitation activities as directed by the Chief Development Officer.
• Works to identify and qualify potential new donors to establish relationships that will result in a major gift.
• Educates donors on all giving opportunities, including bequests, trusts, charitable gift annuities, and other planned giving vehicles.
• Engages new potential donors to the mission of Feeding South Dakota.

Donor Relations

• Prepares customized proposals, presentations, and stewardship reports for donors, as appropriate.
• Produces materials and tools to communicate regularly with donors, supporters, and potential partners.
• Provides personal acknowledgement for donations and ensures timely and appropriate thank you letters, calls, and outreach.
• Identifies and implements opportunities for donor recognition, stewardship, and appreciation.
• Acknowledges donors through appropriate public and private recognition.

Administrative

• Assists development team with developing budget, goals, and performance measures for building the major gifts and planned giving programs.
• Regularly analyzes and reports results against established goals and metrics; modify donor engagement strategies as necessary and appropriate to meet revenue goals.
• Tracks and reports on progress of donor cultivation and solicitation throughout the year.
• Manages effective systems for tracking and cultivating donors and prospects through the organization’s database.
• Recommends strategies for improving donor engagement and reducing attrition rates.
• Logs contact reports to the database, as necessary.
• Creates standard operating procedures as necessary.

Collaboration

• Collaborates with other team members on special donor events including, but not limited to, major donor events, special marketing events, planned giving events and other donor-specific events.
• Provides direct support to the CEO and Chief Development Officer for donor related responsibilities.
• Develops strong working relationships with program staff to understand and articulate needs and case for support.
• Works collaboratively with other development and marketing and communications staff to identify and implement strategies for donor research, identification, prospecting, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Identifies opportunities to network with donors and prospects and engage members of the staff and board as appropriate to make the most of those opportunities.
• Responsible for speaking at public events or funding request presentations representing Feeding South Dakota, as directed.
• Overnight travel and some evenings and weekend work within the state will be required.
• Other duties as assigned

Physical Requirements: Sedentary work: Sedentary work involves lifting approximately 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like files, paper, or small office equipment. A sedentary job will usually involve sitting for long periods of time, with occasional walking in the warehouse areas. Most of the work performed in a sedentary job involves operating a computer and telephone.

Qualifications:   

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 5 years fund development experience, or a comparable mixture of education and work experience required.
• Proven ability to prospect, cultivate, and manage relationships with donors.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively.
• Experience with public speaking. 
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office products is required.
• Experience with donor database software preferred.    

Benefits

• 12 Paid Holidays
• 3 Weeks PTO
• Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance (some plans free or little cost to employee)
• Employer paid Life Insurance, Long & Short Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k), 401(k) matching (vested immediately)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Aflac