Job Description

Blue Water Baltimore seeks a dynamic fundraising professional to join our Development department as a Development Officer. Reporting to the Director of Development, the Development Officer stewards a portfolio of individual donors—including major, leadership, mid-level, and recurring annual donors—and will play a key role in the development and management of a planned giving program. This position is a front-line fundraiser, directly responsible for the identification, cultivation, direct solicitation, and stewardship of individual donors, driving the effort to increase the pipeline of individual supporters able to support Blue Water Baltimore the $1,000-20,000+ level, and above.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Individual Giving Program Management 

  • Work closely with the Director of Development, Development Committee, Executive Director and senior staff to create and manage a robust, well-coordinated fundraising strategy to cultivate and maintain relationships with major and leadership donors;
    • Participate in the creation of multi-year fundraising forecasts and projections.
    • Strengthen relationships with existing donors, identifying opportunities for growth.
    • Research and identify major and leadership donor prospects.
    • Develop and implement pipeline to elevate relationships with identified prospects.
    • Implement strategic development activities, including fundraising and relationship building events.
    • Develop, review, and advise on materials supporting fundraising goals, including event collateral, direct mail, digital campaigns, etc.
    • Track fundraising metrics, report to staff and Board leadership regularly.
  • Collaborate in building and monitoring the Development team’s annual budget.

Major Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

  • Serve as the organization’s primary frontline fundraiser, developing and stewarding relationships with all major donors (individuals, corporations);
    • Solicit directly, or oversee the solicitation of, leadership and major gifts.
    • Position the Executive Director and/or members of the Board of Directors to make solicitations and/or steward supporters.
    • Identify “special gift” opportunities and campaigns to share with donors; create and implement cultivation and stewardship occasions related to those opportunities.
  • In coordination with Executive Director and the Director of Development, develop and foster relationships with current and prospective major donors.
  • Collaborate with the Development team, Development Committee, and Board of Directors to build a major donor pipeline, stewarding relationships with major donors to elevate their giving potential;
    • Develop stewardship and engagement opportunities tailored to pipeline prospects.
    • Recruit and train Board and Committee members in supporting appeals and major gift solicitation.

Development Programs

  • Oversee the Annual Giving program:
    • Develop an annual work plan for direct mail and e-campaigns.
    • Create and write development communications and appeals.
    • Design and execute constituent events in support of Development goals.
    • Report on appeals and events.
    • Coordinate with Development Consultants, as relevant.
  • Develop and Manage Planned Giving program:
    • Identify major donor prospects who may be interested in making a planned gift (gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, bequest). in support of Blue Water Baltimore.
    • Develop and implement a planned giving strategy and objectives.

Development Management

  • Collaborate with Director of Development to design and execute processes and strategies for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and recognition of major donors (individuals, companies, and foundations).
  • Sets annual monetary goals and budgets according to short- and long-term goals.
  • Helps establish fundraising objectives for the organization, setting one year, five year, and longer-term goals.
  • Produces relevant and informative digital fundraising material for distribution to previous donors and the public.
  • Oversees the fundraising process and maintains records of receipts and disbursements of funds.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

  • 3 years’ development experience in:
    • Major giving, donor relations, stewardship
    • Annual giving
    • Event management
    • Campaign management
    • Non-grant corporate giving
  • Demonstrated experience with Salesforce or a similar CRM database
  • Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
  • Ability to work with diverse constituents, both internally and externally
  • Commitment to improving equity, inclusion, and representation of diverse communities in the environmental sector
  • Ability to work on multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment; ability to prioritize work assignments taking both individual initiative and recognizing the need for additional guidance when appropriate.
  • Strong interpersonal skills; ability to work with a diverse cross section of people.
  • Ability to work some nights and occasional weekends.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft office

Competencies & Success Factors’

 

  • Critical Thinking/Problem Solving.
  • Oral/Written Communications.
  • Teamwork/Collaboration.
  • Information Technology Application.
  • Leadership.
  • Professionalism/Work Ethic.

Salary Range: $65,000 – $75,000/ annually