Description

Discovery Place (DP) brings science, nature, and design together to create transformative experiences that enable our community to understand, enjoy, and apply science to their lives. Operating four museums in the greater Charlotte, NC, metropolitan area, the institution serves more than 750,000 people a year through Museum visits, interactive in-school educational programming, and community outreach initiatives. Founded in 1946, Discovery Place is shaping a future where people embrace science to create opportunities, build hope, solve problems, and bring positive change to our world. Come science with us!

POSITION SUMMARY

As a key member of the advancement team, the Annual Fund Manager will join the department in securing contributed income for the organization at large as well as each Museum Discovery Place Science, Discovery Place Nature, Discovery Place Kids Huntersville, Discovery Place Kids Rockingham. As the second member of the individual giving team, they will be responsible for the portfolio of annual fund donors (< $1,500). This includes growing the portfolio and annual giving income through direct mail and digital campaigns, researching and cultivating new and increased prospective donors, and effectively engaging and stewarding these donor relationships. This creative and strategic thought partner will work with the Director of Individual Giving and the advancement team to develop and implement new campaigns and giving strategies while also getting experience supporting a grassroots public phase of a capital campaign. Daily duties will include conducting prospect research, crafting solicitation materials, and improving the stewardship of donors through engagement activities, record maintenance, direct correspondence, timely acknowledgments, and reports.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Draft effective donor solicitation materials for digital and direct mail appeals

• Manage stewardship of individual donors, including acknowledgment letters, tax receipts, and the accurate and proper recognition of donors on signage, the website, and in publications

• Identify, research, and analyze prospective individual donors

• Generate prospect briefings for the Director of Individual Giving, Sr Director of Development, and Chief Advancement Officer.

• Monitor and track donor cultivation activities (moves management)

• Keep detailed and up-to-date donor records for reporting.

• Discover data trends in collaboration with the advancement team to develop data-driven strategies to increase donor engagement and retention.

• Represent Discovery Place at institutional and community events

• Participate in staff meetings and other vital administrative, promotional, and organization-related meetings and activities

• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Individual Giving, Senior Director of Development, and Chief Advancement Officer

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Commitment to and enthusiasm for Discovery Place’s mission

• Ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment with great attention to detail

• Ability to work as a team member in a results-oriented environment

• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills

• Ability to analyze data and utilize the information to inform decision-making

• Exceptional organizational skills and project management abilities

• Some nights and weekends will be required

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Proficiency in donor research tools and fundraising software or CRM (Salesforce, Classy, Donor Search)

• 2-3 years of experience in fundraising or donor relations

• Bachelor’s degree

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to lift boxes up to 20 lbs.

• Must be able to drive to off-site meetings and DP site locations.

The foregoing description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities of this job. Other duties may be assigned. This job description may be changed to include new responsibilities and tasks or change existing ones as management deems necessary.