What are the responsibilities and job description for the Philanthropy Operations Manager position at Jewish Federation of Greater Houston?
Reporting to the Chief Financial & Operating Officer, the Philanthropy Operations Manager will be a part of a strategic operations team and serve as a partner to the Philanthropy Team, leading the analytics, and donor intelligence that support fundraising effectiveness and success. This position is responsible for transforming donor data into actionable insights that drive portfolio strategy, pipeline development, donor engagement, and stewardship outcomes. Working collaboratively across teams, this individual ensures that fundraising decisions are informed by accurate data, meaningful analysis, and effective operational processes.
The primary responsibilities for this role will include:
• Fundraising Intelligence and Pipeline Development
o Mine CRM data, giving history, engagement activity, and available donor research to identify giving patterns and philanthropic interests to qualify prospective opportunities for pipeline development and increased support.
o Analyze giving patterns, relationships, capacity, affinity, and engagement; translate findings into actionable recommendations for portfolios and moves management to support fundraising strategy.
o Facilitate regular portfolio and pipeline reviews.
• CRM and Reporting
o Fully understand and utilize the capabilities and functions of the Federation’s CRM (MS Dynamics 365) system, including automation, reports, dashboards, templates, workflows, segmentation tools, and data-mining capabilities.
o Serve as a power user of the MS Dynamics 365 CRM and partner with the Database Administrator on data integrity, segmentation, workflows, and reporting.
o Help maintain fundraiser portfolios by monitoring proposal activity, identifying follow-up needs, and producing reports that help prioritize next steps.
o Coordinate with the Chief Philanthropy Officer to create and distribute dashboards, reports, and analytical tools that measure fundraising performance, donor retention, portfolio activity, campaign effectiveness, stewardship outcomes, and pipeline progression.
• Gift Agreements and Administration
o Develop and implement a comprehensive tracking system to manage proposals, gift agreements, and required reporting.
o Coordinate reporting needs with Philanthropy, Finance, Marketing, and other teams to ensure accurate and timely information is provided to funders.
o Reconcile CRM information with Finance and Impact teams to manage and coordinate donor recommended and designated gifts, coordinating required transfers and acknowledgements.
• Donor Communication and Stewardship Operations
o Own the operational donor communications process, including acknowledgements, pledge and fulfillment reminders, recurring gift communications, tax substantiation, tribute notifications, and other stewardship-related operational communications. Collaborate with Marketing, Philanthropy, and Operations on messaging, process, and timing.
o Maintain workflows, standards, approved templates, personalization, and quality controls for operational donor communications.
o Supervise the Data Entry Clerk and delegates appropriate donor communication and data management responsibilities.
o Respond directly to donor questions regarding pledge status, gift documentation, payment questions, tax letters; resolve issues accurately, discreetly, and warmly.
• Produce regular reporting for internal and external stakeholders related to donor activity, pipeline movement, pledge status, portfolio management, foundation obligations, and stewardship communications.
• Other duties as necessary.
Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree required
• 5+ years of relevant experience in development operations, fundraising operations, donor services, prospect research, advancement services, or a related nonprofit role
• Experience utilizing donor analytics, prospect research tools, wealth screening information, fundraising performance metrics, and CRM reporting to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex data into actionable recommendations for fundraisers, executives, and volunteer leaders.
• Ability to manage complex operational processes involving pledges, gift agreements, restricted gifts, foundation reporting, donor communications, acknowledgements, reminders, and tax substantiation.
• Commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, donor stewardship, process improvement, and data-informed philanthropy operations.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a dedication to professionalism and collegiality with donors, volunteers, community professionals, fundraisers, finance, and cross-functional team members
• Exceptional time management, planning, and organizational skills; superior attention to detail; ability to multitask and adapt to shifting priorities as necessary.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills; strong copywriting, editing, and donor-facing communication abilities.
• Computer literacy including all MS Office tools; advanced CRM and Excel skills preferred.
Benefits
• 401K Matching
• Health Benefits
• HSA or HRA contribution
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Paid time off
• Usual National plus Jewish holidays off
• Other optional benefits available include Dental, Vision, etc.