Donor Relations Manager
Summer Search
Oakland, CA
Anticipated Start Date: 3/1/25
Description
Summer Search Bay Area is seeking a Donor Relations Manager to provide key strategic support, execution, and project management for all individual giving programs that will enable the team to meet their $2.5M+ individual giving goal. This hire will manage and grow their own portfolio of individual donors and coordinate individual donor engagement across Summer Search Bay Area development staff and volunteer leadership.
The Donor Relations Manager will report to the Senior Director of Development and will join a dedicated and collaborative 5-member regional development team. This is an exciting position for a project- and relationship-oriented professional to grow in their development career, work closely with experienced site leadership, and make a significant impact on Summer Search’s capacity to serve even more Bay Area youth.
Responsibilities
Specifically, the Donor Relations Manager will:
Manage all individual strategies for prospecting, relationship building, stewardship and moves management.
Partner with the Sr. Director of Development to coordinate the entire $2.5M+ individual giving program, inclusive of new donors, mid-level giving, and annual fund activities.
Manage a portfolio of 100 existing individual donors with a current annual revenue target of ~$750K
Qualify and cultivate new individual donor prospects who are aligned with Summer Search’s growth plans and core values and have the capacity to make or move into four, five- and six-figure gifts, with the objective of building a gift portfolio of ~150 donors with a $100K+ revenue target within 2 years.
Manage and grow the existing mid-level and annual giving program (typically individuals giving <$5K annually) with a revenue goal of $750,000.
Partner with staff leadership, program staff, and alumni to ensure that the donor portfolio is engaged through a strategic mix of meetings/calls, events, student engagement opportunities, and personalized communications.
Ensure exceptional and personalized stewardship by crafting impact reports, email, letters, videos, and other donor communications.
Utilize a “moves management” system for donors and prospects in Raiser’s Edge NXT, ensuring that all touchpoints and projections for gifts are tracked with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.
Partner with the Sr. Director of Development and Associate Director of Institutional Partnerships to support the Development & Nominating Committee of the Bay Area Board.
Work alongside your Bay Area Development teammates to implement regional fundraising & cultivation events, including our annual signature event, Beyond Limits.
Collaborate with development colleagues across the Summer Search network to share best practices and participate in network-wide initiatives as a representative for the Bay Area site, as needed.
Requirements
The Donor Relations Manager position calls a data and project oriented professional with a strong track record of building authentic partnerships in a professional setting, inspiring a variety of audiences through a clear, concise articulation of the importance of an organization’s work. Specifically, this hire will bring:
EXPERIENCE: At least 4 years of related work experience ( in nonprofit development, fundraising, and/or relationship management ), with at least 2 years of demonstrated success in advancing individual relationships through the cultivation process.
DATA MANAGEMENT: You are adept at the process of acquiring, validating, and managing accurate information within a shared system. You leverage databases to track donor data and organize information within the Development function.
RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: You partner with prospects and donors by building lasting relationships to support the organizational mission and meet fundraising goals.
FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES: You approach fundraising through an analytical and data-driven lens and are hands-on in translating strategy into tangible activities and goals.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: You hold yourself and others responsible for processes, decisions, actions, and commitments to results to drive high-quality outcomes. You're responsive to the needs of stakeholders and follow through on commitments.
CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS: You have an understanding of the root causes of societal discrimination and injustices and are self-reflective about your own privilege and positional power. You apply critical thinking and take action toward liberatory and inclusive practices.
TECHNOLOGY: Experience with a Development Moves Management system including creating reports and analyzing and tracking data is required. Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT is strongly preferred. Above all, all Summer Search staff bring a commitment to our mission of unleashing students’ potential through mentoring and transformative experiences, as well as the ability to thrive in an environment that values excellence, gratitude, well-being, diversity, authenticity, and collaboration.
LOCATION AND TRAVEL
This is a hybrid role, with regular in-person work expectations. While the Bay Area site does not currently have a required ‘in-office’ schedule, this hire must be able to be in-person for all staff meetings & events in the community, as well as serving as a consistent presence in all Bay Area office locations (currently Oakland and Richmond) and at team-building activities across the region. The DM must be able to travel as needed between our Bay Area offices and to meetings & events across the entire region, as well to staff/attend events outside of normal work hours, as needed (typically no more than 10%).
Salary Range and Employee Benefits
$81,903-88,641
How to Apply for this Job
About the Organization
Summer Search is a 7-year mentorship program for promising students facing unjust obstacles. Students join the program in their sophomore year of high school and are supported through college or other post-secondary pursuits. We provide comprehensive support through one-on-one mentorship from trained staff, peer-led group mentorship, and summers of experiential learning, while also supporting young people to build a toolkit for navigating and challenging systemic barriers to higher education and career opportunities.
Since our founding in 1990, Summer Search has reached more than 6,500 young people and currently serves more than 3,600 high school and college students in five regions across the country – San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Our alumni become the kind of leaders our country needs -- civic leaders, advocates, industry leaders, teachers, mothers and fathers. Their collective leadership ripples out into the community and future generations and contributes to a more equitable society.
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