Coordinator, Development

Summary: The Development Coordinator supports fundraising efforts primarily through solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship of Garden Giving Society members. The Coordinator is responsible for preparing, mailing, and tracking monthly Giving Society membership renewals and working with division leadership to identify upgrade and acquisition prospects. The Development Coordinator manages the Young Friends Council, including meeting coordination, recruitment and orientation, and event planning. This role also provides general stewardship support, assigning and tracking donor thank you calls, staffing donor events, and providing exemplary service through the Donor Concierge phone line and inbox.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Supports strategic development and execution of all aspects of Garden Giving Society program, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Prepares monthly Garden Giving Societies membership lists and renewal materials; develops and executes relevant upgrade strategies to strengthen the mid- and upper-level membership program.
• Reviews donor giving history and engagement in Tessitura, the Garden's CRM, and additional sources to assess donor readiness for entry and upgrade in the Garden Giving Societies.
• Prepares personalized solicitation materials to be signed by Garden President, volunteer leadership, Senior VP of Institutional Advancement, and other Institutional Advancement staff.
• Coordinates donor thank you calls for the development team, assigning gift officers to individual donors on a weekly basis and reporting on progress to division leadership.
• Assists with member benefit fulfillment as needed, ensuring Giving Society members receive promised recognition in the Annual Report, passes, and other benefits.
• Serves as primary liaison to the Young Friends Council. Working directly with volunteer leadership, provides guidance and materials for all activities including meetings, events, and onboarding of new members.
• Leads planning efforts and execution of three annual Young Friends fundraisers in coordination with the Young Friends Council volunteers and the Member and Development Events team.
• Solicits in-kind donors and sponsors for Young Friends events and stewards past event sponsors.
• Participates in planning, development, and execution of donor cultivation and stewardship events, including receptions, Spotlight Series lectures, and donor dinners.
• Accurately updates donor records with contact information, recognition preference, contact notes, event attendance, and other relevant information.
• Provides excellent customer service while answering the donor concierge line and responding to donor email boxes.
• Supports the division's wide fundraising activities by selling memberships at public events, serving on Garden committees as assigned, and remaining up to date on the Garden's work and community offerings. Meets expected attendance guidelines.
• Meets expected attendance guidelines.
• Follows and adheres to established policies and procedures, including but not limited to Employee Handbook, Garden Safety Guidelines and Department Policies.
• Behaves & communicates in a manner that promotes and fosters a culture of teamwork, cooperation, and respect within our division and throughout the Garden with all employees, supervisors/managers, volunteers, visitors and others.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Core Competencies

• Communication - Listens to others and asks questions for clarification; Writes clearly and presents information accurately; Speaks professionally and responds well to questions; Supports positive visitor relations.
• Collaboration - Demonstrates teamwork and promotes respect in the workplace; Engages in problem solving and group initiatives; Cooperates in implementing procedures and process improvements; Strives for positive visitor experiences.
• Accountability - Demonstrates commitment to responsibilities and adaptable to changes; Effectively prioritizes, troubleshoots and takes appropriate actions; Follows policies and procedures, meets deadlines, quality, and safety standards; Strives to proactively, address visitor and internal colleagues' concerns.
• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems; Includes supervisor before taking action as necessary; Recommends solutions, demonstrates creativity and resourcefulness; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment in decision making process; Includes appropriate people in making decisions.
• Stewardship - Promotes and adheres to sustainability, safety and security protocols; Fosters a culture of respect, diversity and inclusion; Demonstrates effective and prudent use of Garden resources; Maximizes contributions during work hours.

Qualifications/Experience:

• Minimum of two to three years of professional experience in non-profit fund development.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of fundraising principles and practices; documented success in individual gift fund raising.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and interact with a wide variety of people; strong customer service orientation.
• Must be able to manage multiple priorities, work under pressure, demonstrate and instill in staff members a high degree of professionalism, integrity, loyalty and service to the organization.
• Strong presentation and public speaking skills.
• Willingness to work as part of a team required; proven ability to work collaboratively with internal team members for the purposes of achieving goals/objectives.
• Scheduling flexibility that allows working occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays required.
• The Garden is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our employees, volunteers and guests. All staff are strongly encouraged to receive all vaccinations as recommended by your healthcare provider prior to hire date. The Garden reserves the right to require future proof of current vaccination status, based on local health department guidelines. When international travel is necessary for Garden business, staff must be able to obtain required travel clearances, driving permits, and vaccinations for all countries where travel is required.
• The requirements and duties listed are representative and not exhaustive of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilities required.

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree required in Communications or related field.
• An equivalent combination of skills, education and experience may be considered.

Computer Skills:

• Intermediate skill level using Microsoft Office Word and Excel programs required; strong working knowledge of Outlook features (specifically the electronic calendar feature) required and PowerPoint preferred.
• Proficient experience using Raiser's Edge, Tessitura, or equivalent donor management system.

Language Skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively in English (verbal and written).

Mathematical Skills:

• Requires ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; calculate percentages and decimals.

Reasoning Ability:

• Requires ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.
• Ability to define problems, collects data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Physical Demands:

• Requires ability to make frequent telephone calls and routine in-person visits to the organization's current and future donors and prospects.
• Ability to utilize a computer keyboard (typing) and sit for extended periods of the work day.
• Must be able to lift and carry 20 pounds when transporting supplies and assisting constituents; occasional hands-on participation with event set-ups required.
• May be required to perform tasks at varying heights (i.e., step stool ladders, etc.).
• Ability to move up and down stairwells (multiple MBG buildings have stairs); walk about facility frequently throughout work day; frequent standing, reaching and stooping - 25% or more of the workday may be spent standing on feet.
• Must be able to work both indoors and outdoors.

Work Environment:

• Quiet indoor office setting; shared work space, office environment with multiple staff within the department.
• Comfortable working in immediate proximity to general public, in a safe and friendly manner, answering questions regarding the Garden and its operations.
• Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions (i.e., in temperatures over 100°F as well as temperatures below 0°F, in rain, snow and other inclement weather conditions as needed).
• Dynamic and fast-paced, requiring ongoing cooperation with multiple internal and external audiences.

Contacts with Individuals/Organizations inside/outside the Garden:

• Assigned donors and prospects.
• Institutional Advancement staff.
• Other employees/volunteers.

Supervisor:

• Manager, Annual Leadership Giving