Donor Relations Manager

About RepresentUs

RepresentUs fuels a grassroots movement to make government answer to people, not just the powerful. We believe no one should be above the law, and we build the constituent pressure, cross-ideological audiences, and engaged communities that make Congress act.

We’re a scrappy, high-energy team that punches well above our weight: seasoned political campaigners, communications professionals, policy experts, and organizers. We’re nimble, constantly learning and iterating, and we push ourselves to ignore industry standards and set new ones. We take the mission seriously and take care of each other.

About the Role

The Donor Relations Manager shapes how we grow and keep our base of individual supporters. You will manage your own portfolio of up to 50 mid-level and membership donors and prospects, and lead annual planning and strategy for our major donor program. You will also share responsibility for digital fundraising with the Marketing team, run our year-end campaign and donor events, and make sure every supporter is thanked and stewarded well. You will work closely with the Development Coordinator, who handles day-to-day development operations, and with the CEO and VP of Finance & Administration on major donor strategy and revenue goals. This position is a great fit for an early- to mid-career fundraiser looking for a role with real room to grow and may include supervision of junior roles as needed over time.

This position is fully remote, open to U.S. candidates. Pacific time Zone preferred What You’ll Be Doing

Donor Strategy and Portfolio Management (50%)

• Manage a portfolio of about 50 individual mid- and membership-level donors and prospects: cultivate, solicit and steward them toward renewed and increased gifts.

• Research and qualify prospects using tools such as iWave/Kindsight and Impala, and recommend whom to approach and for how much.

• Lead annual planning for individual giving: moves management plans, ask amounts and timing, likelihood scoring and revenue projections and targets.

• Plan and run the year-end campaign, including the mailed appeal and year-in-review report, building on past campaign results.

• Segment email and mailing lists in collaboration with the Email Manager so messages reach the right supporters.

• Prepare weekly revenue and donation reports and document variances for leadership.

Digital Fundraising (30%)

• Work with the Marketing team to develop and carry out strategies to retain and renew online donors, including recurring and one-time givers.

• Share responsibility with Marketing for raising at least $420,000 a year from digital fundraising, growing revenue by at least 3% annually toward a long-term goal of $650,000.

• Help maintain a base of at least 1,500 active recurring donors, with a goal of growing to 2,000.

• Plan digital fundraising each year with Marketing, including revenue projections and an editorial calendar.

• Identify and launch opportunities that inspire online giving, such as special campaigns, matching gift challenges and donation page improvements.

Donor Stewardship (20%)

• Plan and provide high-level support for donor events, such as fireside chats, in-person receptions and virtual briefings and town halls.

• Oversee accurate and timely tax acknowledgements, including the different requirements for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) gifts, stock gifts and donor-advised fund grants.

• Produce year-end giving statements for donors as requested.

• Track open grants and pledges, including payment schedules and reporting deadlines, and follow up with funders and donors as payments come due, ensuring in advance that staff or contractors are developing reporting.

• Manage the team's shared inboxes and make sure donor inquiries get a prompt response.

• Keep our profiles on charity rating and transparency platforms, such as Candid and Charity Navigator, current and accurate.

• Draft, prepare and present updates on our fundraising for the board, funders and other stakeholders as appropriate.

What We’re Looking For

• Plan and provide high-level support for donor events, such as fireside chats, in-person receptions and virtual briefings and town halls.

• Oversee accurate and timely tax acknowledgements, including the different requirements for 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) gifts, stock gifts and donor-advised fund grants.

• Produce year-end giving statements for donors as requested.

• Track open grants and pledges, including payment schedules and reporting deadlines, and follow up with funders and donors as payments come due, ensuring in advance that staff or contractors are developing reporting.

• Manage the team's shared inboxes and make sure donor inquiries get a prompt response.

• Keep our profiles on charity rating and transparency platforms, such as Candid and Charity Navigator, current and accurate.

• Draft, prepare and present updates on our fundraising for the board, funders and other stakeholders as appropriate.

A plus:

• Direct experience with EveryAction or ActionKit.

• Knowledge of prospect research tools such as Kindsight, ProPublica, LexusNexus, WealthEngine, DonorSearch, etc.

• Experience with both 501c3 and 501c4 fundraising or nonprofit work.

• Comfortable with grant-writing or preparing other donor communications.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Democracy is for all, and at RepresentUs, so is our workplace. That’s why we’re an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to evolving our staff and board to reflect the full diversity of America and the communities we aim to serve. As we seek the best of the best to join our ranks, we welcome applications from all walks of life (including but not limited to BIPOC/people of color, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ candidates) because we know that our democracy-building work has greater impact when we center diverse backgrounds, perspectives and ideologies. Once on the team, we encourage our teammates to bring their whole selves to work. We’re continually working to increase our cultural awareness, strengthen our approach to equity, and foster a climate of inclusion in all that we do. We invite you to belong with us! Read our statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging here.

Physical Requirements

RepresentUs is committed to supporting employees of varying abilities and to providing reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to thrive at RepresentUs.

The requirements of this role, related to its physical demands, described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

All employees must be able to operate a computer and use a cell phone. For roles that include frequent business travel expectations, we can discuss reasonable alternatives to travel in some instances. Most roles also require communicating with key external stakeholders of the organization in person, via the telephone, or via email. Applicants with questions about accommodations may request to speak with our ADA liaison at ada@represent.us.

• Working from a computer for long periods of time;
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may also frequently be required to communicate using the telephone, email, and in person with stakeholders; and
• This position has less than 5% travel expectations and is eligible for flexible work hour arrangements.

Hiring Process

• Phone screen
• Group interview
• Final interview
• Reference/Background check
• Offer from HR

To Apply

Please apply online at represent.us/careers and be sure to attach all requested materials. When an applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to compete for this position, they may request it in writing by emailing ADA@represent.us. No phone calls please.

RepresentUs reserves the right to require background checks including criminal, employment, education, licensure, etc. as well as credit and motor vehicle when applicable for certain positions. Background checks are conducted after an offer of employment has been made.

This position will access sensitive/confidential information as part of their duties, and may be required to sign a Confidentiality/Non Disclosure Agreement specific to this information as a condition of employment.