The Director of Donor Relations is charged with the development and management of a comprehensive program to foster and nurture lasting relationships between Catholic Relief Services (CRS), its leadership giving donors and volunteers. The Director will create a cross-functional team culture of high performance and execute a creative donor-centric approach to donor engagement which demonstrates the impact of philanthropy on those whom CRS serves.

The Director will work closely with key stakeholders in Charitable Giving, senior leaders in Overseas Operations, Marketing & Communications and Church Engagement to fully engage and communicate impact to donors through individualized recognition and stewardship activities that are metrics informed, based on best practices and feedback from donors.

In close collaboration with key stakeholders across CRS, the Director of Donor Relations will be responsible for the development of campaign recognition and engagement initiatives, including honor roll, campaign related materials, campaign publications, a campaign website and milestones events. The Director will develop and execute strategies to engage volunteers in support of the CRS campaign.

The Director of Donor Relations is also responsible for the development and delivery of a comprehensive program to grow philanthropic relationships between CRS and Family Foundations in support of CRS' strategic priorities.

S/he is a member of the Vice President's Leadership Team.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop, deliver and execute a comprehensive three year plan to engage, recognize, conduct stewardship and acknowledge major/principal gift donors demonstrating the impact of their philanthropy. The plan will be forward-thinking, donor-centric, metric-informed and align with the strategic priorities of Charitable Giving.
• Develop annual action plans and activities to assess the effectiveness of CRS' donor acknowledgement, recognition and engagement efforts, including the ROI of major/prospective events.
• In close collaboration with Leadership Giving fundraisers, senior leaders in Charitable Giving, Overseas Operations and Church Engagement manage the delivery of customized reports, services, activities and related products to the highest-level donors that build confidence that their gifts have impact and help strengthen their philanthropic support.
• Manage a team of Donor Relations staff consistent with nationally recognized measurable performance standards, for donor engagement, donor retention and donor satisfaction.
• Partner with Leadership Giving fundraisers and provide strategic leadership to develop and execute individualized engagement strategies for CRS' highest rated donors. Directly manage engagement strategies for 20-30 "Top 50" donors.
• Provide strategic leadership to develop and execute a robust Family Philanthropy Program.

• Directly manage a portfolio of 3-5 Family Foundation donors.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Management

The Director of Donor Relations will have overall management responsibilities for a Donor Relations staff of six and directly supervise three staff. The Director will provide guidance, direction and career mentoring to direct reports through the goal and evaluation process. The Director reports to the Vice President for Leadership Giving and works closely with other members of Charitable Giving, the EVP for Charitable Giving, the CEO/President of CRS, Board members and leadership donors and volunteers as appropriate.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Required Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

• Persuasive, articulate and strategic leader with the ability to work in a team setting as leader, participant and facilitator
• Ability to provide focus and motivation to a professional staff in a goal driven environment
• Strong work ethic, positive "can do" attitude, and a sense of humor
• Exceptional collaborator and creative problem solver
• Ability to prioritize and deliver multiple projects on time
• Experience leading and managing a professional development/donor relations team
• Demonstrated understanding of the principles and techniques of major gift and campaign fundraising
• Technical skills and computer literacy, including fundraising data base systems
• Knowledge of Clearview and Opportunities Management desirable
• Able to participate in event and weekend activities, including regional travel as necessary

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

NOTE: All interested applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application.

EOE/M/F/D/V