Donor Relations Officer

Donor Relations Officer

Location: Flexible within Alabama, with strong preference for candidates based in Birmingham or Huntsville.

About the Position

The Donor Relations Officer will serve as a key member of the ACLU of Alabama's Development team. Reporting to the Development Director, the Donor Relations Officer will be primarily responsible for development operations, including gift entry and tracking, communication management, data hygiene, gift acknowledgements, reporting, and donor research and management. A large component of the job will be in-person meetings with donors, attending community and networking events, and hosting house parties. The Donor Relations Officer will be self-motivated and have a deep passion for civil rights and civil liberties and will strongly champion the ACLU of Alabama’s vision for a more just Alabama.

Responsibilities

Development Administration

• Enter and maintain records in donor database, including entry of gifts, interactions, and contact and research information.
• Send monthly acknowledgment letters to all ACLU-AL donors.
• Create fundraising reports and mailing list reports.
• Maintain alignment between National ACLU and ACLU-AL donor communication systems.
• Prepare briefing memos in advance of meetings with donors and prospects, as directed by Development Director and Executive Director.

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Build and manage relationships with new and existing donors through active outreach and communication, including daily call times, handwritten thank you notes for major gifts and in person meetings.
• Develop and maintain communication with donors regarding breaking news, including coordination with ACLU-AL's communications department on messaging.
• Project-manage events, including identifying caterers; venues; and other relevant vendors and decisions, identifying theme and target audience, engaging with event host(s), drafting invitation language, managing event RSVPs.
• Actively attend community and networking events to engage with donors and identify new prospects.

Cultural Responsibility

• Bring an understanding of racial injustice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity into our approach to development.
• Commit to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture.
• Engage in relationship building with program staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders.

What You’ll Bring

The Donor Relations Officer must demonstrate the following qualifications and skills: 

• Advanced interpersonal skills and enthusiasm for building strong, professional relationships with donors, staff, board members, volunteers, and the public.
• Ability to learn systems including Microsoft Office, Salesforce, Blackbaud, Asana, and others, with a strong preference for demonstrated experience in at least one fundraising database system.
• Experience with and ability to exercise discretion and confidentiality with sensitive information.
• Adept in communicating professionally, quickly, and effectively in person, on the phone, via email, and in writing about sensitive topics including financial matters, giving processes, giving mechanisms, and more.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
• High-level attention to detail, wherein you often notice things that other people miss.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with others as part of a team.
• Ability to think proactively, anticipate problems, develop creative and effective solutions, and take the initiative to facilitate smooth operations for all staff confidently.
• Ability to travel within the state of Alabama and work occasional evenings, weekends, and irregular hours.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and to valuing differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstances.

Preferred

• At least two years of experience with nonprofit fundraising, including gift solicitation or development operations.