Job Title: Director of Development
Division: Westside Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House (WLARMH)
Reports To: Executive Director
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Remote, Southern California
Salary: $85,000 - $95,000
Position Summary
In partnership with the Executive Director and Board of Trustees, the Director of Development assists with the execution of a comprehensive fundraising program, including events hosted by RMH WLA and other community events and initiatives designed to ensure the organization’s financial stability. This individual reports to the Executive Director, will be a significant part of the Capital Campaign, assists with and launches the Annual Funding Plan (Heart of the House) Planned Giving program, Committees and various Special Event Committees, and other staff and volunteers to achieve all fundraising goals. Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Southern California (herein referred to as RMHCSC or the Chapter) is located in Los Angeles near several neighboring hospitals. Our mission is to provide comfort, care, and support to children and families in Southern California. To achieve its vision of creating a community where children and their families embrace life and healing with a sense of hope, enthusiasm, and joy, RMHCSC operates seven Ronald McDonald Houses, three and soon-to-be four Ronald McDonald Family Rooms, and Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times.
Responsibilities
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Capital Campaign / in coordination with the Executive Director
Overview:
- Assist the Executive Director, Board, and Director of Major Gifts with prospect data collection, meeting scheduling, presentation projects, community presentations, and ensure the record-keeping of gifts is accurate and organized with our Chapter Finance Department.
- As appropriate; attend all Campaign meetings and assist with additional related projects as assigned and as appropriate, attends Board meetings and coordinates Board development activities.
- Campaign branding and design, Campaign talking points for staff, Campaign general talking points, Campaign plan including updates, budget and timeline revisions, coordination with RMH leadership.
- Development of a “list of potential” for 6, 7, and 8 figure gifts, including prospect research.
Weekly:
- Weekly maintenance of prospect matrix, dashboards, and individual weekly activity items, lists to track activity, organize research, and develop major gift strategies.
- Weekly meeting and prep (Executive Director, Major Gift Officer), including agenda creation, materials, coordination, and recap email.
Bi-Weekly:
- Bi-Weekly prospect strategy, prioritization, and continued outreach support.
Materials:
- Finalize content of remaining collateral materials, including campaign frequently asked question, establish a contract with a third-party designer to develop the campaign logo, branding, guidelines, and finalize the collateral material design. Print all campaign collateral for prospect kits. Establish a contract with a videographer to begin developing the campaign promo video and related materials. Receive Chapter Board approval of organizational development policies, including Gift Acceptance and Crediting Policy and Gift Recognition Policy. Using prepared plans and templates, complete and launch remaining communications, including donor newsletter, campaign website, and donor thank-you videos from RMH families/staff. Select and distribute campaign stewardship gift to donors prior to public announcement.
Prospectus:
- Document all existing campaign pledges and pledge payment schedules.
- Schedule and implement campaign cultivation events in priority regions, led in partnership with campaign volunteer leaders.
- Continue buildout of campaign prospects
- Define timeline for the campaign public announcement and public phase, using public announcement plan as guidance.
Prospect Research Plan
- Performs prospect identification and research; meets with development staff to support activities, initiatives and programs. Collaborates with Executive Director and Major Gift Officer to develop prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and overall fundraising strategies. Advises development staff regarding new prospect possibilities; consults on the feasibility of research requests and special projects.
- Creates profile reports tailored to specific goals and/or objectives; maintains, tracks and stores profile data. Creates lists of local prospects, creates bio's for potential donors and upcoming meetings.
- Reviews local and national news, business publications, economic trends and business development keeping abreast of prospect information; provides relevant information to development staff.
- Maintains and updates policies and procedures for the prospect research programs; proposes changes and modifications for best practices, when appropriate; attends annual APRA conference.
Annual Fund Plan
- Work collaboratively with Executive Director, Director of Major Gifts, Board of Trustees, to identify a robust pipeline of major gift prospects for cultivation from all areas of donor engagement and associated networks.
- Execute alongside Executive Director, a high-touch donor engagement stewardship relations plan for all giving levels.
- Supervision of the Special Events (Contractor/TBD) and any other development staff, including planning and production of fundraising special events and attracting fundraising sources to these events.
- In conjunction with Executive Director, produce WLARMH communication and public relations materials, such as direct mail, website, newsletters, brochures, and other promotional materials.
- Support Executive Director on Planned Giving program, to include a partnership with board members and RMHCSC Chapter strategies.
- Research and identify potential funding sources; oversee the writing and submission of funding proposals/grants and follow-up reports to foundations and corporations, as assigned.
- Direct the production of public relations materials such as newsletters, annual reports, brochures, and other promotional materials for the WLARMH.
- Works in partnership with the Administrative Coordinator on the management of the donor database, donor recognition, and gift acknowledgment tasks.
Donor Acknowledgement, Recognition, and Record-Keeping Plan
- Work closely with Administrative Coordinator to maintain donor database and donor files.
- Oversee and assist in the prepare of gift acknowledgments, letters of appreciation, and similar documents.
- Oversee personal gifts for appropriate for major donors.
- Oversee all “actions” in the data base for donor records.
- Oversees the creation of all stewardship materials for Annual Fund and Major Giving: Formal gift proposal template, Formal gift agreement template, Formal template for email acknowledgements, Formal payment acknowledgement letter template, Formal pledge thank you letter template, Formal payment reminder letter template, Formal delinquent letter #1 and #2 template, Return envelopes design. Oversees the creation of letterhead for the WLARMH, notecards for handwritten notes with WLARMH branding.
- Oversee Gift Acceptance process in collaboration with Chapter staff at the LARMH
Volunteer Support
- Provide administrative support for committee volunteers participating in committees and activities of the Annual Funding Plan.
- Serve as staff liaison to committees of the Annual Funding Plan (HOH and Planned Giving).
- Serve as staff liaison to the Stewardship Committee (once activated).
- Serve as staff liaison with leadership to community organizations, as applicable.
- Prepare meeting notices, agendas, and reports.
Development Administrative Support
- Assist Executive Director in budget preparation via the annual development budget.
Team Member Supervision
- Lead and directly supervise a staff of one; Full-time Administration Coordinator, and contracted events staff. Co-manage the Director of Major Gifts with the Executive Director.
Work together with these team members to support the achievement of all set goals and budget projections.
Qualifications
Proven record of accomplishment/support in fundraising for a recognized not-for-profit institution. Familiarity with various types of funding programs, including annual giving, capital gifts, and deferred giving. Self-motivated and able to solve problems. Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of people and personalities. Experience working with volunteer boards. Excellent communication skills, both oral and written. Proven management skills.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- 7-10 years of increasing responsibility in fund development for a nonprofit organization.
- Must demonstrate the ability to build relations with individuals, foundations, corporations, and other organizations.
- Must possess experience in marketing, promotions, public relations, special events, gift agreements, and annual fund development.
- Must exhibit strong written and oral communication skills.
- Must be experienced with budgets and financial documents.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and other office productivity tools (email, database management, digital media, etc.).
- Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills with attention to detail as well as verbal and written communication skills.
Knowledge and Skills
Possess strong presentation skills to effectively communicate with a wide variety of audiences. Demonstrate flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload.
Supervisory Responsibilities – Full-time Administration Coordinator, and contracted events staff. Co-manage the Major Gift Office with the Executive Director.
Language Skills
Ability to read, write and/or interpret general business documents and correspondence reports, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups, families, employees, managers, and the general public. Proficiency in speaking and writing Spanish ideal.
Mathematical Skills
Ability to calculate figures and amounts including basic math, percentages, discounts, and interest. Ability to understand and analyze budgets.
Reasoning Ability
Ability to function responsibly and autonomously as demonstrated by excellent decision-making skills, sound judgment, and a high comfort level to exercise authority. Ability to solve problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Computer Skills
Microsoft Office Suite; fluency in donor database programs; Blackbaud knowledge helpful.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel; talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Work Environment
Remote; with site visits, events, as needed. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is quiet to moderate.
Equal Opportunity Employer
