Philanthropy Manager

Love nature? Then you’re going to love The Nat.   

The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) was founded by amateur naturalists in 1874 and has played a major role in the conversation of our region. The Museum recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and completed a strategic plan focused on encouraging a love for nature, levering science and collections for conservation, and using our own voice to be here for nature.

The Nat is seeking a Philanthropy Manager whose superb attention to detail and strong project management skills will help the Philanthropy team raise funds to support our mission of conserving nature through science and discovery.

This position is responsible for coordinating all gift processing activities, project managing all department mailings, organizing donor stewardship events, and providing administrative support for the Philanthropy team. This integral position reports to the Director of Philanthropy. 

Principal duties and responsibilities: 

Manage all gift processing activities- 35% 

• Processes all donations daily (gift entry, acknowledgments, and donor recognition) via Altru; works closely with Accounting Department, and Database Administrator to ensure accurate entry of gift information.
• Produces thank you letters and manages the acknowledgment process; works closely with Philanthropy officers and program staff to ensure accurate, personalized, and timely acknowledgments.
• Prepares and sends weekly gift reports and donor call list reports to Director of Philanthropy and Philanthropy officers.
• Organizes all gift information for the physical and cloud-based donor files.
• Tracks outstanding pledges and monitor pledge payment activity and reminders.
• Manages monthly giving program, including staff giving via payroll deductions.
• Updates constituent records, including e-mail addresses, address changes, relationships, attributes, etc. as new information is received from donors.
• Tracks donor recognition names and requirements; helps track that all donor signage and printed materials, such as the Impact Report and the donor wall, are accurate and updated online and in the Museum.
• Recommends updates for policies and procedures related to gift processing activities.

  Manages donor stewardship trips and events- 25% 

• Works with the philanthropy team to plan stewardship events for various individual donors and donor groups (Leadership, Live Oaks Society, Behind the Scenes Tours, Trips, Receptions).
• Serves as the Philanthropy Department’s lead point of contact with the Museum’s Events Department.
• Researches, plans, and executes all aspects of events and trips, both in person at the Museum and in the donor travel program.
• Reserves dates and spaces on the Museum calendar; creates event work orders and determines vendor needs with the Special Events team.
• Creates a strategy for invitation lists, including segmentation and customized messaging.
• Writes invitation text (physical or digital, depending on the event) and works with communications team to design invitation packages as needed.
• Manages the RSVPs via Altru.
• Manages check-in/registration the day of the event. Coordinates event thank you letters (post event).
• Tracks gifts-in-kind (event catering, in coordination with Special Events team).

Project manage all department communications- 20% 

• Segments and tracks all mailings (print and digital) via Altru. Tracks successes and challenges and makes recommendations for improvement.
• Works closely with the Communications team as needed to produce creative and successful traditional mail packages, digital campaigns, and other materials.
• Produces mailings in-house as needed and controls supply inventory for in-house printing projects.
• Works with outside vendors to facilitate the production and mailing of print pieces and other items.
• Manages digital giving content and online giving options.
• Creates, manages, and edits all mailing lists.
• Attends regular meetings of counterparts at other organizations to stay aware of local trends.

Philanthropy support- 20% 

• Inputs all data into the department’s constituent relationship management database.
• Prepares various reports from Altru data for Philanthropy team analysis.
• Conducts prospect identification and research utilizing prospect research services; keep all records updated in Altru.
• Tracks and updates all stewardship and proposal deadlines in Altru.
• Updates Altru based on contact reports and gift alerts.
• Supports donor and prospect site visit
• Assists with in-person and virtual membership and other Museum-wide events as assigned.
• Manages the department expense budgets and purchasing.
• Actively participates in regular Museum and department staff meetings.

Your Qualifications:  

• Three years professional nonprofit fundraising experience
• Knowledge of gift processing and event planning
• Ability to manage concurrent projects accurately and completely within deadlines
• Constituent Records Management (CRM)/prospect database experience is required, Altru experience preferred
• Superb attention to detail, strong organization, and time management skills
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted
• Experience with Microsoft Office software, including Word, SharePoint, Excel, Teams, and Outlook
• Record of successful experience in activities requiring customer service and/or donor relations
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to work well independently and within a team environment

This is a full-time, non-exempt position with benefits such as health insurance, vacation, sick-time, 15 paid holidays, free admission into all of Balboa Park’s museums, and more.    

The salary for this position is $26 per hour for a 40-hour per week schedule. This position requires you to work on site in Balboa Park no less than four days per week, with the option to work remotely one day per week. 

Ready to apply? Please submit a single PDF file containing your cover letter, resume, and one work sample that highlights your relevant experience when you apply here.