The Tax Foundation is the world’s leading nonpartisan tax policy 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For over 85 years, our mission has remained the same: to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity. Our vision is a world where the tax code doesn’t stand in the way of success. Every day, our team of trusted experts strives towards that vision by remaining principled, insightful, and engaged and by advancing the principles of sound tax policy: simplicity, neutrality, transparency, and stability.
Position Summary
The Donor Engagement Officer cultivates increased levels of individual giving through donor engagement and direct solicitation activities. A director-level officer will also lead department-wide strategic efforts. The day-to-day responsibilities are focused on actions that increase engagement of individual donors as measured by two-way contact between the donor and Tax Foundation as well as by financial investment. This role is expected to manage donors and prospects across the donor lifecycle of identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, maintaining a donor-centric focus at all times.
Essential Functions
(Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.)
- Program Strategy
- Collaborates with the Vice President of Development to design and implement a comprehensive and proactive lead annual gift and major gift plan to contribute to the annual Development team revenue target and future goals
- Collaborates with the Vice President of Development and individual giving team to develop systems for qualifying donors within and for prospecting outside the organization’s existing portfolio
- Actively seeks data-driven insights and program improvements to increase donor engagement
- Works with policy staff to understand funding needs and opportunities; works with marketing staff to translate those opportunities into appropriate major gift proposals including drafting proposal language
- Learns the viewpoints and concerns of Tax Foundation’s major donors and ensures these are communicated and represented across the organization
- Stays current on funding and philanthropic trends, and manages ongoing prospect research to identify new funding sources
- May be called on to represent the organization to external audiences
- Leverages presidential, board member, and senior staff engagement with investors as appropriate to establish or strengthen relationships
- Identifies long-term partnerships and opportunities to strengthen existing relationships with relevant organizations and other key communities
- Moves Management
- Actively manages a portfolio of ~150 donors in cultivation, from lead annual giving to major gifts, owning a designated geographic region
- Works with current donors, board members, policy staff, marketing staff, and other stakeholders to identify new prospective donors
- Researches identified prospects to confirm capacity, alignment, and inclination
- Connects with prospects and current donors to confirm capacity, alignment, and inclination for inclusion in a development officer’s portfolio
- Disqualifies those who do not meet the standards for portfolio inclusion
- Develops personalized annual engagement plans for all donors in the portfolio
- Works with donors and prospects to develop trust and learn about the timing, topic, and total amount that would be most appropriate for a major gift investment from the donor
- Recognizes when to begin conversations about planned giving and involve the VP of Development as appropriate
- Makes lead annual gift and major gift solicitations where appropriate, involving other staff and volunteers as needed.
- Secures planned gifts for the 1937 Legacy Society
- Ensures gifts are acknowledged according to approved procedures
- Ensures donors understand the impact of their gifts through thoughtful and targeted
- Written Materials
- Drafts proposal and stewardship documents for major donors
- Coordinates with Marketing and Communications on relevant collateral
- Prepares regular written reports to the Vice President of Development regarding individual donor stewardship status updates, metrics progress, and revenue trends
- Internal Systems & Capacity-Building
- Maintains standard operating procedures for CRM and document storage
- Integrates major donor relations activities and strategies into broader organization initiatives
Travel and Location
Director of Donor Engagement will report to the Vice President of Development and work closely with the organization’s policy and marketing leadership. As Tax Foundation’s primary liaison to donors in the Mountain and Pacific time zones, this position should reside in the Western United States. Travel to meet with investors will be a priority, anticipated at 10-25% of the role depending on time of year. Occasional travel to the Tax Foundation office in Washington DC will be required.
Preferred Education, Experience or Qualifications
- 5-15+ years of experience in relationship development, which may include major gifts development work at a nonprofit organization, work for a candidate or political committee, or other applicable experience in the for-profit sector
- High emotional intelligence and strong ability to read a room
- Proven ability to utilize executives and board members as part of a moves management strategy
- Experience working with Salesforce Interest in developing data sets and using them to refine programs
- Familiarity with current and historical tax policy
Minimum Education, Experience or Qualifications
- 3+ years of experience in relationship development, which may include major gifts development work at a nonprofit organization, work for a candidate or political committee, or other applicable experience in the for-profit sector
- Excellent communication skills across platforms
- Experience with moves management fundraising and donor research tools
- Willingness to work in a CRM-driven environment, where “if it isn’t in Salesforce, it didn’t happen” is the rule
- Strong project management skills and comfort with managing multiple concurrent lines of work
- Drive to take initiative, track personal progress, and meet individual goals.
- Creativity and a problem-solving mindset
- Personal commitment to Tax Foundation’s mission
- Desire to be part of a high-performing team
Compensation
The projected salary range for this role is $65,000-110,000. This salary is contingent upon the specific skills and experience of the selected candidate.
Position Type and Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time exempt position. Regular hours of operation are 9:00am to 5:30pm Eastern, Monday-Friday. Employees across time zones are asked to work the core hours of 10:00am – 4:30pm Eastern. Some travel and extended hours may be required.
The Tax Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:
- A cover letter detailing your interest in the position and Tax Foundation’s mission, as well as your salary requirements
- Resume
Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/
Questions can be directed to Bailey Drouant, Outreach Manager at Talent Market, who is managing the search: [email protected]
There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.
While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.
Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.
