Development & Stewardship Officer

Position Summary:

The Development & Stewardship Officer is a key member of the Development and Communications team, responsible for leading the full donor relationship and revenue cycle at Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. This role owns major and planned gift fundraising, the annual fund, mid-level donor stewardship, commemorative giving, and corporate and foundation relations, while collaborating closely with the Deputy Director to advance the Conservancy's philanthropic goals.

The Development & Stewardship Officer reports directly to the Deputy Director and works cross-departmentally to ensure donor engagement strategies are aligned with organizational priorities. This position plays a central role in setting and achieving fundraising event revenue goals and serves as a key relationship manager for the Conservancy's donor community.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Donor Portfolio & Stewardship:

• Manages a portfolio of donors giving between $500 and $25,000; analyzes donor data to inform strategies for increasing individual contributions and recognizing first-time donors through personalized stewardship efforts
• Manages and cultivates relationships with new and existing donors
• Develop comprehensive plan of work to cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects
• Innovates new ways to recognize donors throughout the park system
• Updates the Deputy Director regularly on donor activity and prospect opportunities

Major & Planned Giving:

• Identify and formally qualify prospective major and planned gift prospects giving at the $5,000 level and above
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation and solicitation plans; actively participate in making asks at the major gift level
• Prepare compelling proposals, gift agreements, and manage all related donor communications
• Support the development and execution of planned giving initiatives and endowment campaign efforts
• Support portfolio management for the Deputy Director
• Meet regularly with prospects and donors to advance relationships and document all contacts

Annual Fund & Campaigns:

• Spearhead annual fund appeals and manage other major fundraising campaigns from strategy through execution
• Track, analyze, and report on giving metrics, trends, and campaign performance on a regular basis
• Develop and implement donor re-engagement and retention strategies
• Manage year-end and other major giving appeals in coordination with the Administrative Assistant

Commemorative Giving:

• Manages, updates, and follows standard operating procedures for the commemorative gift program(s) and tracking systems, all to ensure timely fulfillment and acknowledgement with proper and effective donor communication
• Takes initiative to grow the commemorative gift program through collaboration on marketing and fulfillment plans, ensuring website and database accuracy and supporting organizational annual goals
• Serves as the main point of contact for the coordination of commemorative and stewardship events
• Develops and implements gift acknowledgement procedures in partnership with the Administrative Assistant
• Manages a high level of phone and email correspondence with donors, material orders, vendors, and detailed follow-through with consistent and sensitive communication
• Assists with gift pledge reminders, files, and other fulfillment specifications or organizational record keeping needs

Fundraising Events — Strategy & Revenue:

• Set fundraising event strategy and revenue goals in partnership with the Deputy Director
• Analyze return on investment across all fundraising events and provide recommendations for improvement

Corporate & Foundation Relations:

• Identify, cultivate, and manage a portfolio of corporate sponsors and foundation prospects
• Ensure fulfillment of all corporate partnership deliverables and maintain strong ongoing relationships
• Develop and maintain foundation relationships to support both restricted and unrestricted funding goals
• Researches and assists with grant proposals to secure funding in partnership with the Deputy Director

Additional Expectations:

• Staffs and manages the Giving & Awareness Committee, serving as recording secretary for monthly meetings, setting and tracking annual targets, and completing assigned tasks
• Manage the Young Professionals for Olmsted Parks (YPOP) program as a donor engagement and pipeline vehicle
• Aligns with the Conservancy's commitment to creating an inclusive, equitable, and accountable working environment for all staff and park system for all park users
• Adheres to code of ethics for confidentiality, discretion, and policies pertaining to donor rights
• Perform other duties as assigned by management

Qualifications and Requirements, (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities)

• City of Buffalo residency within six-(6) months of hire date
• Bachelor's degree in a development-related field such as Business, Public Relations, or Nonprofit Management; or a minimum of four (4) consecutive years in a nonprofit fundraising role
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in development and fundraising, with demonstrated success in major gift solicitation
• Holds a successful track record of prospecting and soliciting gifts at the $5,000 level and above
• Familiarity with donor-centric fundraising, moves management, goal setting, and long-term stewardship strategies
• Experience managing a portfolio of at least 50 annual and active prospects
• Interest in parks, landscapes, historic preservation, and environmental causes
• Experience with, and/or a desire to own and manage, a tangible gift program, including researching best practices for improving growth performance and results
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, including experience with professional proposal development and presentations
• Empathetic, professional, and responsive communication skills are paramount to the success of this position
• Savvy interpersonal skills with an ability and desire to relate to diverse groups of people both internally and externally
• Can form respectful relationships quickly with Board members, leadership, and key external constituents
• Possesses the ability to maintain a network of colleagues and collaborators as resources for professional best practices
• Proficiency with fundraising software systems and donor tracking
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
• Professional in demeanor and demonstrated commitment to work with diverse constituents; understands and engages in a team environment with a positive attitude for creativity and problem solving
• Exceptional organizational abilities with attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, and work under pressure to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment with constantly changing priorities and/or budget resources
• Ability to be resourceful and proactive in dealing with unforeseen issues which may arise, while being respectful of all Conservancy stakeholders and mindful of actions

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• Predominantly a desk performance position; with some field work with staff, donors or vendors out in the parks
• Job duties may require an employee to bend, reach, stoop, sit, stand and/or walk for extended periods of time as well as lift and/or move heavy objects at times up to 30 lbs.;
• These job duties may require an employee to drive distances between park features or locations;
• Must continuously foster a team approach to working in the park environment;
• Some evening or weekend work may be required.
• Must be able to adapt to ever-changing resources and limited budget.

To Apply:

• Email your cover letter and resume to Ivy Cornell, Director of People: [email protected] -OR-
• Mail to 84 Parkside Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14214

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $24.00 - $29.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person