Corporate & Community Engagement Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The position is responsible for the creation and management of a well-coordinated, strategic plan to cultivate and solicit support from corporations and individuals for the College Forward mission and vision. The Corporate & Community Engagement Manager (CCE Manager) will work to establish long-term partnerships, strengthen existing relationships, and initiate new contacts within the corporate and individual donor sector. The CCE Manager will also work closely with the Development Director, External Relations Team, and Executive Director to achieve annual revenue goals.

Additionally, the CCE Manager will play a crucial role in the implementation of the strategic fundraising plan including prospecting, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Some of the key responsibilities include managing and tracking donor solicitations, organizing fundraising and donor stewardship events, and managing the donor stewardship program. The position will serve as backup to the Development Director and coordinate development operations for the Austin site development program, including generation of reports, database management, conducting analysis of donor giving, and assisting with grant writing and submissions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Relationship Management & Stewardship: Create and manage a portfolio of annual donors with the goal of deepening engagement, renewing annual gifts, and increasing affinity and giving. Lead, direct, and support a comprehensive corporate engagement program to enhance relationships with corporate partners. Collaborate with other teams to develop ways to engage corporate partners in a comprehensive way.

Prospecting & Cultivation: Lead prospecting and donor research for individuals. Strategize and implement cultivation techniques to inspire prospective supporters to become donors. A strong focus on moving-up lower-level donors. Research opportunities and network within the community to find new opportunities for funding and engagement in the corporate community. Coordinate with Advisory Board and Investment Council to ensure their corporate and community connections are maximized. Identify corporate prospects and conduct research to determine interest and giving potential

Solicitation: Develop, manage and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies for corporate giving. Coordinate with the Director of Development on the execution of corporate grant requests, including providing detailed proposal information and assisting with the grant writing and submission process.

Annual Campaigns: Lead on all direct mail and phone-a-thon fundraising campaigns. Develop the annual campaign strategy: renewal and prospect mailings, spring appeal, and end-of-year campaign. Ensure the execution of the gift appeal process including managing lists, mailings, and coordinating with mail house and volunteers.

Volunteer Programs: Serve as liaison with corporate groups to identify and execute volunteer activities and efforts to increase community engagement.

Events: Conduct presentations and present at external organizational awareness and engagement events, including presentations to corporate volunteer groups. Solicit event sponsorships as needed. Generate, manage and support small-scale fundraising events by working with the Development Director and Executive Director to leverage relationships with current individual donors including board members to significantly grow the number of individuals supporting the organization. Assist and support the effective execution of special events to build relationships for the organization.

Strategic Planning & Analysis: Help build the annual strategic plan for fundraising and both lead and support strategy implementation. Provide analysis and reports on progress toward goals with the use of fundraising management tools.

Development Operations: Collaborate with the external relations team to manage the donor stewardship process including gift processing, data entry, generation of thank you letters, phone calls, and database updates. Supervise gift appeal process, database administration, and requesting in-kind donations and gift acknowledgments in a timely manner.

Reporting: Prepare regular reports on corporate programs. Maintain accuracy of donor tracking systems and database for corporate constituents, while maintaining confidentiality of donor information. Steward assigned prospects and document activities in Raiser’s Edge database.

And other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The CCE Manager must also submit to and pass a comprehensive criminal background check.

WHAT YOU BRING:

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited, not-for-profit college/university required.
Three to five years of direct fundraising experience.
Relationship management experience, demonstrating the ability to work one-on-one with new and existing donors through site visits, donor stewardship calls, and in-person meetings.
Prefer previous experience developing and organizing fundraising events.
Experience in creating processes and tools for effective donor prospecting, research, and solicitation that leads to new donor acquisition and increased gifts, strong focus on moving donors up the pipeline.
History of using data analysis and reporting to inform decisions as they relate to donor communications, and improve annual fund and donor stewardship programs.
Previous experience implementing and managing a year-round high-touch donor stewardship program.
Strong computer skills, including demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and donor database software.
Raiser’s Edge (or similar donor database system) experience is strongly preferred.
Ability to run donor database queries and generate Excel reports.

Other Skills, Abilities and Requirements

A strong track record as an implementer who thrives on managing multiple projects and deadlines concurrently.
Knowledge of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies and techniques, particularly in the area of corporate fundraising techniques.
Demonstrated knowledge of methods, practices and procedures for obtaining information about the giving programs of corporations.
Ability to initiate and build relationships with prospective corporate donors and interact with institutional representatives.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.
Highly organized and detail-oriented.
High energy, enthusiastic, strong commitment to public service and social justice.
Relationship builder with the flexibility and sensitivity to balance the perspectives of others.
Strategic thinker and problem-solver, able to work independently, and entrepreneurial; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives.
Self-starter with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
Sincere commitment to work collaboratively with all constituent groups, including staff, volunteers, donors, program participants, and other supporters.
Desire to work in a growing nonprofit organization, ability to adapt, and possess a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Attention to detail, including proofreading and project follow-through.

Geographic Location

Required to reside within driving distance of Central Texas, preferably in the Austin area. This position will be a hybrid role, meaning that the CCE Manager can work from home or their desired location, but will be required to travel to the Austin area and possibly Austin office on occasion for donor meetings, events, trainings, etc.

Candidates can learn more about travel required for the role as they advance through the recruitment process.

WHAT WE OFFER :

In addition to joining a committed, diverse, values-based organization, we offer:

An opportunity for you to have a tremendous impact both internally and in the broader country
A competitive salary commensurate with experience
Excellent benefits including complete health, dental, life, short-term and long-term insurance
401(k) retirement plan
Encouraged sustainability through a generous paid time off program
Personalized professional development and growth opportunities

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

NOTICE: The CCE Manager will be required to reside within driving distance of Central Texas, preferably in the Austin, Texas area.

This position will be a hybrid role, meaning that the CCE Manager can work from home or their desired location, but will be required to travel to the Austin area and possibly Austin office on occasion for donor meetings, events, trainings, etc. (Candidates can learn more about travel required for the role as they advance through the recruitment process.)

College Forward is a dynamic, progressive, and youth-focused working environment. Responsibilities may frequently require an adjusted work schedule, evening/weekend hours, and/or travel in order to meet deadlines or satisfy program requirements.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a resume and cover letter to careers@collegeforward.org by Thursday, June 2nd, 2022.

In your cover letter, please address the below questions:

What is your interest in helping students access and complete a college degree?
How does this role connect to your future career aspirations?

Corporate & Community Engagement Manager

ABOUT THE ROLE:

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

WHAT YOU BRING:

WHAT WE OFFER :

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

TO APPLY:

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