Director of Gift and Estate Planning

Position Summary: The Director of Gift and Estate Planning is to actively participate in the implementation of The Salvation Army Great Lakes Division's philanthropic campaigns and plans by focusing on Planned Giving fundraising priorities and involving volunteers and other stakeholders in the realization of the Great Lakes Division goals. The goals are largely reached through identifying, cultivating, soliciting, securing and stewarding individual prospects and donors as targeted planned gifts for The Salvation Army Great Lakes Division.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Manage a prospect portfolio of approximately 125 - 150 planned giving donors and prospects through:
  
  
  
  • Developing solicitation plans for new and current planned gift donors and prospects
  • Developing relationships with assigned donors and prospects through various cultivation calls, letters and handwritten notes, with an emphasis on successful face-to-face meetings
  • Completing assigned number of new donors and prospects from portfolio, ranging from 280 - 400, annually
  • Soliciting and closing planned gifts in accordance with annual goals as set by the Senior Director of Philanthropy in consultation with leadership and the Territorial Planned Giving Director
  
  
  
  
• Develop and write donor cultivation materials, acknowledgements, volunteer solicitor briefings and reports, and produce personalized planned giving proposals for individual support
• Contact and cultivate persons identified through marketing efforts and relationships developed with Salvation Army corps and divisional staff, professional advisors and other referral sources
• Coordinate and provide assistance in the design of strategies of cultivating and soliciting donors in coordination with senior staff, leadership and volunteers
• Work with other Development team staff to identify, qualify and research new planned gift prospects
• Work with Senior Director of Philanthropy, Executive Development Director and the Major Gifts team as a larger team of fundraisers for The Salvation Army Great Lakes Division, including joint strategy sessions and other matters important for an effective development effort
• Identify innovative development, cultivation and stewardship activities and creates new strategies and support planning that will strengthen the Planned Gifts program over time
• Assist in the organization of occasional events and small donor meetings for cultivation and stewardship purposes
• Develop a documented plan to achieve endowment and planned gift goals from assigned portfolio
• Monitor assigned budget
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor's degree required, other considerations include an advanced degree in a related field such as law, finance or non-profit management, proven committee/board experience
• A certification is a plus such as CFP or CAP designation. Those without certification are expected to obtain a certification within 2 years of start of employment
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising including personal solicitation, familiarity with fundraising practices, financial sales, insurance sales, estate and financial planning or other related areas are preferred
• Successful track record of fundraising with major and/or planned gift donors is a plus
• Experience with working in a complex non-profit organization with many departments, programs and fund-raising priorities
• Familiarity with issues of fundraising and general professional and workplace ethics

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:

• Ability to work comfortably with donors
• Ability to work well with a variety of people in a dynamic environment, high energy, focus and with a collaborative spirit
• Above average written, oral communication and organizational skills
• Strong numerical reasoning skills sufficient to compute profit and loss; ration and proportion and percentage for budget management and projections
• Ability to take initiative without direction
• Ability to maintain confidential information

Computer Skills:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office 365
• Working knowledge of TEAMS and SharePoint
• Willingness to learn new software as needed

Certificates and Licenses:

• Complete Safe From Harm training, and keep current as needed
• Must have and maintain a current valid driver's license and pass the Salvation Army Motor Vehicle Record check (MVR)
• Additional certification(s) - CFP or CAP