We strongly encourage people of color, transgender and non-binary people to apply. HRC is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone, including non-LGBTQ people, to join our team.
Position Summary:
The Director of Estate Planning will collaborate to help grow and expand HRC’s robust planned giving program. The Director is responsible for strategy, administration, and overall management of the program, including the program’s overall direction, the establishment of short- and long-term goals, and key initiatives. The Director also participates actively in fundraising, with responsibility for developing prospect lists, managing donor cultivation, and properly stewarding existing donors. The Director supervises one staff member and works regularly with the major gifts team.
Position Responsibilities:
Program Direction
- Develop and implement short- and long-term strategies to secure a range of planned gifts, such as gifts by will or trust, retirement funds, payable-on-death accounts, life insurance, and life income.
- Prepare and implement an annual fundraising plan and report to the SVP of Development on progress toward goals, successes, and challenges.
- Work cross-organizationally—with Communications & Marketing, Membership & Online Strategy, Data & Analytics, and Major Gifts teams—to implement effective planned giving strategies.
- Serve as a resource to all development teams, including major gifts and other annual giving teams, regarding all aspects related to planned giving.
- Manage at least one employee, including—when applicable—interviewing, hiring, conducting performance reviews, coaching, motivating, and disciplining employees.
- Lead the design of appropriate systems and processes for managing the planned giving program.
- Develop and manage budgets for the planned giving program.
Donor Portfolio Management
- Develop a comprehensive marketing, lead generation, and stewardship plan that promotes planned giving internally and externally, including the cultivation and stewardship of current and prospective planned giving donors to ensure that they are engaged and active in HRC’s mission.
- Identify, research, contact, cultivate, solicit, and steward current and prospective planned giving donors to increase individual planned gifts and to grow the overall donor base and prospect pool.
- In conjunction with the Planned Giving Officer, track and coordinate moves management for current and prospective planned giving donors.
- Work closely with donors and their professional advisors to structure planned gifts appropriately.
- Prepare timely and complete gift proposals and illustrations, transfer documents, bequest language, and other gift agreements to secure planned gifts.
- Work directly with executors, trustees, and other fiduciary/financial custodians, as well as the HRC General Counsel and Finance Department, to receive the full value of planned gifts in a timely and efficient manner and protect against mismanagement and waste.
- Collect, conserve, administer, and distribute all realized planned gifts to HRC.
- Monitor the receipt of all non-cash gifts to HRC and provide staff support to the Gift Acceptance Committee to assess the acceptability of such property offered as a gift to HRC.
Estate Administration
- Track status of upwards of 50 open estates at any given time.
- Work with attorneys, trustees, executors, IRA administrators, and other fiduciaries to protect HRC’s interests, honor donors’ intentions, maximize revenue and accelerate distributions.
- Maintain comprehensive data regarding realized bequests and utilize data in strategic planning to grow planned giving program.
- When necessary, work with General Counsel and outside counsel on estates involving actual or potential litigation.
- Partner with Finance Department to prepare information on estate files requested by independent auditors.
- Regularly report on projected revenue from open estates.
Marketing
- Develop and implement an integrated marketing strategy, including direct mail, as well as digital and email efforts.
- Collaborate with internal teams and external vendors to create print and digital marketing pieces and other collateral.
- Write all copy for planned giving marketing pieces.
- Conduct interviews of planned giving donors for donor profile stories.
- Work with Data & Analytics team to track metrics and results for marketing campaigns.
- Work collaboratively with Director of Major Gifts and Major Gifts Officers to elevate and promote planned giving opportunities among current donor base.
- Other duties as assigned.
Position Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience is required; a J.D. or other advanced degree and/or relevant professional certification is preferred, due to the complexity of planned giving and related laws.
- At least 7-10 years of experience as a gift or estate planning professional, including outright gifts and revocable and irrevocable deferred giving vehicles required; non-profit experience is strongly preferred.
- Broad and thorough knowledge of the legal, tax, and procedural aspects of estate planning, trust administration, probate, fiduciary duties, and accounting.
- Knowledge of principles of donor pipeline management and demonstrated ability to increase a donor base and revenue.
- Exceptional ability to understand others’ priorities, motivations, and interests and to establish and maintain a sincere rapport.
- Ability to interact professionally and effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders, including donors, corporate and individual fiduciaries, attorneys, accountants, financial custodians, surviving family members, and key internal partners within HRC.
- Discretion and tact in managing confidential information.
- Excellent writing and strong verbal communication skills.
- Experience in budget development and management.
- Facility with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Google Apps (Gmail, Google Docs, and Drive).
- Strong interest in and knowledge of the rapidly changing LGBTQ equality movement.
- Ability to work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting with an exceptional work ethic and a track record of personal initiative.
- Excellent organizational skills; able to handle multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment without sacrificing attention to detail.
- Willingness and ability to travel to meet with donors/prospects and to participate in occasional HRC events around the country.
- Flexibility with work schedule; this position does require occasional evening and weekend work.
- Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license.
All positions at the Human Rights Campaign may require travel on a regular basis or periodically. Where the need arises for business travel, appropriate compensation as outlined by the Fair Labor Standards Act will apply.
No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to queries about application status.
Please apply online through our website