Major Gifts Manager

Major Gifts Manager

The Michigan League of Conservation Voters (LCV) — one of Michigan’s largest, most impactful political advocacy organizations working to clean up our water and air, address climate change, and protect access to voting — is seeking a full-time Major Gifts Manager to raise financial support for our organization by cultivating and stewarding a group of qualified donors, increasing the donor retention rate, and growing levels of giving and involvement. 

The ideal candidate will be an energetic fundraiser who can deliver on ambitious goals and make a compelling case for investing in political action and policy change to protect Michigan’s land, air and water. They will be a natural relationship builder who can navigate crowds, as well as one-on-one meetings, and who can translate electoral, accountability, citizen engagement and public education campaigns into compelling offers for financial support. This position is an opportunity to build relationships across the state, to build power at the intersection of the environment and politics, and to provide meaningful opportunities for generous people to contribute to a mission that matters. This position, alongside a team of tenacious colleagues, will advocate for strong environmental protections, and build and amplify the voices of communities of color and other key constituencies who are disproportionately impacted by environmental issues.

About the Michigan League of Conservation Voters

The Michigan League of Conservation Voters is a statewide political organization whose mission is to elect pro-conservation candidates to office and to hold all decision makers accountable for protecting Michigan’s drinking water, attacking climate change, and expanding access to the ballot. We work closely with elected officials, business leaders, partner organizations, and advocates from across the state, and we have built a reputation as the leading, non-partisan political voice for Michigan’s land, air, and water.

Michigan LCV is an equal opportunity employer. We assure equal treatment in hiring selection, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, training, discipline, and other personnel practices and terms or conditions of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, height, weight, marital status, genetic testing status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender status, or any other protected class established by all applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances.

Job Responsibilities 

The Major Gifts Manager reports to the Development Director, is ideally based in Southeast Michigan or the Grand Rapids area, and is responsible for the following: 

• Identifying and managing a portfolio of qualified prospects and donors throughout the state. 
• Building upon the existing donor stewardship established over the past few years through the establishment of a prospect plan that includes the involvement of staff and board across both organizations. 
• Setting individual goals based on donor history and potential, and then creating and delivering on individual stewardship plans for donors that include regular updates about the impact of their gift, polished publications and marketing materials, and genuine personal contact. 
• Working closely with board members and other volunteer major gift fundraisers to integrate them into a broader major donor strategy. 
• Working with the Programs, Operations and Executive teams to create offers, proposals and asks to secure gifts that represent our work and include appropriate project information such as budgets and timelines.
• Creating monthly and quarterly reports that reflect portfolio activity and performance, and acting on those results to improve performance and reach goals. 
• Working closely with the Development Director to support additional staff and the Executive Director to plan for and achieve monthly fundraising goals, including financial event goals. 
• Traveling as needed around the state and often working outside of an office setting. 

• Participating in all Michigan LCV political election work — doing the hard work of campaigning, which means volunteering to do door-to-door field canvassing, text and phone banking, and campaign events

Qualifications

We are seeking candidates who are motivated to raise money for political action and policy change, who are natural and genuine relationship-builders, and who are results-oriented. You should have: 

• At least 3 years of experience managing a portfolio of donors.
• A track record of managing people, process and deadlines necessary to achieve fundraising goals. 
• An ability to qualify donors that represent the highest giving potential for our organization, create reasonable individual financial goals and create personal contact and ask plans. 
• A strong desire to build new, genuine relationships, listen to people from diverse backgrounds, meet them where they are, and create partnerships that are mutually meaningful. 
• Writing and speaking skills that translate into compelling pitches, effective asks and meaningful reports to donors on the impact of their gifts that reflect the mission, goals and values of our organization.

• A consistent approach to new ideas with a sense of possibility and a can-do attitude. 
• A valid driver’s license, car insurance, reliable access to a car, the internet, and a phone to use for work purposes as well as the ability to canvass, walking at least a mile and navigating physical obstacles such as stairs
• Cultural Competencies:
  • Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity and the ability to learn and build on varying community norms
  • Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture.
  • Understanding of how environmental issues intersect with racism, economic and social inequality in the U.S. and has a passion for working to dismantle these systems.

Benefits and Compensation

The starting salary for this position ranges from $64,000 - $75,000 depending on experience. Michigan LCV offers a benefits package that includes health and dental coverage, long-term and short-term disability coverage, life insurance coverage, a retirement savings program, reimbursements for business-related travel, a generous paid time off policy, and a team of smart, funny, and kind colleagues working together to deliver on a mission that matters.