Sr. Manager, Donor Comms & Stewardship
Apply NowCompany: Oceana
Location: Washington, DC 20011
Description:
Senior Manager, Donor Communications and Stewardship
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Senior Director, Institutional Giving
MANAGER: Yes
FSLA: Exempt
BUDGET AUTHORITY: Development, Foundations
UPDATED: January 2025
General Summary
Consistent, compelling, and timely stewardship is vital to keeping funders engaged in high-level support. The Senior Manager of Donor Communication and Stewardship is a critical member of the Institutional Giving Department, which raises approximately 65% of Oceana's annual revenue. The Senior Manager will drive and implement the overall strategy for the Foundation team's communications, stewardship, storytelling, and outreach to Oceana's foundation funding partners. This position will also support background research on funding trends, prospecting, and fundraising by the team. Donor communication and stewardship includes but is not limited to creating donor communications, storytelling that illustrates Oceana's global and country-specific goals and the impact of funder investment, responding to high-level funder inquiries, developing and implementing an annual donor stewardship plan, coordinating and carrying out funder education presentations, and seeking strategic engagement opportunities for funder stewardship. This position is based in Washington, DC
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions:
The broad goals and responsibilities for the Senior Manager of Donor Communication and Stewardship are as follows:
1. Collaborate with the Foundations team to create a donor communications strategy and materials that help us craft compelling communications that engage funders, many of whom have a sophisticated understanding of ocean conservation.
2. Create and maintain a library of campaign case statements on Oceana's cross-cutting, global campaigns around habitat protection, plastics, protection of biodiversity, transparency, fisheries management and ocean pollution, linking these issues where possible to the larger frames of climate change, food security and other issues of funder interest.
3. Regularly attend Development and other relevant Oceana staff meetings focused on communications, campaigns, and ocean issues. Report back to the team as needed.
4. Lead donor communications and stewardship activities including:
Create and write donor facing materials. Synthesize writing from throughout Oceana to create compelling pieces for funders. Create an annual strategy for funder communications with help from the Foundations team, manage an annual stewardship calendar, and plan and help implement the annual strategy. Develop and send proactive stewardship messages including timely outreach to funders on Oceana victories or other newsworthy events related to Oceana's campaigns. Envision and create a strategy for regular reoccurring donor education and engagement events. Create first drafts of monthly reports for key funders. Work with campaign teams, the Science & Strategy team, and the Marketing and Communications team to develop funding narratives, impact summaries including measurable outcomes, and materials to support fundraising for both global campaigns and general support funding.
5. Work with Foundation team members to support fundraising by conducting prospect research, preparing meeting briefings for the team and for Oceana senior leadership, scheduling meetings, supporting campaign staff in their outreach with funders, research on funders and peer NGOs, and meeting preparation, meeting attendance, and follow-up activities.
6. Manage a portfolio of Oceana's general support foundation funders including gathering materials for reports and proposals for these funders based on available materials at Oceana.
7. Other duties as assigned
Job Requirements
Education and experience:
Bachelor's degree and/or a minimum of five years of prior relevant work experience in fields including but not limited to journalism, strategic communications, donor stewardship, corporate partner recognition, public relations, marketing, philanthropy, environmental conservation, non-profit management, or equivalent education or experience.
Skills and knowledge:
Required Competencies:
Action Oriented: Makes things happen. Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
Ensures Accountability: Follows through on commitments and makes sure others do the same. Has a reputation of taking ownership and responsibility for decisions, actions and failures.
Values Differences: Is skilled at promoting a team environment that values, encourages and supports differences. Helps create a climate where different experiences, styles, backgrounds and perspectives are leveraged appropriately; and where a variety of cultures and viewpoints can be heard.
Effective Communication: Understands the value of effective communication. Can deliver messages in a clear, compelling and concise manner. Actively listens, checks for understanding and adjusts content and style to meet the needs of different stakeholders.
The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $ 105,000 annually
Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.
Oceana's US offices have operated on a hybrid schedule and staff have been required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work from home Monday and Friday. Please apply by February 14th, 2025.
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Senior Director, Institutional Giving
MANAGER: Yes
FSLA: Exempt
BUDGET AUTHORITY: Development, Foundations
UPDATED: January 2025
General Summary
Consistent, compelling, and timely stewardship is vital to keeping funders engaged in high-level support. The Senior Manager of Donor Communication and Stewardship is a critical member of the Institutional Giving Department, which raises approximately 65% of Oceana's annual revenue. The Senior Manager will drive and implement the overall strategy for the Foundation team's communications, stewardship, storytelling, and outreach to Oceana's foundation funding partners. This position will also support background research on funding trends, prospecting, and fundraising by the team. Donor communication and stewardship includes but is not limited to creating donor communications, storytelling that illustrates Oceana's global and country-specific goals and the impact of funder investment, responding to high-level funder inquiries, developing and implementing an annual donor stewardship plan, coordinating and carrying out funder education presentations, and seeking strategic engagement opportunities for funder stewardship. This position is based in Washington, DC
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions:
The broad goals and responsibilities for the Senior Manager of Donor Communication and Stewardship are as follows:
1. Collaborate with the Foundations team to create a donor communications strategy and materials that help us craft compelling communications that engage funders, many of whom have a sophisticated understanding of ocean conservation.
2. Create and maintain a library of campaign case statements on Oceana's cross-cutting, global campaigns around habitat protection, plastics, protection of biodiversity, transparency, fisheries management and ocean pollution, linking these issues where possible to the larger frames of climate change, food security and other issues of funder interest.
3. Regularly attend Development and other relevant Oceana staff meetings focused on communications, campaigns, and ocean issues. Report back to the team as needed.
4. Lead donor communications and stewardship activities including:
5. Work with Foundation team members to support fundraising by conducting prospect research, preparing meeting briefings for the team and for Oceana senior leadership, scheduling meetings, supporting campaign staff in their outreach with funders, research on funders and peer NGOs, and meeting preparation, meeting attendance, and follow-up activities.
6. Manage a portfolio of Oceana's general support foundation funders including gathering materials for reports and proposals for these funders based on available materials at Oceana.
7. Other duties as assigned
Job Requirements
Education and experience:
Bachelor's degree and/or a minimum of five years of prior relevant work experience in fields including but not limited to journalism, strategic communications, donor stewardship, corporate partner recognition, public relations, marketing, philanthropy, environmental conservation, non-profit management, or equivalent education or experience.
Skills and knowledge:
- Exceptional oral and written communications abilities, including a facility for synthesizing and translating complex information for a broad range of audiences.
- Strong critical thinking skills and initiative. Ability to assess funder interests, analyze prior grantmaking and, identify those with a strong potential for foundation funding.
- Experience with Salesforce or another CRM system/platform is desirable but not required.
- Familiarity with environmental conservation issues is helpful but not required.
- Design experience with making communications visually compelling a plus but not required.
Required Competencies:
Action Oriented: Makes things happen. Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
Ensures Accountability: Follows through on commitments and makes sure others do the same. Has a reputation of taking ownership and responsibility for decisions, actions and failures.
Values Differences: Is skilled at promoting a team environment that values, encourages and supports differences. Helps create a climate where different experiences, styles, backgrounds and perspectives are leveraged appropriately; and where a variety of cultures and viewpoints can be heard.
Effective Communication: Understands the value of effective communication. Can deliver messages in a clear, compelling and concise manner. Actively listens, checks for understanding and adjusts content and style to meet the needs of different stakeholders.
The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $ 105,000 annually
Oceana values a diverse workforce and welcomes people different from each other in many ways, including characteristics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. Oceana considers all qualified candidates and seeks to recruit from a diverse candidate pool.
Oceana's US offices have operated on a hybrid schedule and staff have been required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With agreement between the employee and their supervisor, the employee may work from home Monday and Friday. Please apply by February 14th, 2025.