About Rare

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. For over 45 years, across 60 countries, we have inspired and empowered millions of people and their communities to shift their behaviors and practices to protect our shared planet. We are a global leader in driving social change for people and nature. We facilitate solutions that help individuals, their communities, and their local leaders tackle global environmental challenges, manage their resources, and take charge of their futures. And we believe that the cumulative power of individual and community action is a vital pathway to safeguarding and restoring our shared waters, lands, and climate. 

Rare’s organizational culture is results-oriented, entrepreneurial, and defined by our five core values: Courage to Take Risks, Commitment to Accountability, Mindset of Solutionology, Investments in People, and Spirit of Celebration.

Position Overview

The Sr. Manager, Mid-Level Giving will design and bring to life Rare’s first formal mid-level giving program. This position will manage an existing portfolio of approximately 50 mid-level donors (those who give between $500 and $9,999 annually) and strategically increase both the number of donors and the amount of donations over ensuing years.  This is a great opportunity for an experienced mid-level leader to put their own stamp on a mid-level giving program. You will be working for an organization that is well-resourced and well-positioned to be successful in this area and that also has supportive executive leadership.

Reporting to the Vice President, Individual Giving & Board Relations, and with the support and collaboration of colleagues in Major Gifts, Development Operations, Research, and Digital Marketing and Communications, the Sr. Manager will lead each aspect of the mid-level program, including developing the structure of the program itself, developing relationships with the donors, working within budget to produce materials for stewardship and acquisition, and meeting annual financial and key performance goals.

The Sr. Manager must be capable of inspiring support from a variety of constituent groups, is highly organized, has strong communication and listening skills, is emotionally intelligent, and driven to succeed.

• Design, build and manage a mid-level individual donor program. This includes development of an annual plan for mid-level giving and creation/implementation of strategies for donor retention and expansion.
• Manage the existing portfolio of mid-level donors and develop a clear stewardship structure that will provide a positive donor journey with Rare.
• Design and leverage annual fund communications, appeals, events, personalized outreach, and acknowledgments in partnership with our communications team, especially the Sr. Manager for Digital Communications and Development. This includes developing mid-level campaigns and production schedules.
• Collaborate with our Development research team and Major Gifts officers to build a pipeline of prospective major gifts donors from the mid-level pool.
• Coordinate with the Vice President of Individual Giving to establish quarterly and annual mid-level revenue projections and track the program’s progress in meeting targets.

Qualifications

• A commitment to Rare’s organizational mission and values.
• Significant fundraising experience (at least six years) and demonstrated success leading and/or developing a mid-level giving program.
• Proven ability to effectively communicate the mission, goals, and needs of an organization in a compelling way and to tailor communications to different audiences and donor needs.
• A customer service orientation, including an earnest desire to help people make meaningful gifts and have a satisfying experience with Rare.
• A high level of discretion and experience working with sensitive information and the proven ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Excellent verbal & written communication skills with the demonstrated ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, accurately, and concisely.
• Proven ability to collaborate across departments and to build and maintain productive relationships.
• Innovative, self-motivated, optimistic and solution-oriented
• Able to work with considerable independence within the context of a team environment and a network of relationships.
• Ability to achieve results with moderate supervision.
• Must be able to travel within the U.S.; some occasional international travel may be required.
• Proficiency with Salesforce database is a plus.

Rare is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.