Position Overview:

The Senior Manager, Development will play a critical role in Rare’s individual giving fundraising program. This position is part of a team that takes an organization-wide fundraising approach. This will entail working closely with senior leadership and the Board of Trustees to grow and care for a community of supporters, raising the necessary funds to maintain and scale our programs and future innovations. This position fosters positive relationships and partnerships with individual donors and volunteers while also collaborating with colleagues across multiple levels of the organization.

Reporting to the Vice President, Individual Giving, this position will manage cultivation and solicitation efforts involving a portfolio of some of Rare’s most generous individual donors and prospects. They will be responsible for developing and implementing a strategy to significantly grow this portfolio and secure revenue from individuals across the U.S. As a dynamic ambassador of the organization, the person in this role is capable of inspiring support from a variety of constituent groups ranging from dedicated conservationists to venture philanthropists.

Essential Functions:

• Formulate and lead strategies to, identify potential high-level donors, promote prospect engagement,and make gift solicitations ranging from $5,000 to $1 million+.
• Effectively communicate our case for support, translating Rare’s issue areas into concise, donor-friendly narratives and articulating need for and impact of capacity-building enterprise. This also includes drafting communications from the President & CEO, Chief Development Officer, Board of Trustees and other senior leaders appropriate to a donor’s interest.
• Facilitate and coordinate all communication with these prospects across Rare, cultivating them as donors and stewarding the donor relationships.
• Ensure excellent stewardship and timely reporting
• In addition to personal interactions with donors, facilitate interactions with the President & CEO, Chief Development Officer (CDO), Trustees, and other key staff. Includes traveling and arranging priority meetings with the President & CEO, CDO, and other staff and/or volunteers.
• Interact with colleagues across Rare to identify and understand organizational funding needs, including specializing in the Center for Behavior & the Environment and serving as the team liaison to that program at the hub of Rare.

Required Experience and Education:

• Excellent interpersonal skills with donors, volunteers, colleagues, and high-level external contacts.
• Self-motivated (a “self-starter”); optimistic and solution-oriented; innovative and ability to work with considerable independence within the context of a team environment and a network of relationships.
• Five years’ experience in fundraising or a related area; at least two years involved with the successful solicitation of multiple major gifts.
• Superior written and oral communication, negotiating, organizational, analytical and fundraising skills. Ability to articulate Rare’s case for support clearly and compellingly.
• Deep personal connection and demonstrated commitment to organizational mission.
• Earnest desire to help generous people make meaningful gifts and have a satisfying experience.
• High level of discretion and comfort working closely with business leaders, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, prominent philanthropists, influencers, and academics. Experience working with sensitive information and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Must be able to travel within the U.S.; some occasional international travel may be required.

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.