Philanthropy and Donor Acquisition Officer

Position Summary

As the Philanthropy and Donor Acquisition Officer , you play a key role in advancing the Jewish Federation of St. Louis's mission by building meaningful relationships with donors and identifying new philanthropic partners. This position manages a portfolio of current and prospective donors, develops strategic cultivation and solicitation plans, and helps grow the Federation's annual campaign through donor engagement, stewardship, and acquisition efforts. The ideal candidate is a skilled relationship builder who is motivated by connecting people to purpose and inspiring philanthropic investment in our community.

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Management and Donor Engagement

- Manage a portfolio of approximately 100 donors and prospects with annual giving potential of $1,000+ .

- Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.

- Conduct donor visits, calls, and outreach activities to deepen engagement.

- Maintain timely and accurate donor activity records in the CRM system.

Stewardship & Collaboration

- Build authentic, long-term relationships with donors to enhance engagement and loyalty.

- Develop compelling donor proposals, impact reports, and stewardship materials.

- Engage through Federation events and activities that current donors and prospects to share the mission of Federation

- Coordinate, plan and execute stewardship activities, including thank‑you calls, recognition, and donor briefings.

- Ensure high-quality donor experience aligned with organizational values.

Donor Acquisition and Fundraising

- Solicit annual campaign gifts and increase donor engagement through strategic relationship-building.

- Identify opportunities to move donors through the pipeline toward increased giving and involvement.

- Collaborate on fundraising strategies supporting both Annual Campaign and TFRD initiatives.

Volunteer and Campaign Leadership

- Partner with campaign volunteers and lay leaders to support donor outreach efforts.

- Provide volunteers with training, tools, and coaching necessary for successful solicitations.

- Support campaign events and engagement opportunities that advance fundraising goals.

Collaboration & Internal Partnership

- Work closely with the AVP, Annual Campaign on prospect strategy, growth, and pipeline management.

- Partner across departments to effectively communicate Federation priorities and community impact.

- Participate in fundraising events and organizational initiatives as needed.

Success Metrics

- Achievement of annual fundraising goals.

- Growth in donor retention and engagement.

- Number of qualified new donor relationships established.

- Completion of portfolio moves management goals.

- Accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions.

Responsibilities

- Implement campaign strategy, donor development pipelines, and coordinate with lead staff on major campaign events.

- Prospect new donor engagement opportunities

- Collaborate with Development Leadership to set campaign goals and metrics.

- Manage strategies for benchmark giving levels through moves management.

- Personally solicit from a donor portfolio and oversee a group of volunteer solicitors

- Coordinate with finance team on pledge/payment documentation, acknowledgements, tax letters, tributes, and billing for portfolio of donors

- Ensure campaign volunteers are motivated, trained, and prepared for donor outreach.

- Serve as a collaborative member of the Development team; perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.

- 5+ years of fundraising, sales, relationship management, or related experience.

- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to connect with diverse stakeholders.

- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

- Comfort with donor databases (CRM), data entry, and tracking activities.

- Ability to articulate a complex organization’s mission, accomplishments, and goals.

- Maturity, sound judgment, and ability to interact with major donors, Board members, and staff.

- Proficiency with database systems and constituent relationship management software (e.g., Dynamics 360) and Microsoft Office.

- Familiarity with Jewish culture, values, traditions, and communal organizations is preferred. Candidates who are eager to learn and effectively represent the Federation's mission are encouraged to apply.

- Demonstrated ability to use data to achieve strategic outcomes.

- Strong organizational, strategic planning, and relationship-building skills.

- Team-oriented and collaborative mindset.