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Position 

Description

Outward Bound California seeks an experienced, entrepreneurial, mission-driven Donor Engagement Manager who will be a key player on our Advancement Team, as well as be a cross-department collaborator. The Donor Engagement Manager is responsible for growing the OBCA community of donors, renewing and upgrading support, building a funnel of new donors through campaigns, events, and alumni/family engagement and strengthening relationships with current donors to elevate to the major donor level. You will join a strong fundraising team with a track record of growing revenue each year and making deep connections with donors that are committed to equity in philanthropy. 

The Donor Engagement Manager reports directly to the Director of Advancement and oversees a Development Coordinator and Communications Coordinator (position open).

Who We Are

Outward Bound California (OBCA) is part of a national network of experiential and outdoor education programs, with a 50 year history in the US, serving over 40,000 students annually. OBCA uses unique experiences in natural settings to create social-emotional learning opportunities for our students to tap into their inherent potential as compassionate leaders and active participants in their communities. 

We work with students on a range of programs, from 1-day experiences on our San Francisco Challenge Course to multi-day rock climbing, backpacking and mountaineering courses ranging from 7 to 65 days long.  We work with students aged 12+, including adults, educators and veterans.  OBCA is deeply committed to opening up access for students and schools that have traditionally been excluded from outdoor spaces and programs and we do this through over 40 effective community partnerships.  As a non-profit, more than 2/3 of our students receive partial or full scholarships to go on a course with us in the High Sierra, Southern California and in the Bay Area.

Equity and Inclusion Statement:

We believe that all people should have safe access to the outdoors and culturally relevant and responsive educational programming. OBCA is also striving to create an equitable and inclusive internal culture where all staff members feel represented and honored for their identities and lived experiences. We examine how power, bias, race and other aspects of identity impact our organization. We work to build a culture where we are always learning and improving toward a vision for equity and belonging for all staff. We are looking for team members who can actively join us in this process. We are also committed to reflecting the diverse communities with whom we work and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ identifying folks, and women to apply.

Who You Are

OBCA does not expect every applicant to have each skill and qualification listed here, and we are committed to the professional development of our employees.  A strong candidate who is interested in growing and learning in this role will possess at least 75% of the following qualifications.  If this is you, then we strongly encourage you to submit an application for consideration.

• Inherent drive to connect directly with donors, build communities of support and increase revenue
• Passionate about OBCA’s mission and translating program outcomes and student stories into compelling cases for support
• Driven to bring Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice into fundraising best practices, and into your daily work
• Self-starter who is solution-focused and flexible - sense of humor a must!
• Comfortable giving and receiving positive and constructive feedback
• Independent worker and cooperative team member

Skills and Experience

• 3+ years in donor-centric prospecting and fundraising with proven track record of growth
• Excellent written and verbal communicator on multiple platforms, to varied audiences and in the organizational voice
• Experience with heavy calling volumes and comfort with all forms of donor outreach
• An organized project manager with high attention to detail
• Ability to prioritize tasks and work on multiple projects simultaneously with input from multiple colleagues
• Thoughtful and discreet in handling confidential and sensitive donor information
• Experience managing a budget for appeals and events
• Advanced user of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, & PowerPoint) and/or G Suite (Gmail, Docs, Drive and Calendar) 
• Familiar and comfortable using donor CRM tools

Physical & Workstyle Requirements

• Enthusiastic about taking occasional field visits to the High Sierra, Joshua Tree, Southern California and throughout the Bay Area to experience Outward Bound programs and meet with community members. We are able to accommodate differing physical abilities on these trips. Personal vehicle required for those living outside the Bay Area
• Available for some weekend and evening responsibilities
• Comfortable sitting or standing at a desk on the phone or computer for much of the time

• Alumnus of Outward Bound or other outdoor experiential ed  experience

• Familiar with San Francisco Bay Area and/or Los Angeles philanthropic and nonprofit communities
• Salesforce power user - deep experience with donor databases

• Responsibilities

• Develop and complete community fund development plan (donors <$1000) including lapsed, new, and renewal donors to exceed budget and departmental targets
• Manages all direct mail/email renewal and acquisition and solicitation campaigns to increase the number of donors
• Donor community building: Grow relationships with constituent communities and segments
• Work with Development Coordinator to mine database for prospects to upgrade, &/or channel to the major gifts program
• Lead on regular reporting, pitch creation, and written donor updates annually
• Oversee donor list development and wealth screening and accurate, timely tracking in Salesforce
• Oversee acknowledgement process, benefits, giving communities and phone banking
• Oversee and grow online giving platforms (Rallybound, obca.org) donor advised funds, stock transfers, crypto donations, etc.
• Support Board Community fundraising alongside Development Officer

• Lead on small-medium sized donor events - concept, guest list, consultant management, follow up
• Lead on crowd fundraising recruitment and support for our annual City Skyline Challenge event
• Converting event donors to community giving and upgrading donors to major gifts level and planned giving
• Design and implement strategies to grow support through our OBCA alumni participant and family network in partnership with the Outreach and Alumni Manager

Administration (10%)

• Oversee/report the monthly status of the annual campaign budget
• Ensure data integrity in database, up to date donor contact lists and donation information
• Support scheduling and task management for Board Fundraising Committee
• Other activities as assigned

Benefits, Compensation and Location

• This position is Full-Time, Salaried, and Exempt with a starting range of $68,000-$75,000

• This is currently a mostly remote position with monthly team meetings in the Bay Area. We ask that candidates live in California and within easy driving distance to San Francisco or Los Angeles Areas

• A competitive benefits package, including comprehensive health insurance with generous employer contribution, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), four weeks of Paid Time Off (PTO) and 10 paid holidays, and 401(k) plan enrollment
• Highly energetic, flexible, and supportive work environment at a mission-driven organization
• Opportunity to attend Outward Bound adult course
• Opportunities for professional development
• ProDeal, an opportunity to purchase outdoor gear at a discounted price

Outward Bound California is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law. Outward Bound California also promotes respect for all people, and will not tolerate harassment based on any of these characteristics.