Job Listing: ANNUAL FUND, STEWARDSHIP AND MEMORIAL GIVING MANAGER (Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden)

ANNUAL FUND, STEWARDSHIP AND MEMORIAL GIVING MANAGER

Garden Overview

Mission 

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s mission is connecting people through plants to improve communities.

Vision

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, including the Lewis Ginter Nature Reserve, reveals the unity and integration of human and plant life, celebrates the fundamental significance of the natural world, and enriches communities through horticultural and educational excellence and innovative outreach activities.

Values

Responsibility, Innovation, Integrity, Hospitality and Inspiration

Founded in 1984, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is a nonprofit garden located in Richmond, Virginia’s Lakeside neighborhood. The Garden encompasses 82 acres, four lakes, 5,500 unique taxa of plants within 15 distinct outdoor gardens, 11 major buildings including a conservatory and greenhouse, plus an 80-acre branch site, the Lewis Ginter Nature Reserve. Annually, Lewis Ginter engages over 17,000 students in innovative and exciting education programs. This cadre of identified learners is just a fraction of the more than 400,000 annual visitors to the Garden. In recent years, the Garden has been honored with inclusion in several top ten lists for botanical gardens in North America.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability or national origin in the hiring, retention, or promotion of employees. We support the diversity and inclusion policy adopted by The American Public Gardens Association: to create an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture where the contributions of all community members are valued, respected and appreciated. 

Job Description

The Annual Fund, Stewardship and Memorial Giving Manager will oversee the Garden’s Annual Fund, Stewardship and Memorial Giving Programs. They will work with the Director of Advancement to develop strategies to provide steady and significant growth in both numbers and revenue generated through the Annual Fund. They will help maintain and grow the Garden’s Stewardship Program and they will maintain the Garden’s current and future Memorial Giving Programs.

Responsibilities

• Devise strategic growth plans for the Annual Fund campaigns
• Execute the plans, working collaboratively with the Director of Advancement
• Strive for healthy growth in all segments of Annual Fund donors
• Work in collaboration with the Membership Director and the Director of Advancement to identify strategies to secure new Annual Fund donors from the Garden’s membership
• Through personal interactions, increase the donation amounts of our most generous Annual Fund Donors
• Manage a small portfolio of prospects, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts with written engagement and focused solicitation strategies for donors $500+ and others as assigned
• Using a Moves Management platform, continually monitor the portfolio to ensure healthy segments in all stages
• Help identify major gift prospects in collaboration with the Director of Advancement and the Chief Advancement Officer
• Work independently and creatively to match donor interests with Garden priorities
• Engage existing and new donors in discussions regarding gift opportunities that align with Garden priorities
• Oversee and participate in data analytics for the Annual Fund
• Help create strategies based on the data analysis 
• Help ensure that our data collection standards are within industry best practices
• Plan and execute the Garden’s Stewardship Program, including events, mailings, individual
• outreach and more.
• Maintain the Garden’s current Memorial Giving Program including handling replacement of aging memorials (bricks, pavers, benches, etc.), implementing the sunset policy of bench and chair memorials that have reached the end of their lifespan, maintain a complete database of all named entities and memorial items (locations, conditions, lifespan, etc.) and assist in ordering and installation of new plaques and memorial items as needed

Skills and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and achieve objectives
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to conduct research, gather data, analyze information, and prepare effective, accurate and timely reports and other documents to support development objectives
• Ability to develop, plan, and implement short- and long-range goals
• Ability to foster a cooperative work environment
• Strong skills, attention to detail, planning and time management skills
• Personal commitment to the fundraising industry as evidenced by work ethic and high standards of best practices 

Each employee of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

• Must comply with provisions of the current Employee Handbook, all published personnel policies and the requirements of their individual job descriptions

• Must perform all duties in a manner consistent with a public garden serving multigenerational and multicultural individuals, families in accordance with directed practices and procedures
• Must be aware of surroundings and vigilant to threats to the safety of visitors, volunteers, and staff or to security of their property, ensuring that all concerns are reported promptly
• Must report all injuries and incidents immediately and ultimately in writing to supervisor(s) and to Human Resources
• Must ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations
• Must perform other duties as assigned by supervisor

Physical Demands / Working Conditions

• Must be able to walk the Garden’s campus frequently in most weather conditions
• Must be able to work occasionally varying hours, including evenings and weekends
• Assist in setting up and breaking down Advancement events
• Must be available to work evenings, weekends, and for special events at the Garden, including GardenFest, outside the traditional work week/day

Note: Duties described above, other duties and physical demands have been identified as essential.

Education and Experience

• BA or BS degree or equivalent
• A minimum of 2-3 years of successful fundraising experience with annual fund experience preferred
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Working knowledge of fundraising donor databases, with Tessitura experience preferred