Associate Director of Donor Relationships

Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

Associate Director, Donor Relationships

POSTION: Full-time Exempt

DEPARTMENT: Philanthropy

REPORTS TO: Director, Donor Relationships

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta works to inspire and lead our region toward equity and shared prosperity for all who call our region home. We work with a shared commitment to community working with residents, neighborhoods and civic leaders across public, private and philanthropic sectors to seize the greatest opportunities and solve the region’s most pressing challenges.

As the Community Foundation nears its 75^th anniversary in 2026, it is in a period of exciting growth and transformation. After launching a strategic plan focused on equity and shared prosperity in 2021, the Community Foundation now has the opportunity to partner with donors to cultivate their own charitable goals and inspire donors to collectively give to support shared strategic priorities. The Associate Director will be an important voice and thought partner for the organization as it works with donors to give to, through and alongside the Community Foundation.

Reporting to the Director of Donor Relationships, the Associate Director’s primary responsibilities include:

• Managing and developing a team of experienced philanthropic advisors
• Delivering excellent customer service to all internal and external stakeholders
• Connecting current donors’ philanthropic priorities with community needs
• Cultivating gifts contributing to the achievement of the Community Foundation’s goals and objectives
• Supporting strategic engagement of donors to better connect them to the Community Foundation and our work

Essential Functions of Position:

• Donor Development & Strategic Support
  • Develop donor portfolio strategies and cultivation plans for managing and engaging a large, high-value, complex and diverse portfolio of current donors.
  • Engage donors moving them from transactional to transformational experiences in their relationship with the Foundation.
  • As a trusted philanthropic partner, develop sustained relationships with donors and their families, providing consultation to donors and their advisors to retain and grow contributions through philanthropic vehicles to meet donors’ needs.
  • Engage donors with the Foundation’s priorities to align and influence donor giving, using community resources and expertise to connect donors to significant causes that address critical community needs.
  • Seek and pursue referrals from donors, professional advisors, and current and former board members for new donor prospects and support the Director, Donor Relationships with prospect cultivation and closing.
  • Activate personal and professional networks to identify and capitalize on opportunities to promote Foundation’s donor services and enhance brand recognition in donor communities; develop and sustain relationships.
  • Measure and monitor service effectiveness and donor engagement and analyze and apply the results to tailor donor services to ensure stewardship plans and activities align with Community Foundation strategy and goals.
  • Represent Community Foundation at external events to include leading and facilitating speaking engagements and thought leadership within the organization, with partners and within the donor community.
  • Provide input for content and design of stewardship materials and other fundraising communications.
  • Work collaboratively with the Director, Donor Relationships to build meaningful programming and engagement activities that align with donor interests.

• Leadership & Team Development
  • Supervise a team of four, including three Philanthropic Advisors and one Philanthropic Associate by delegating portfolio components, relationship management and supporting their professional development.
  • Thought partnership with the Director, Donor Relationships on retention strategies for current portfolios and ensure work of the team aligns with broader Community Foundation goals, providing leadership to other members of the team.
  • Manage equitable distribution of portfolios while creating and tracking metrics/KPIs for each team member.
  • Actively contribute to developing and maintaining a high-performing and cohesive team including seeking out real-time feedback and owning individual goals and growth.
  • Operate with continuous improvement mindset, identifying areas for increasing donor engagement, process/product standardization/streamlining and work with key individuals from all departments to ensure integration of all functions as necessary.
  • Identify improvements or innovative changes in partnership and collaboration with all department’s internal teams (i.e., Community, Marketing, Finance) for efficient use of resources and to maximize effectiveness of donor retention efforts.
  • Research and share current philanthropic trends and industry best practices, incorporating them into day-to-day operations, including new product ideas to diversify the Community Foundation portfolio of donor offerings.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 8+ years of direct fundraising/philanthropic experience or financial services fields with special emphasis on working with individuals of high net worth. Previous experience working for or with community foundations is highly desirable.
• Minimum 3+ years of people leadership and team management experience
• Professional designation(s) such as CFP, CFRE, CAP and/or 21/64 highly desirable
• Demonstrated success cultivating and closing major gifts and planned gifts
• Understanding of donor psychology and the motivations for giving with proven ability to adapt approach to different audiences
• Understanding of fundraising campaigns, delivery of professional philanthropic services, and prospect research and philanthropy records systems, e.g., Raiser’s Edge
• Technical knowledge of moves management and stewardship of major gifts
• Commitment to excellent service and collaboration, both internally and externally
• Self-starter, proactive, and results-oriented
• Experience and demonstrated results connecting, collaborating, and engaging with professional advisors and high net worth individuals for purposes of philanthropic engagement
• Ability and dedication to lead, manage, motivate and develop direct reports personally and professionally
• Strong attention to detail and highly organized with ability to prioritize work and manage competing priorities for self and team
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
• Dedication to problem-solving, efficiency, and process improvement
• A clear commitment to equity of opportunity, supported by a record of impact in area relevant to the Foundation’s evolving strategy, as well as for a genuine intention to live and uplift diversity, equity and inclusion
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word; philanthropy records systems database technology such as RE or Foundant

Other:

The Community Foundation operates in a hybrid working environment with staff working in-office three days per week and the opportunity to work two days remote per week if in good standing. 

Compensation:

To be determined based upon experience and qualifications within the anticipated salary of $125,000- $130,000. This position is exempt and employee is eligible for the Foundation’s competitive health and benefits plan:

• Paid time off:
  • Two weeks accrued paid vacation
  • Two weeks accrued paid sick leave
  • Four mental health days
  • Two personal day
  • Two floating holidays
  • Ten holidays
• Benefits:
  • All benefits effective on date of hire – no waiting period
  • 100% employer-paid benefits (medical, dental, vision) for employee-only insurance plans
  • 100% employer-paid life insurance and AD&D
  • 100% employer-paid short-term disability and long-term disability
  • 100% employer-paid parking in downtown Atlanta or monthly MARTA card
  • Affordable plans for legal insurance, critical illness, supplemental life, and more
  • Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement:
  • Immediate eligibility for employee contribution to 403b plan
  • After one-year anniversary with organization, all employees receive an employer-paid contribution of 6% of their salary to their 403b plan regardless if the employee contributes to retirement
• Culture and Development:
  • Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for each team member including trainings, resources, development opportunities, etc.
  • Two wellness rooms for mental health with self-care items
  • Fun monthly employee engagement activities

To Apply:

Please apply directly through our career site.

Due to the volume of candidates, we are unable to provide status updates to applicants or accommodate phone calls or walk-ins regarding open positions.

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta values diversity and inclusion; therefore we honor the diverse needs, strengths, voices, and backgrounds of all individuals in our regional community.