Assistant Manager of Donor Relations

Summary

Description

About Denver Botanic Gardens: Green inside and out, Denver Botanic Gardens was founded in 1951 and is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Gardens has a robust living plant collection, natural history collection and art collection along with temporary art exhibitions. The Gardens is a dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as world-class exhibitions, education, and plant conservation research programs. 

For more information, visit us online at www.botanicgardens.org.

Along with the mission of bringing plants to people, our Core Values are a fundamental driver of the Gardens culture. They are:

Sustainability. We are devoted to an institutional, environmental and human sustainability.

Diversity. We champion inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility for all we encounter, and also support programmatic, ecological and plant diversity.

Transformation. We believe ever-evolving public gardens change the world and lead to positive transformation of human spirit and knowledge. 

Position Summary

This position manages gift processing and donor acknowledgments, and administrative responsibilities for the Development department. It also collaborates on the stewardship of all donors for the Gardens. The Assistant Manager manages department resources, maintains donor CRM, prepares documents, responds to donor inquiries, coordinates team logistics during events.  

The role oversees the tribute paver program, generates donor lists and financial reports, and assists Development staff on special projects as needed. Additionally, the Assistant Manager develops, revises, and maintains processes to help staff teams work more effectively and accurately.

Requirements

General Duties and Responsibilities

Donor data management

• Updates donor information in database as needed.

Donation data management which includes

• Daily gift entry of all gifts via database batches and report confirmation from all revenue sources including mail, online, lockbox, ACH, in-person and over the phone.
• Processes credit card gifts over the phone and confirms accurate entry in database.
• Corporate memberships
• Contributing memberships
• General gifts 
• Tribute gifts
• Event gifts
• Data entry of gift commitments, pledge payment schedules, bequests, etc.
• Submits daily batches of off-line gifts to supervisor for review and approval.
• Processes approved batches
• Submits daily reports for on-line gifts to supervisor for review and approval.

Creates acknowledgment letter mail merge one or two times per week

• Reviews letters to confirm gift data and mail merge accuracy
• Edits first draft letters as needed
• Sends reviewed letters to designated staff members for final review, edit, and approval.
• Delivers printed and correlated letters and envelopes to designated staff members for signature.
• With a critical eye for detail, generates all donor acknowledgment letters based on type of gift and donor intention as well as general correspondence with donors as requested by Development staff.
• Manages updates to acknowledgment letter templates as needed.
• Manages SalesForce, Ticketure and other related software training for Development team members as needed.
• Manages the Gardens’ Tribute Paver program from first contact with the donor, through the ordering of pavers, to the installation, updating Gardens Navigator, and donor follow-up. Becomes knowledgeable about the entire tribute program to be a resource for the public.
• Manages guest details for donor events including responding to phone, email, and in-person inquiries, accurately recording attendee information, and sending follow-up emails or calls. 
• Processes membership renewals for Corporate and Contributing Members in CRM and ticket management system.
• Analyzes donor and member data to develop various reports and lists used to inform department stewardship and donor recognition.
• Provides high-level support and collaboration on special projects initiated by Development fundraisers.

Provides administrative support for the development department

• Department meeting scheduling and agenda preparation
• Department email box
• Department phone line
• Department supply orders
• Donor record management
• Daily mail delivery and pick up
• Drops off outgoing mail to Gardens Administrative Office
• Picks up daily incoming mail from Gardens Administrative Office 
• Assists with all stages of department special events including, but not limited to 
• Invitation lists and RSVP management
• Catering, name tags, table tents, material prep, signage, equipment set up and take down 
• Maintains office equipment and coordinate with other departments or vendors for large and/or special jobs. Assists with routine correspondence 
• Helps strategize, plan and support donor recognition opportunities and events. 
• Provides administrative support and participates in team activities and in department-wide efforts for Development. 
• Supports projects and efforts to improve the Development department team, including but not limited to efficiency, accuracy, and communication. 
• Maintains consistency and organization on projects and assignments with many inter-related. details, alerting managers or teams to any disruptions or challenges discovered.
• Manages department invoice coding and processing.
• Adheres to the organizations accounting guidelines. 
• Maintains files and prepares reports as needed.
• Researches and escalates disputes and problems within established guidelines. 
• Development staff understand during times of increased workload such as concert season, department events, and calendar year end, vacation and floating holidays are requested when they are likely to cause the least amount of disruption. 
• Leads and coordinates staff or volunteers, communicating needs and advancing projects in staff’s absence. Serves as a liaison between staff and between teams as needed. 
• Coordinates and supervises volunteers as assigned, including information-sharing and communication. 
• Works with all departments to ensure the highest quality experience for all Denver Botanic Gardens visitors.
• Maintains a positive, helpful, and solution-oriented demeanor when responding to or serving donors, members and visitors.
• Regular attendance at the worksite is required. This role is considered a front-line staff member with daily responsibility that can only be managed on-site. As such, approval for remote work will be limited and always at the discretion of management. As with all positions at Denver Botanic Gardens, the incumbent must be in good performance standing to be eligible for remote work.   
• All Gardens employees must be committed to the mission of connecting people with plants, especially plants from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world, providing delight and enlightenment to everyone.

Position Qualifications: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must be able to maintain accurate records, files, and schedules.
• Must have meticulous attention to detail with a knack for delivering high-quality, error-free work.  
• Must be able to manage multiple and changing priorities and be organized and detail oriented.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, donors, customers, and the public. 
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Must have strong editing and proofreading abilities.
• Must be able to handle multiple and changing priorities.
• Proficiency with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce preferred.
• Proficiency with standard office equipment.
• Must have proven excellent customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills in dealing with the public.
• Ability to maintain stability under pressure and able to deal well with stressful situations.
• Ability to be flexible and willing to modify plans, when necessary, throughout the day.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and/or holidays.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Suite products, specifically Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.  
• Ability to work overtime as necessary.
• Must always be a positive representative of the Gardens both internally and externally.
• Must always work with respect and cooperation with fellow employees and the public.
• Must be committed to always working safely.

Experience/Education:

• High school diploma / GED and/or combination of education and equivalent experience is required. 
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with CRM management.
• Experience supporting managers and directors at an executive level preferred. 

Benefits

Denver Botanic Gardens has an incredible benefits package for eligible employees!

Our major benefits include a choice of Medical Plans, a Dental and Vision Plan and Life Insurance Plan. We have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA).

The Gardens offers a generous Retirement Savings Plan with Company contribution of 6% after one year of service for eligible participants.

The Gardens also offers paid holidays, vacation, sick time, and access to personal lines of insurance. Additional benefits include short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and an RTD ECO pass.

For eligible employees, The Gardens employment also includes a complimentary Denver Botanic Gardens Membership, access to Gardens education classes and summer concert tickets.

Come work for a place that offers you SO much more than just a paycheck!