Director, Donor Relations - The Greater Boston Food

GBFB Overview

Through the compassion and commitment of our supporters, staff, partners and volunteers, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) takes a bold, innovative and multi-pronged approach to achieve our mission to end hunger here. GBFB is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. We are committed to increasing our food distribution to provide three meals a day to every person in need in Eastern Massachusetts while supporting healthy lives and healthy communities. Our progress toward this goal is documented by town on our interactive map.

The Greater Boston Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization.

Through compassion and action, together we can create a hunger free Eastern Massachusetts.

GBFB Team Members will support the Mission to End Hunger Here. They will live our Team Member Values of Team Member Wellbeing, Teamwork, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Respect, Trust and Our Eastern Massachusetts Community.

GBFB Core Competencies

GBFB Core Competencies summarize the capabilities that are important across all jobs and that we believe collectively contribute to GBFB’s overall success. We believe they support our mission and our values. At the same time, the expected behaviors as they relate to Core Competencies may vary according to the specific job duties, requirements, and level within the organization. Core Competences are usually interpersonal and strategic and are at the heart of how we do our work.

The GBFB Competency Framework focuses on six Core Competencies:

• Contributes to a High Performing Team
• Builds a Shared Commitment
• Empowers Others
• Drives Continual Improvement
• Communicates Collaboratively
• Displays Authenticity and Transparency

Affirmative Action/EEO statement

GBFB provides equal employment opportunities to all Team Members and applicants for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, handicap, genetic information, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, benefits, and training.

No Team Member or applicant will be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged in or may engage in any of the following: (1) filing a complaint of employment discrimination; (2) assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance review, hearing, or any other activity related to the administration of any federal, state or local law requiring equal opportunity; (3) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by any federal, state or local law requiring equal opportunity; or (4) exercising any other right protected by any federal, state or local law requiring equal opportunity.

Other duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

GBFB is considered an essential response organization in times of disaster. As such, Team Members are expected to report to GBFB locations as required, after securing the safety of their families, and may be asked to perform duties that are critical (but outside of their regularly assigned duties) in times of disaster.

Job Title: Director, Donor Relations

Reports to: Vice President, Philanthropic Partnerships

Position Summary

The Director of Donor Relations is responsible for providing leadership and a strategic vision for strengthening donor relationships through comprehensive engagement, stewardship and recognition programs. The director develops systems and processes to execute a foundational program for major donors that includes donor acknowledgements, annual and endowment fund reporting and donor-centric stewardship and recognition opportunities across multiple communications and event platforms. In partnership with gift officers and other colleagues, the director also develops and executes donor-centric custom stewardship and recognition strategies for The Greater Boston Food Bank’s most generous donors.

Role & Responsibilities

• Develops a strategic donor relations roadmap that emphasizes meaningful interactions with prospective and current donors before, during and after completion of the gift.
• Develops and manages a multi-year donor engagement plan to identify and deliver coordinated and differentiated communications to donors at all levels of giving.
• Creates and manages a donor acknowledgement system including thank you letters, fund reporting, and donor-centric stewardship and recognition opportunities, including recognition societies for leadership and legacy giving.
• Works with fundraisers and members of the Executive and Senior Leadership Teams to create and facilitate strategic and individualized stewardship plans to ensure that leading donors feel engaged and recognized, understand the impact of their gifts, and feel that they are helping GBFB successfully reach its goals. This involves active and ongoing engagement of partners and high-level strategic thinking as well as the ongoing evaluation of stewardship processes and the development of best practices for top donor stewardship and recognition.
• Facilitates high-touch visits to GBFB, bespoke stewardship reporting, procuring donor gifts and, in partnership with the Director of Special Events and gift officers, planning high-touch events.
• Partners with the Director of Communications to produce written narrative reports, financial fund reports and other bespoke communications for top donors based on their preferences and gift designations.
• Collaborates with the Director of Special Events on the execution of signature fundraising events, including with staffing support.
• Works in partnership with corporate and foundation relations (CFR) officers to ensure timely stewardship of gifts and sponsorships and to help facilitate site visits from CFR donors.
• Partners with the Senior Manager of Advancement Services to ensure donor intent is being met in the expenditure of funds.
• Develops and assesses policies and procedures across GBFB that are essential for a comprehensive donor relations program. Evaluates stewardship processes for major gifts and develops best practices for top donor stewardship and recognition.
• Creates a quantitative and qualitative measurement system to evaluate the effectiveness and success of all stewardship, donor relations and recognition programs in alignment with fundraising managers, direct marketing, and communications to ensure uniform messaging.
• Serves as an expert resource to benchmark and institutionalize comprehensive, integrated donor relations and stewardship best practices to support fundraising goals and initiatives.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of related experience in fundraising, donor relations, communications, or a related field.
• Preference given to candidates with experience in nonprofit stewardship activities.
• Experience managing and supervising professional staff, interns or leadership volunteers is preferred.
• Well-honed writing, editing, research and analytical skills required.
• Knowledge of, and interest in staying current in, the principles and techniques relevant to donor-centric major gift fundraising.
• Must possess strong interpersonal skills, high Emotional Intelligence and superb first-in-class customer service and communications skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, CRM databases (Salesforce proficiency a plus), and project management collaboration tools.
• Proven success in the planning, organizing, and executing projects with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Superlative diplomatic and communication skills, including an ability to work and communicate effectively with a broad spectrum of constituents (individual donors, business leaders, public figures, and staff), within a broad range of cultural environments.
• Ability to build and manage relationships with a variety of constituents across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to anticipate unexpected issues and needs and to react quickly, calmly and confidently so as to instill trust and confidence.
• Ability to work and communicate effectively with a broad spectrum of colleagues, within an environment that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines. Capability to work independently and collaboratively with moderate supervision.
• Demonstrates the required digital competencies that result in the effective usage of the full range of digital technologies at GBFB.
• Genuine appreciation of GBFB’s mission and the ability to communicate it.
• Ability and willingness to travel within Massachusetts.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office environment.
• Ability to sit for up to 3 hours at a time.
• Ability to lift up to 25 lbs with or without assistance.

Work Environment

• This role follows a hybrid schedule working in accordance with GBFB’s hybrid work policy. Our in-office time is used primarily for team meetings and formal and informal collaboration necessary to foster and support a positive work culture. This schedule is subject to change based on the organization’s mission to end hunger.
• The job is performed indoors in a traditional office setting.
• Special events may take place in evening/weekend hours.

Travel Required– Yes

Hybrid