Donor Relationship Manager - Legacy Giving

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate fundraising professional who wants to make a lasting impact by helping donors leave a legacy of fighting hunger in West Michigan.   The Donor Relationship Manager - Legacy Giving is a key member of the development team, responsible for creating, implementing, and managing Feeding America West Michigan's legacy giving strategy. This role focuses on cultivating and stewarding relationships with donors who are interested in making a lasting impact through estate planning and other planned giving vehicles. The ideal candidate is a proactive and strategic relationship-builder with experience in fundraising, legacy giving, and donor engagement.  This position requires expertise in wills, bequests, trusts, charitable gift annuities, and other planned giving vehicles while ensuring seamless execution of donor stewardship and estate administration. The Donor Relationship Manager will work closely with major gifts, marketing and communications, legal, philanthropy operations, and finance teams to grow and manage the legacy giving program.  ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Legacy Giving Strategy & Execution Create Feeding America West Michigan's legacy giving program to achieve both short- and long-term fundraising goals. Develop and execute strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward legacy donors and prospects, ensuring a strong pipeline of future legacy gifts. Manage and maintain marketing and communications strategies that promote legacy giving, including direct mail, email campaigns, website content, and donor materials. Donor Cultivation & Stewardship Maintain and grow a portfolio of legacy giving donors and prospects, conducting in-person and virtual visits, meetings, and outreach to deepen engagement. Develop personalized donor stewardship plans, ensuring a meaningful and engaging experience for legacy donors. Work closely with other Donor Relationship Managers to integrate legacy giving into overall donor engagement strategies, supporting blended gift opportunities with major donors. Serve as a primary contact for legacy donors and their representatives, offering guidance on charitable estate planning and ensuring alignment with donor intent. Estate Administration & Gift Processing Work with estate representatives, attorneys, and financial professionals to facilitate the timely distribution of estate gifts to Feeding America West Michigan. Ensure that all legacy gift information is accurately recorded in the food bank's donor database, tracking commitments and stewardship actions. Provide regular reports on legacy giving commitments, estate gifts in process, and overall program performance. Education & Internal Collaboration Act as an internal expert on legacy giving, providing training and guidance to development team members on planned giving strategies. Support donor engagement events, educational workshops, and networking opportunities to promote legacy giving. Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team to ensure effective messaging and storytelling around legacy giving impact. Vendor Management Oversee Feeding America West Michigan's relationship with FREEWILL.   PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Minimum of five (5) years of successful fundraising experience, with a strong focus on legacy giving, legacy giving, estate administration, or major gifts. Proven ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward legacy donors, working effectively with donors, attorneys, estate planners, and financial professionals. Knowledge of Legacy Giving Vehicles: Familiarity with wills, bequests, charitable gift annuities, trusts, and other planned giving instruments required. Strong Communication & Persuasion Skills: Ability to explain complex gift planning strategies to donors in an accessible and compelling way. Attention to Detail & Compliance: Experience in gift processing, estate settlement, and donor record management preferred. Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office and fundraising databases (e.g., Raiser's Edge or similar CRM). Flexibility: Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends for donor events and meetings. Transportation: Valid driver's license, good driving record, and ability to travel as needed.   Educational Requirements Bachelor's degree or higher in Marketing, Communications, English, Public Administration, or a related field. CFRE, CAP, or other certification preferred  

Created: 2025-02-22