Career Center

GSAF Job Opportunity

Manager, Individual Giving   February 2023

The Geological Society of America Foundation (GSAF) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1980 to raise and manage funds solely in support of the mission of the Geological Society of America (GSA).  GSAF seeks a full-time Manager, Individual Giving with responsibility for individual annual fundraising and planned giving.  GSAF is poised to continue growing the support it provides to GSA and seeks a candidate to be part of a forward-thinking, small, but energetic team. This position reports directly to the Executive Director of the GSA Foundation.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Individual (predominantly GSA members) fundraising, including securing planned gift commitments
• Assisting the GSAF Board in their annual fundraising activities
• Donor stewardship and communications
• Staying apprised of fundraising trends, best practices, and fundraising tactics/mechanisms to work with the Executive Director in keeping GSAF relevant and forward-thinking in its practices
• Liaison, in collaboration with the Executive Director, with GSA programs supported by GSAF funds

Specific Duties include:

• Engage in individual prospect research and identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities including preparing annual operating plans (goals for both annual fund and planned gift fundraising); donor relations including benefits development and fulfillment, and gift stewardship
  • Strengthen GSAF's donor appreciation program and stewardship activities
  • Visit (local and national) donors and prospects for in-person cultivation and stewardship
• Prepare and coordinate direct mail appeals (to include segmented/targeted asks) and GSAF’s pieces in other communication vehicles such as: monthly donor e-newsletter, GSAF page in the GSA monthly publication (GSA Today), the GSA monthly e-news magazine (GSA Connection), testimonials from grant/award recipients on GSAF’s website News & Events page, and fundraising-related posts for GSA’s social media outlets
• Use Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge and ResearchPoint for donor and prospect tracking
• Prepare and deliver fund management reports to donors annually; work with Executive Director on regular reviews and updates to fund management agreements
• Create strategies and execute individual fundraising plans for sustaining and growing the number of annual donors, size of the individual donations, and with the Executive Director and Board of Trustees, work to upgrade annual to major donors
• Advance a robust planned giving program for members interested in including GSA in their estate plans
• Prepare for and participate in GSAF Board of Trustees meetings (twice annually), some sectional meetings, GSA’s annual meeting, and other special meetings as warranted
• Manage the GSAF Board of Trustees’ support of annual fundraising efforts
• Plan and execute as many as three events held in conjunction with the GSA Annual Meeting, some GSA Sectional meetings, and Board of Trustee meetings
• Perform other activities as requested by the Executive Director

Professional Experience and Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will be an energetic and outgoing person with at least 5 years of fundraising experience in the non-profit sector.  He or she will be an excellent time manager and be able to operate well in an informal environment that values a good deal of independence.  He or she should be willing and able to travel up to several weeks a month during some of the year.  While it is not necessary that the candidate have a background in the sciences, experience in and an understanding of the culture of scientific professionals will be a significant asset.  The successful candidate will have high attention to detail, the ability to maintain and steward confidential information, proven writing skills and will be comfortable speaking with individuals and groups.

The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience in, preferably, all of the following areas:

• Solicitation of annual fund gifts
• High level of professionalism and sensitivity to work with donors in estate planning and other forms of planned giving
• Familiarity with Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge and ResearchPoint software with respect to prospect identification, report preparation, and prospect management
• Event planning
• Exceptional donor and stakeholder communications and stewardship

We seek a proven team-player who is flexible and able to work in a small development operation where each member must, at times, pitch in to advance the common purpose.   A commitment to continuing professional development is highly valued.

The candidate selected will be able to join the team in person at least one day/week at GSA headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, working remotely the rest of the week.  Qualified candidates will be subject to a background check. The salary range is $55,000-$68,000 annually, based on experience.

Education:

A bachelor’s degree is required and additional course work or comparable continuing education in the area of non-profit fundraising will be preferred.

Benefits:

Excellent benefits are provided, including medical, dental, PTO, life insurance, retirement, and opportunities for professional development.

To Apply:

To be considered for this position, please provide the following documents:

• Cover letter (including salary requirements)
• Resume
• Two writing samples (such as: sample fundraising appeal, sample fundraising concept, stewardship plan, planned giving materials, etc.)
• List of three professional references

Send to hr@geosociety.org or mail to:

Human Resources
Geological Society of America
3300 Penrose Place
P.O. Box 9140
Boulder, CO 80301

The review of applications will begin on February 13, 2023. The position will remain open until filled.

The Geological Society of American Foundation:

The Geological Society of America Foundation (GSAF) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1980 to raise and manage funds solely in support of the mission of the GSA.  See www.gsa-foundation.org. The chief executive officer of the GSAF is an Executive Director who reports to a fourteen- to twenty-member Board of Trustees that includes the Executive Director of GSA as an ex officio non-voting member.  Trustees are selected by the Board from a GSA Council-approved list of nominees.  The GSAF Executive Director is an ex officio non-voting member of the GSA Council.

The Geological Society of America: 

The Geological Society of American (GSA) (www.geosociety.org) is the preeminent professional society supporting the geological sciences in America.  Founded in 1888, GSA has nearly 20,000 members worldwide of whom about 30% are student and young professional members.  In addition to a full publication program of major journals and monographs, GSA holds an annual meeting each fall attended by >6000 geoscience professionals, six regional meetings each spring, and selected collaborative international meetings, workshops, and field excursions.  GSA interacts with more than seventy associated societies across the globe and unites a diverse community of geoscientists with a common purpose to study the mysteries of our planet (and beyond) and share scientific findings. Members and friends around the world, from academia, government, and industry, participate in GSA meetings, publications, and programs at all career levels, to foster professional excellence. GSA values and supports inclusion through cooperative research, public dialogue on earth issues, science education, and the application of geoscience in the service of humankind. 

Both GSAF and GSA are Equal Opportunity Employers and are committed to creating and maintaining a workplace in which all employees have an opportunity to participate and contribute to the success of the business organization and are valued for their skills, experience, and unique perspectives. This commitment is embodied in our organizational policies and the way we do business and is an important principle of sound business management. Please see GSA’s Commitment to Diversity.

About The Geological Society of America Foundation

The Geological Society of America (GSA) (https://www.geosociety.org) unites a diverse community of geoscientists in a common purpose to study the mysteries of our planet (and beyond) and share scientific findings. Members and friends around the world, from academia, government, and industry, participate in GSA meetings, publications, and programs at all career levels, to foster professional excellence. GSA values and supports inclusion through cooperative research, public dialogue on earth issues, science education, and the application of geoscience in the service of humankind.

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