Development Officer

Description

OUR CORE PURPOSE: 

As an expression of God’s love in Southwest Florida, we exist to ensure that no one experiencing hunger, homelessness or addiction is alone or without a pathway for their journey from crisis to contributor. Together with our partners and participants, we cultivate communities where people are progressively seen, accepted, challenged, and supported. 

GENERAL SUMMARY

The Development Officer personally identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards a managed portfolio of donors and prospects capable of making significant philanthropic investments in St. Matthew’s House. Working in collaboration with the Director of Individual Giving, the Development Officer builds authentic donor relationships through individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies designed to increase donor retention, grow annual giving, and deepen philanthropic engagement. Utilizing Artificial Intelligence, phone, email, personal visits, and written communication, the Development Officer develops strategic donor relationships that advance qualified prospects through the philanthropic lifecycle and support the long-term fundraising goals of St. Matthew’s House.

ESSENTIAL TASKS

• Manages a qualified portfolio of approximately 150–250 donors and prospects with individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans and revenue goals for each assigned relationship.
• Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards portfolio donors using Artificial Intelligence, personal visits, phone calls, handwritten notes, email, and impact communications.
• Qualifies new prospects surfaced through direct mail upgrades, recurring donor files, event participation, referrals, prospect research, and other development activities.
• Achieves donor retention, upgrade, and revenue goals for assigned portfolio relationships.
• Maintains complete and timely records in Virtuous CRM.
• Collaborates with the Director of Individual Giving, executive leadership, board members, and Development staff to develop and execute customized donor strategies.
• Develops and presents compelling donor proposals, correspondence, reports, case materials, and other fundraising communications.
• Identifies planned giving opportunities and collaborates with leadership to advance those conversations where appropriate.
• Conducts research to identify prospects and create strategies matching donor interests to organizational priorities.
• Participates in donor cultivation events, volunteer engagement opportunities, and program site visits.
• Keeps senior Development staff informed of key donors, prospects, and portfolio performance.
• May train and support volunteers performing related development work.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; at least three (3) years of related fundraising, donor relations, business development, sales, or relationship management experience required.
• Demonstrated ability in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors; experience managing a relationship-based portfolio strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability in planning and implementing development initiatives.
• Proficiency with a fundraising CRM (Virtuous, Raiser's Edge, Salesforce NPSP, or equivalent).
• Exceptional interpersonal skills.
• Ability to conduct research, gather data, analyze information, and prepare reports.
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple donor relationships simultaneously.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of donor information.
• Ability to foster effective working relationships within a team environment.
• Demonstrated passion for and alignment with the mission, vision, and Core Values of St. Matthew’s House.
• Flexibility in work hours including some evenings and weekends.
• Ability to travel locally within Collier, Lee, and adjacent counties (25–35%).
• Must have a valid FL driver’s license and meet St. Matthew’s House driver criteria.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Success in this role will be evaluated against the following indicators, established annually in partnership with the Director of Individual Giving:

• Portfolio revenue goal met or exceeded (set at hire based on assigned portfolio baseline).
• Donor retention rate: =75% of portfolio value year-over-year.
• Meaningful donor contacts completed according to assigned portfolio standards.
• Donor upgrades: measurable year-over-year growth in giving across assigned portfolio relationships.
• Leadership giving and planned giving opportunities identified and advanced annually.
• CRM documentation: 100% of contacts logged within 72 hours.
• Portfolio coverage: active cultivation strategy maintained for assigned portfolio relationships.