New

Vice President, Donor Relations & Operations

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
United States, New York, New York
733 3rd Avenue (Show on map)
Apr 24, 2025
WHO WE ARE: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. We partner with volunteers to accomplish our work. Staff members engage volunteers through effective and timely communications, facilitating meaningful opportunities, and continually seeking and providing feedback for reciprocal growth and learning. The Vice President of Donor Relations & Operations, in close partnership with the Senior Vice President of Development, is responsible for the design, implementation, and execution of a centralized, process-driven donor engagement strategy focused on deepening donor retention and loyalty across all areas of development. This role also oversees critical operation efforts, including Prospect Research. In this role, the VP will oversee the creation and delivery of customized impact stewardship programs that foster meaningful, personalized engagement and the long-term cultivation of Society Citizens. Working closely with the marketing and communications teams, the VP will ensure all donor communications-including recognition and gift acknowledgements-are tailored, timely, and aligned with organizational messaging. The VP will lead and mentor a team of donor relations professionals, driving initiatives aligned with the Society's Strategic Plan, with a strong emphasis on leveraging data analytics to refine strategies and uncover growth opportunities. Collaborating cross-functionally with leadership and various departments, the VP will ensure a cohesive and integrated approach to donor engagement. This includes maximizing donor retention, enhancing lifetime donor value, and strengthening recognition efforts. An important component of the role includes overseeing strategic prospect research-identifying and researching potential donors and partners to build strong, informed development portfolios. The VP will ensure the organization leverages data-driven insights to guide engagement and cultivation efforts, directly contributing to enhanced donor relationships and increased fundraising success. Main Responsibilities: Develop and lead a centralized, process-driven donor engagement and stewardship strategy in partnership with the SVP of Development that aligns engagement efforts with the Society's Strategic Plan to enhance donor retention, loyalty, and lifetime value. Work cross-functionally with leadership and development teams to integrate engagement strategies across the organization. Oversee the design and execution of personalized stewardship programs that reflect donor preferences, giving history, and mission alignment. Ensure timely and meaningful donor communications, including acknowledgments, impact reports, recognition materials, and donor-centric content. Develop recognition opportunities such as events, naming opportunities, and exclusive experiences to foster long-term relationships. Implement retention strategies and track performance metrics to continuously improve donor satisfaction and engagement. Manage and mentor a team of donor relations professionals, providing training, support, and performance oversight to ensure quality execution and implementation of consistent, high-impact engagement practices across donor levels. Lead the prospect research function to identify, qualify, and prioritize high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporations. Develop and manage comprehensive donor profiles using wealth indicators, philanthropic history, and strategic alignment and maintaining accurate, actionable donor and prospect data in the CRM, delivering insights to inform cultivation strategies. Support fundraising teams by aligning research with pipeline goals and identifying sponsorship and grant opportunities. Optimize research tools and data systems to track engagement trends and generate reports that inform strategy and decision-making. Required qualifications 10+ years of demonstrated and relevant development experience (including 6 years of team leadership and supervision) with advanced understanding of prospect qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Able to assess staff talent, mentor, and train others toward a shared vision, providing strategic guidance to ensure staff meet their designated revenue and activity goals. Proven ability to manage broad and technical stewardship initiatives, collaborating effectively with staff across functional areas. Expertise in AI, predictive analytics, and CRM tools to optimize sales pipeline automation, donor journey mapping, and forecasting donor trends to enhance retention and maximize fundraising success. Experience with prescribed donor database management practices, and in generating queries and reports to guide staff performance is required. Salesforce experience preferred. Extensive experience managing geographically dispersed teams, in remote and hybrid environments, overseeing project execution. Track record of implementing innovative stewardship strategies that drive engagement and revenue growth. Strong ability to perform under pressure, handle criticism professionally, and consistently meet fundraising commitments. Exceptional project management, strategic planning, and negotiation skills to drive effective resource allocation and optimize fundraising outcomes. Advanced CRM expertise, leveraging data analytics to drive decision-making and train teams on data-driven fundraising strategies. Hybrid role requiring 20%+ travel, including events, training, regional meetings, and organizational gatherings. Priority Application Period: Internal - April 16 - April 23 External - April 24 - May 9 Applications received during this period will ensure timely review and response from our hiring team. While we encourage early submission for prompt consideration, we also will continue to accept-and welcome-applications beyond these dates as long as the posting remains active. Compensation & Benefits: The estimated hiring compensation range for this role is $165,000-$200,000. Final offers will be based on the candidate'sgeographic location, consider career experience and may vary from this range due to these and other factors. The National MS Society is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strive to create a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We need you and your unique talents and perspectives to help us write the last chapter on MS. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: We appreciate your consideration of our job opportunities and strive to make it as effortless as possible to apply for our positions. With only a few required sections and the option to use our resume parsing tool, we aim to streamline the application experience, saving you time and effort. Additionally, if you wish to include a cover letter with your application, please feel free to attach it along with your resume, and any other documents required, to the Resume/CV document upload section at the bottom of the My Experience page. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to receiving your application! Important: You will not be able to modify your application after you submit it. The "My Experience" page is the only opportunity to add your cover letter and supporting document attachments. If you experience any trouble submitting your materials, please check out our FAQ & Contact Us page.