Fund Development Manager

Lighthouse Central Florida is a mission-driven, values-based organization providing an optimal blend of rehabilitation training services and real-world applications to help individuals of all ages, who live with any degree of vision loss to adjust to their reality with grace and confidence so they can remain active, productive members of our community.

We seek a Fund Development Manager responsible for activities directly supporting the comprehensive development and fundraising plans. This role will manage successful events, a portfolio of small-mid donors, and the Lighthouse donor database and support the Fund Development Team.

Facilitating, maintaining, and continually improving LCF’s development, stewardship, tracking, research, and reporting systems and processes are key to this position. The Fund Development Manager is responsible for coordinating fundraising and stewardship activities, planning and executing special events, including sponsorship requests, helping to identify and cultivate volunteers, performing donor research, managing the donor database, helping to create and manage direct mail editorial calendar, production, and distribution as well as other activities related to the development and implementation of LCF’s comprehensive fundraising plan.

• Strategies and tactics will address prospect research, donor acquisition, and donor retention. Vehicles will include social media, personalized solicitations, special events, direct mail, online fundraising, sponsorships, grant requests, other fundraising initiatives, and capital campaigns as needed.
• Donor database management: Directly manages the use and optimization of the donor database by ensuring accurate, timely entries, documentation following each donor contact, and the production and distribution of thank-you letters. Also leads report generation for the department and continually seeks innovative ways to leverage the tool.
• Volunteers: Serve as Lead in managing fundraising volunteers: recruitment, cultivation, engagement, increased involvement, training, stewardship, and retention, including staff assistance to the Fund Development Committee of the Board of Directors.
• Special Events—Work under the Director of Fund Development to plan and execute fundraising events (i.e., Sight & Sole, Dining in the Dark, Golf After Dark, and external third-party events)
• LCF Promotion: Partner with the Fund Development team to plan, promote, and execute Donor Experiences (Blink Experiences) at least once per month.
• Donor cultivation: Ensure a consistent “donor touches” schedule is maintained. Schedule and conduct donor or supporter visits for self or members of staff or volunteer leadership as appropriate.
• Research: Conduct prospect/donor research to identify potential supporters and determine their interest and linkage to the organization and ability or willingness to contribute financially.
• Perform and assist in performing quality research of funding sources and trends (including benchmarking) to better position the organization for future changes in the funding landscape and marketplace.
• Prospecting: Help identify and introduce prospects, vendors, partners, and others to the LCF point-of-entry events – Donor Experiences and Blink Experiences.
• Collaboration: Work with the Director of Marketing to request agency collateral, materials, and Resource Development internal/external communications for stewardship.
• Other duties as assigned

• Relevant Bachelor’s Degree required—certificate in Fundraising & Development or comparable credential highly preferred.

• Three to five years of experience in social service non-profit is required, and a minimum of one year of direct fundraising experience in non-profit is preferred. 
• Familiarity with blindness and broader disabilities issues is a plus. 

• Leadership: embraces and exemplifies leadership qualities of proactivity, accountability, and ownership of outcomes – projected or unexpected.
• Collaboration: values and respects collective efforts to innovate ideas and solve problems
• Planning: the ability to think ahead and plan over a 1 to 2-year time span
• Management: the ability to organize and manage multiple priorities with minimal oversight
• Problem-solving: analysis and problem resolution at both strategic and functional levels
• Communication: excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Technology: excellent computer skills to support responsibilities, including donor database platforms, MS Office applications, online research, etc.
• Flexibility: the ability to work with a multi-disciplinary team
• Independent: self-starter who is reliable and takes ownership
• Values: embodies a commitment to the organization’s core values and seeks ways to share it
• Trustworthy: the ability to handle sensitive/confidential information with discretion
• Exercises good judgment

• Flexible schedule of early and late hours, sometimes exceeding 40 hours within one week
• Moderate ability to move and lift items, usually ranging up to 15 lbs

• Possess reliable transportation
• Hold a valid Florida driver’s license, good driving record, and proof of insurance
• Pass Level II background check