Development Manager / Director of Development

Mortar Board, Inc., a National College Senior Honor Society founded in 1918, is searching to hire a Development Manager to execute fundraising strategies, donor solicitation, stewardship, corporate partnerships, and special event sponsorship. We seek an innovative, adaptive, organized, member-focused manager to help proactively support the changing needs of both the Mortar Board National Office and the Society as we move through the early years of our second century.

This position can be remote or hybrid depending on candidate and supervisor preference. Preference will be given to candidates residing in Eastern and Central Time Zone due to National Office hours. Note: While this position is posted as “Development Manager”, there is opportunity for this position to be reclassified as “Director of Development” based on experience.

Position Summary
The Development Manager will lead the implementation of effective fundraising strategies, donor solicitation, stewardship, corporate partnerships, special event sponsorships, and grant proposals to proactively support the changing needs of both the Mortar Board National Office and the society, made up of over 100 active chapters and 300,000 alumni members. A particular focus will be on growing individual giving and corporate sponsorships. The Development Manager collaborates with the Executive Director, the Director of Engagement, National Leadership, and other members of the 5-person staff to secure corporate, foundation, and individual donations. The Development Manager will also work to generate financial support through special events and volunteer management with an overall goal to grow the Society’s impact and maximize profitability and profile.

About Mortar Board
Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society, founded in 1918, is a national honor society recognizing college seniors for their exemplary scholarship, leadership, and service.

Mortar Board has a rich history as an organization – we are a national honor society that recognizes rising college seniors for their achievements in scholarship, leadership, and service, provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. Mortar Board began in 1918 as the first national organization honoring senior college women. The Society opened its membership to men in 1975 and maintains a commitment to the advancement of the status of women and promoting equal opportunities among all peoples. More than 300,000 members have been initiated at 234 chartered chapters in the United States.

Mortar Board is made up of two organizations that work together for the good of the Society, Mortar Board, Inc., and the Mortar Board National Foundation.

Mortar Board’s purpose is to:

• promote equal opportunities among all peoples,
• emphasize the advancement of the status of women,
• support the ideals of the college or university,
• advance a spirit of scholarship,
• recognize and encourage leadership,
• provide service,
• contribute to the self-awareness of its members, and
• establish the opportunity for a meaningful exchange of ideas as individuals and as a group.

For more information about Mortar Board, please visit: www.mortarboard.org

Work Hours and Location (Remote or Hybrid Opportunity)
The National Office has been based in Columbus, Ohio, since 1970. Given the responsibilities, this position will need to have a strong connection to the office and team in Columbus. This position has the flexibility to be hybrid or remote, traveling to the Columbus, Ohio office when necessary.

This position is a full-time 40-hour per week position. The core hours are 10am – 3pm, however the additional daily/weekly hours are flexible, at the discretion of the selected candidate and the Executive Director.

We offer a supportive workplace where you can make a direct impact. We are dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment for staff, while advocating for measurable change toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within college honor societies and our members.

Position Responsibilities

Responsible for all fundraising strategies, donor solicitation, and stewardship with a particular focus on growing individual giving (50%)

• Help achieve strategic plan goals by working with the Mortar Board National Foundation, the National Council, and the Leadership Team to build a comprehensive development plan with corresponding implementation, and direct various segmentations of individual giving (annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, etc.).
• Research, develop, and execute annual fundraising strategies.
• Nurture long-term relationships with existing donors through a well-developed stewardship plan; identify and build relationships with new and prospective donors.
• Manage engagement tracking and reporting processes with the Director of Engagement, and work with the team to create marketing campaigns.
• Build relationships with current and prospective donors.
• Make direct, face-to-face solicitations.

Responsible for developing, sustaining, and managing operational components of corporate partnerships and sponsorships (25%)

• Administer signature fundraising and donor stewardship events.
• Steward and grow a comprehensive network of corporation and foundation partners.
• Responsible for special event fundraising, peer-to-peer giving, and society-wide giving initiatives (10%)
• Steer all aspects of grant-writing initiatives from cultivation, application, execution, and reporting.
• Recruit, train, and support key volunteers to assist in advancement efforts.
• Communicate fundraising goals to staff and National Leaders and collaborate with the team to achieve them.
• Generate new ideas that increase revenue, engagement, and society loyalty.
• Assist the Director of Engagement and Executive Director in grant proposal writing efforts.

Operations and Technology (10%)

• Manage database and accuracy of member / donor records and entities.
• Track and report donor data, assisting with strategy for future growth.
• Project management including the creation, management, and execution of fundraising campaigns.
• Manage systems and software to track and cultivate donors and prospects, including a donor database and wealth screening tools.
• Be current with the latest fundraising trends.
• Have awareness, understanding, and an ability to implement various technology platforms to aid in giving.

Office-wide / Society-wide initiatives (5%)

• Attend society-wide events and initiatives, support and collaborate with various committees and volunteer leaders.
• Assist with day-to-day operations of the National Office by answering phone calls, fielding questions via email, entering payments into the database, etc.

Position Requirements

Ideal candidates should be:

• Adaptive
• Flexible
• Proactive and creative
• Able to prioritize and manage complex projects
• Effective communicator, with strong verbal and written skills
• A champion for excellent member service delivery
• Proficient in member engagement
• Innovative
• Technologically advanced
• Interested in data literacy and integrity
• Detail-oriented
• Organized
• Relationship-oriented and collaborative
• Able to work independently and autonomously but excel in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of relevant professional work experience.
• Proficiency and experience with donor/prospect software, membership management software, database management, and data analytics.
• Experience with communication tools, project/office management technology platforms, and basic computer programming including Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.
• Ability to lead effective process changes.
• Demonstrated success in development management; an ability to problem solve, multi-task, and create innovative ideas and solutions.
• Willingness to perform day-to-day tasks as part of a small team and simultaneously focus on big picture strategy.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to build effective working relationships at all levels.
• Experience with donor stewardship and volunteer management.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working at an association or nonprofit.
• A solid knowledge base of the higher education industry.

Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Search Process / To apply
Please submit an application with an attached cover letter and CV/résumé via: https://form.jotform.com/mortarboard/Development-Manager