Fundraising and Communications Manager

Fundraising and Communications Manager

Full-time, permanent

Durham, NC

Budgeted Salary Range $50,000 to $60,000

Benefits: Paid Time Off (PTO) accruing at 1.25 days/month of employment during the first 12 months employment and increasing to 1.67 days/month after the first employment anniversary. Nine holidays are paid, and compassionate leave of three working days is offered due to death in the extended family and an annual health care stipend of $3600 is included.

Working hours: 40 hours per week with normal hours 8:30 am to 5:00 pm each day, Monday to Friday, with 30 minutes for lunch. Arrangements to work remotely are negotiable but the manager should be at the Independent Animal Rescue (IAR) office in Guess Rd, Durham for three full days each week. Some weekend work will be required which will offset part of regular weekday hours.

Organization Overview

Independent Animal Rescue is a non-profit group in the Triangle region of North Carolina that works to provide homes for hundreds of unwanted cats and dogs each year. IAR is run primarily by committed individuals from the community who volunteer their time to help homeless animals and to keep our support programs functioning. Our mission is to rescue and care for cats and dogs in need and reduce the suffering of unwanted animals through adoption, spay/neuter, and community education programs.

At IAR, we believe that the welfare of animals is paramount. We aim to alleviate problems associated with dog and cat overpopulation and abandonment using a 3-pronged approach: (1) Rescue and adoption of unwanted and abused animals; (2) funding and providing spay/neuter services; (3) education and outreach on animal welfare to our community.

Job Summary

This position offers a rewarding opportunity to make a difference in the lives of animals in need. If you are passionate about animal welfare and possess the necessary skills and qualifications, we invite you to apply for the role of Fundraising and Communications Manager. This position is responsible for managing IAR’s fundraising and communications initiatives, including grant writing, planning and executing special events, and donor and community outreach.

Essential Job Duties

The Fundraising and Communications Manager will report to the Board of Directors through the President. The Fundraising and Communications Manager will:

• Manage IAR’s fundraising initiatives, including overseeing major events such as the Painted Chair Auction and Year End Plea and smaller events such as the Fast and the Furriest 5k and annual calendar contest.
• Manage IAR’s grant writing initiatives, including reapplying for existing grants, reporting on previously disbursed funds, and identifying and applying for new grant opportunities.
• Create and manage content for IAR’s website, social media platforms, and newsletters.
• Craft compelling stories and updates highlighting IAR’s mission, vision, successes, and needs.
• Engage with the community, potential donors, and volunteers to boost IAR’s visibility and reputation and help recruit new volunteers, leaders, and supporters.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with major donors, corporate sponsors, and other key supporters.
• Develop and implement strategies for donor retention and growth, including personalized outreach, recognition programs, legacy, and planned giving programs to ensure sustained financial support for the organization.
• Manage the North Carolina State Employees Combined Campaign (SECC), Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), and Durham 7 Stars Workplace Campaigns.
• Understand the goals and operations of the functional and support programs and develop good working relationships with the leaders.
• Propose changes that could improve IAR's efficiency, impact, and longevity.

With assistance from volunteers and Board Members, the Manager will: 

• Monitor financial performance versus the budget.
• Participate in strategic planning.
• Develop opportunities to broaden IAR’s impact in central North Carolina by expanding the scope of existing programs, or through new programs.
• Explore partnership opportunities with local entities such as county shelters and other animal rescues, and with national organizations such as Maddie’s Foundation and large corporations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Communications, Business, or a discipline related to the area of assignment; or equivalent combination of training and experience.
•  Experience in a fundraising, communications, or grant-writing role is preferred.
• Experience working for a nonprofit as a paid employee or volunteer is desirable.

Essential Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Commitment to improve the welfare of companion animals in central North Carolina.
• Ability to effectively interact with IAR Board Members and program leaders.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent interpersonal skills and sound judgment, attention to detail and accuracy, creativity and problem-solving skills.
• Technical expertise and experience, or the ability to quickly develop it, using Bloomerang, Volunteer Impact, Shelterluv or similar donor, volunteer, and shelter management software.
• Ability to extract and analyze information from the donor/volunteer database and identify procedures for developing, enhancing, and maintaining the database.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Business and Google Workspace.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Equal Opportunity

IAR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran. We encourage applications from minorities and women, and are prepared to make reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with a disability.