Organizational Information

Avenues for Youth provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid re-housing, collective housing, and host homes housing for youth and young families experiencing housing instability and homelessness. We strive to do that in a safe and nurturing environment through a social justice lens. Avenues seeks to partner with youth and young families while they define their experiences, life dreams and future. Our work takes into account historical trauma, systems of oppression, and intersectionality while being grounded in the power of resiliency, healing, and community.

Key Responsibilities

The following duties are normal for this position. These duties are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. 

Overview

The Individual Giving Manager is a key member of the Development & Communications team, supporting individual donor engagement and fundraising strategies. This role manages a portfolio of donors, organizes the annual fundraising event, and ensures alignment with Avenues for Youth’s mission, vision, and values. The Individual Giving Manager collaborates across teams and is responsible for raising funds from individual giving and the annual event.

Fundraising & Donor Engagement

• Develop and implement the overall individual giving strategy in partnership with the Director of Development & Communications.
• Lead the planning and execution of at least three individual giving appeals annually, including direct mail, online fundraising, and donor outreach.
• Develop and implement strategies and touchpoints to retain and steward individual donors.
• Write content for donor communications, including direct mail, email newsletters, e-blasts, and donor proposals, and impact updates throughout the year.
• Create personalized donor engagement plans, including thank you calls, impact reports, and small gatherings or meetings. 
• Manage and steward a portfolio of mid-level donors.
• Monitor and analyze performance of appeals, adjusting strategies as needed.
• Analyze donor data to identify trends, opportunities, and gaps in giving and engagement.
• Track and evaluate metrics and giving patterns to inform future strategies.
• Stay current with best practices in donor engagement.

Event Management

• Plan, organize, and execute the annual fundraising event.
• Engage donors through meaningful experiences that foster connection to the mission.

Internal Collaboration & Support

• Partner with Communications Specialist on message development and deployment.
• Work with Database Manager on segmentation, donor reports, and appeal analysis.
• Coordinate with Corporate and Community Engagement Manager on shared donor touchpoints.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Director of Development & Communications on donor life cycle, solicitation, and mid-to-major donor movement.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of training and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Minimum three years in fundraising and/or related experience
• Relevant experience aligned with the duties described, including individual donor relations and managing appeals.

• Commitment to community-centered practices.
• Experience using donor databases.
• Experience in nonprofit fundraising with operating budget of $3 million+.

Skills & Attributes

Relationship Building & Communication

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with donor engagement and stewardship.

Organization & Initiative

• High level of initiative, organization, and follow-through.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience working in collaborative team environments.

Background Check

All Avenues for Youth employees must pass a background check, including a MN Department of Human Services background study.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, bend, twist, kneel, and communicate. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.

Other

Avenues is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Avenues complies with laws relating to discrimination against qualified applicants and employees in hiring or in any decision affecting job status or pay, based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, marital status, disability, familial status, covered veteran status, public assistance status, membership in a local commission, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, or other applicable protected classes.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the organization will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

To Apply

To learn more and apply, please visit avenuesforyouth.org/join-our-team.

Please include a cover letter with your application.  In your cover letter, please describe a successful individual giving appeal or donor engagement strategy you developed or managed. Share your goals, the steps you took, and the results you achieved—including how you built and maintained donor relationships and stewardship throughout the process.

JOB CODE: 1000069