Application Closing Date: May 23, 2025

Anticipated Start Date: July 1, 2025

POSITION SUMMARY:

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are seeking a talented, collaborative, and passionate fundraising and relationship-based leader with expertise in membership and annual giving strategies.  The Vice President of Membership and Annual Giving is responsible for developing, executing, and leading a strategic and comprehensive membership and annual giving program.  This leader focuses on acquiring, retaining and upgrading members and donors with contributions up to $25,000.  This Vice President will also be responsible for stewarding and engaging individuals to foster a culture of giving. This leader oversees a team of individuals responsible for the growth, retention, and customer service of our 480,000 members, supporters, and partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work collaboratively with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever internal and external stakeholders – Development team, Marketing and Communication team, Conservation Operations team, and volunteers – to successfully achieve our strategic priority to educate, engage, and expand the upland conservation community.
• Create, implement, and evaluate strategic membership and annual giving programs, elite membership and cumulative giving programs, as well as local, regional, and national events to achieve our revenue growth objectives, while cultivating, soliciting, stewarding, retaining and upgrading members and donors. 

• Provide strategic direction and oversight of the Membership and Annual Giving Team, including coaching and supervision of team members, performance evaluation, professional development and effective coordination of work.

• In partnership with Development team members, craft, test, and revise messaging that advances the culture of philanthropy within the Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever member and supporter base, as well as the pursuit of new audiences.

• Oversee the strategic development and execution of member appeals, recurring giving initiatives, digital donor engagement programs, member premiums and related materials, source tracking, AutoPay programs, and other reporting functions.
• Serve as an in-house expert on database management and utilize member/donor analytics to create targeted fundraising appeals to supporters to increase giving, while ensuring appropriate CRM and data processing practices are developed and effectively administered.

• Develop a coordinated matrix of communication and solicitation strategies involving special events, email, and direct mail designed to engage, inspire, and “move” members and supporters to higher levels of financial support.  These activities are all focused on shaping a robust membership program and a sustainable tradition of annual support.

• Lead strategic efforts to maximize membership and annual giving performance at the annual National Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic and other national events.
• Collaborate with VP of Development and Director of Development on strategies to engage members beyond annual membership dues, to build a robust recurring giving program, and to grow the organization’s major gift pipeline of high-end annual donors and elite-level members.
• Foster the implementation of best practices in the supporting areas of membership and gift processing, data management and donor relations related to annual giving, elite membership, and growth of the organization. The Vice President must have a keen appreciation for the foundation of annual giving as the enabling component of successful major and planned gift programs.

• Work in collaboration with Marketing and Communications support team members and provide strategic direction on a comprehensive communications plan which coordinates member acquisition and retention strategies, digital donor engagement, donor direct mail and email solicitations, as well as stewardship and engagement efforts.

• Collaborate with the Chapter & Volunteer Services, Finance and Accounting, and Information Technology teams to successfully implement technology and reporting enhancements to grow our membership base through chapter events, provide status reports on event participation and membership trends, and ensure optimal utilization of the Upland Events Platform.

• Develop and implement a strategic, data-driven effort to increase youth and young adult members and foster their engagement with the organization.
• Create and oversee the implementation of organization-wide best practices around tracking and reporting of membership and annual giving campaign results.
• Build and manage the membership and annual giving budget, prepare reports on progress toward goals to date, and deliver in-depth analysis on solicitation results—including, but not limited to, membership retention, AutoPay analytics, donor acquisition, solicitation response rates, upgrades, average gift size, cost per dollar raised, etc.
• Focus on effective communication and solicitation activities within specific market segments identified as having growth potential. 
• In coordination with Development team members, assist in database management tactics and member research to influence engagement strategies and to identify high-potential prospects.
• Assume other duties and responsibilities as assigned.  Some travel involved.

Qualifications: 

• A passion for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s mission, as well as knowledge and appreciation of conservation, hunting, and the outdoors.
• B.A. or B.S. degree or higher with at least 7 years nonprofit annual giving, fundraising, or resource development experience, as well as a strong track-record of special event planning.
• Extensive experience in persuasive and strategic writing, preferably including direct mail and email appeals, as well as phone and other innovative campaigns.
• An energetic, well-organized individual who has a strong track-record of results-driven leadership, fundraising, business development, and success.
• A strategic thinker with an innovative mindset, an abundance of capacity to tackle challenges and opportunities, as well as strengths in efficiency, timeliness, endurance, multi-tasking, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coach effectively.
• Donor database management is required, and experience with Microsoft CRM is valued.
• Superior interpersonal and presentation skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse constituencies, including principal partners, donors, national team members, volunteers, and leadership in the field are a must.
• Experience in the areas of business development, major gift cultivation and solicitation, planned giving, and campaign fundraising is beneficial.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability to work across functions within the organization to ensure timely and consistent processing and service to our employees, members, volunteers, supporters, and partners.
• Experience successfully managing a high volume of activity and tasks, with strict deadlines.

Compensation and Location: Starting salary and benefits commensurate with experience and qualifications.  Starting salary range: $100,000 - $150,000.   Location is based out of our national office in St. Paul, MN, with opportunities to work remotely.