Development Operations & Annual Giving Manager

Reports To: Chief Development Officer (CDO)

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Compensation: Salary commensurate with experience; monthly health stipend; 401(k) and matching contributions; other benefits listed below.

Location: Remote, US-based

Gorilla Doctors is the only organization in the world dedicated to hands‑on veterinary care for mountain and Grauer’s gorillas in East Central Africa. Founded in 1986 at the request of Dian Fossey, we have grown into an international team of veterinarians and infectious disease experts from Rwanda, Uganda, DR Congo, and the U.S. There are an estimated 1,063 mountain gorillas on the planet, and research has shown that Gorilla Doctors’ veterinary care accounts for up to 40% of the difference in annual population growth rate between habituated and unhabituated mountain gorillas — the only great ape whose numbers are increasing and that population has nearly doubled since we began.

The Development Operations & Annual Giving Manager serves as the administrative engine of the development department while executing the logistics of the organization’s annual fundraising cycle. Reporting directly to the Chief Development Officer, this role ensures data integrity, manages donor customer service, manages annual giving programs. Depending on the candidate, this role allows for front‑line fundraising experience, qualifying donors to strengthen the major gift pipeline.

This position is an integral part of a development team that includes the CDO and the Executive Director. Together, the team manages donor relationships, conducts monthly prospect review calls, and works to raise Gorilla Doctors’ $3M annual operating budget through individual, foundation, and corporate fundraising. Database integrity and timely gift processing are the non‑negotiable foundation of this role.

Database Management & Gift Processing (Approx. 60% - 70% of Time)

• Data Entry & Integrity:
  Accurately enter all donations, pledges, and donor touchpoints into Salesforce for Non-Profits. Maintain clean, updated records through regular duplicate checks, address updates, and data clean‑up.

• Gift Acknowledgments:
  Execute the gift processing workflow, ensuring all donor thank‑you letters and tax receipts are generated and sent within the organization’s standard window, in compliance with IRS gift reporting requirements. Mail completed thank‑you letters/tax receipts weekly.

• Reporting & Analytics:
  Pull reports, lists, and donor segments to support fundraising program oversight, the monthly Fund Development Committee reporting, donor lists, and annual audit.

• Pledge Management:
  Track pledges and issue reminders as needed.

• Vendor Liaison:
  With the CDO, manage relationships with technology vendors including Click & Pledge, Double the Donation, The Giving Block.

• Salesforce Consultant Liaison:
  Serve as the primary point of contact for Gorilla Doctors’ Salesforce consultant, coordinating on complex database operations, system improvements, and technical troubleshooting.

• Documentation:
  Create and maintain policy and procedure documentation for donor database management.

• Workflow Improvement:
  Evaluate and improve gift processing workflows, including the potential migration to a more efficient and secure processing system, and support reconciliation with financial systems.

Annual Giving & Campaign Logistics (Approx. 30% - 40% of Time)

• Campaign Coordination:
  Project‑manage the execution and timeline of annual cycle appeals, including direct mail, email, and social media components (in coordination with comms). Campaigns currently include spring, fall, and year‑end appeals.

• Vendor & Multi‑Channel Management:
  Coordinate logistics with printers, mail houses, and digital platforms…