Hildene, a nonprofit historic site and museum, is hiring an Annual Giving & Membership Manager to lead annual fund, membership, and donor development strategy. This fundraising and development role owns annual giving campaigns, donor cultivation, membership growth, and CRM implementation for one of Vermont’s leading nonprofit organizations. Ideal candidates bring experience in nonprofit fundraising, annual fund management, donor relations, membership programs, and development communications.
Why This Opportunity?
Hildene is entering an exciting period of growth and opportunity. Following the successful completion of Lincoln Hall, the organization is strengthening its advancement program, implementing a new donor CRM, expanding its membership strategy, and preparing for future philanthropic initiatives. This is an opportunity for an accomplished fundraising professional to help shape Hildene's annual giving program, build meaningful donor relationships, and play a central role in advancing one of Vermont's most treasured historic sites.
Position Summary -
This is a full-time/exempt position, reporting to the Director of Advancement, the Annual Giving & Membership Manager owns every aspect of Hildene's annual fund and membership programs—from strategy and messaging through execution, personal solicitation, and stewardship. At its core, this role is about the craft of donor communication: understanding donor psychology and translating it into compelling appeals, campaigns, and stories, then backing that up with confident, direct asks, including mid-level gifts.
Ideally, this individual will also serve as the Advancement team's lead in implementing Hildene's new donor CRM, including integrating it with Hildene's ticketing and finance systems, and establishing the reporting and donor management practices that will support fundraising success for years to come.
Primary Responsibilities -
Annual Giving & Membership
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Lead strategy for Hildene's membership and annual fund campaigns, writing appeals, campaign copy, and stewardship communications that apply an understanding of donor psychology to resonate with donors while staying true to Hildene's voice
- Execute integrated campaigns across direct mail, email, web, social, and print, setting goals and KPIs and refining tactics based on results
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Redesign and grow Hildene's membership program through data-driven strategy, enhanced member benefits, digital innovation, and seamless integration with CRM, ticketing, and financial systems, resulting in increased acquisition, retention, renewals, and membership upgrades
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Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of mid-level donors and members
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Support the planning and execution of donor cultivation events, member appreciation events, and stewardship gatherings
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Manage one full-time seasonal Membership Associate and oversee staffing of the year-round member desk in The Museum Store
CRM & Advancement Operations
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Serve as the Advancement team's lead during evaluation and selection of a new donor CRM, including integration with Hildene's ticketing system and finance platforms
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Lead the implementation of the new CRM, while working closely with the Database Coordinator, including managing data migration, workflow development, and staff training
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Develop processes that improve donor tracking, segmentation, and campaign reporting, and produce dashboards that measure fundraising effectiveness
Qualifications -
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Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience
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Five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, annual giving, membership, and nonprofit communications
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Demonstrated success personally cultivating and soliciting contributions, including mid-level gifts, through in-person and virtual meetings, calls, and written proposals.
- Strong understanding of annual giving strategy, donor lifecycle management, and moves management
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Exceptional communication, writing, and storytelling skills, with a portfolio or demonstrated experience producing donor appeals and campaign copy across print, email, web, and social
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Experience with nonprofit CRM systems; CRM implementation or conversion experience is highly desirable
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Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills
The Successful Candidate -
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A relationship builder who is comfortable making the ask and genuinely curious about what motivates donor psychology and giving
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A strategic thinker who balances long-term planning with hands-on execution and is motivated by measurable results
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Creative and willing to test new ideas, while staying highly organized across multiple priorities
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Passionate about Hildene's mission and excited to help shape the future of its advancement program
About Hildene
Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, is the historic estate of Robert Todd Lincoln and Mary Harlan Lincoln. Today, Hildene is a nationally recognized historic site and nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and engage people through the values exemplified by the Lincoln family. Through preservation, education, agriculture, and public programming, Hildene welcomes thousands of visitors each year while continuing to expand its public purpose and deepen its impact on the community.
We are seeking a fundraising professional who is excited to build meaningful donor relationships, think strategically, embrace innovation, and help write Hildene's next chapter of philanthropic success.
Hildene is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.
