JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Fellowship and Legacy Executive
DEPARTMENT: Development
RESPONSIBLE TO: Head of Private Philanthropy
APPROVED BY:
JOB HOLDER(S):
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OR DIRECTOR: James Wren
JOB DESCRIPTION REFERENCE NUMBER:
GRADE ALLOCATED: 5.0
JOB DESCRIPTION / MAIN PURPOSE
The ZSL Fellowship programme has been an integral part of its history. Ensuring that this programme is delivered to a high standard will enable ZSL to recruit the best individuals required to support ZSL in the 21st century. The income from this programme is a significant driver for the ZSL Development Team.
The number of fellows is just over 4,300. It is important that this number continue to grow through the development and implementation of effective recruitment, engagement and retention strategies.
Legacy income is an important source of funding for the ZSL. The organisation currently receives 10-20 legacies a year, and in recent years, has been fortunate to receive some extremely large gifts of between £250,000 and £2.3million.
The ambition of this combined post is to grow these important programmes. This will require the development and successful implementation of a recruitment and retention strategy for both areas while maximising potential for crossover. In addition this role will be responsible for the day to day management of the fellowship programme ensuring timely response, communication and service to fellows as well as coordinating all the administrative tasks such as monthly renewals ensuring there is follow up with all lapsed fellows.
Responsibilities will include:
· Developing a recruitment and retention strategy for legacy giving and in memorial giving at ZSL
· Promotion of legacy giving through mailings, on-site and website promotion, ZSL publications and events
· Ensuring that legacy giving has a high profile among ZSL members, staff and volunteers
· Effectively stewarding current legacy pledgers and engaging them to be legacy champions
· Ensure that legacy pledgers are engaged with ZSL through regular communications and events
· Ensure a minimum of one event designed to recruit, engage and cultivate pledgers
· Liaison with solicitors and executors to ensure that legacy income is collected
· Liaison with key ZSL personnel to ensure that legacy income is correctly attributed to projects, where specified
· Ensure that legators are acknowledged appropriately
· Make appropriate approaches to the discretionary will service
· Managing and developing in memorial giving including the management of online giving and email inquiries
· Work closely with Development Executives & the Head of Private Philanthropy to ensure that legacy messaging is consistent within patronage and major gifts and recruitment opportunities are maximised
· Develop and deliver fellowship recruitment activity both on and off-site including recruitment activity in association with leading UK universities as well as targeted recruitment for key individuals
· Working with supporter services to co-ordinate the renewal and retention process for existing Fellows
· Coordinate the council approval process for all new applications
· Coordination and compilation of all fellowship reports and the Fellowship Council ballot and election process
· Drafting tailored, impactful and relevant written communications including printed materials, event invitations, letters, website updates, on site signage and proposals
· Play a key role in the planning and delivery of the Fellows luncheon at the Annual General Meeting, ensuring that networking and fundraising opportunities are maximised and provide support to the AGM planning committee
· Support the Head of Philanthropy on activities such as strategy, business planning, budgeting/reporting and other major projects that the team may be asked to deliver
· Continually evaluate activities and gain feedback from colleagues and supporters to understand and implement learnings for future improvement
· To support all patron events as well as wider development team major fundraising initiatives
· Share on a rotational basis in the daily administrative requirements including phone and post
· Personal commitment to ensuring robust data for your portfolio and raising awareness to individual record deficiencies to the appropriate team lead
· To provide high quality service to your portfolio as well as provide support coverage for the other portfolios during absences
· Contributing to strategy through the development of the agenda and providing administrative support to the Development Strategy Board, including making meeting arrangements, co-ordinating the issue of papers and taking accurate minutes
JOB DESCRIPTION ANALYSIS
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
A minimum of 3 years’ experience leading/ working in a membership driven programme and fundraising from individuals, preferably in the field of legacy fundraising
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
· Educated to degree level or equivalent
· Member of the Institute of Fundraising (desirable)
· Completed in house or external fundraising training
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE:
· Experience of individual fundraising and managing relationships with donors
· Experience successfully leading on fundraising, recruitment and retention events
· Experience working with solicitors and external partners to collect legacy income
· A commitment to environmental and conservation issues, with a knowledge of broad fundraising issues.
· Effective use of information technology, with strong skills in Microsoft Office, particularly in excel as well as database management in CRM systems such as Raiser’s Edge
· Strong project planning skills, including developing and implementing strategy
· Experience managing individual budgets (desirable)
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
· Strong verbal and written communication skills including the ability to communicate clearly and diplomatically with people at all levels both within ZSL and with prospective donors and pledgers
· Ability to be a self-starter and to create new opportunities
· Able to develop positive working relationships with a range of people internally and externally
· Excellent organisational abilities and administrative skills with strong attention to detail
· Empathy with and understanding of ZSL’s mission
· Ability to demonstrate professionalism, representing ZSL at the highest level
· Team player with a commitment to excellence
· Strong numeracy skills with the ability to develop budgets and deliver financial reporting
· Strong customer service orientation
B. DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
The post holder currently does not have any direct reports but may need to manage any volunteer assistance/interns.
2. PHYSICAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Effective use of funds and effective management of records and information, some of which is confidential, will be essential. The post holder is responsible for ensuring that annual income targets are met and recorded appropriately for both fellowship and legacy programmes. This role will have to manage budgets for events.
3. COMMUNICATION
The post holder will need to demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills to develop and maintain relationships with donors and ZSL departments.
Excellent written communication skills are required to ensure the development of persuasive arguments for legacy giving, and the delivery of these through appropriate media to fellows and patrons
Manage the on-site and external written communications including website ensuring a strong engagement and fundraising message and in line with new branding
The post holder will need to communicate clearly about legacy giving, and in memorial giving, and manage the sensitivities attached to the subject of death and dealing with family and friends of legators.
Regular communications in the form of acquisitions, renewals, lapsed and expired fellows as part of the Fellowship retention strategy are required
Coordination of the mailings associated with the annual Council election process through fellowship as well as the development, planning and delivery of Fellowship and Legacy events both on and offsite
The post holder will need tact and diplomacy to manage sensitive and confidential information.
4. LIAISON
The post holder will work closely with other members of the Development team, particularly the Head of Private Philanthropy, to ensure a coordinated approach for individuals wishing to leave legacies.
The post holder will need to ensure appropriate recognition and communication of legacies and donations in agreement with donors and other ZSL departments, and seek opportunities for raising the profile of legacy giving.
He/she will be expected to liaise effectively across ZSL departments to ensure that legacy giving is understood, that legacy income is used appropriately and that projects are completed according to the wishes of legacy donors.
The post holder will need to liaise with a diverse range of audiences at all levels, including enquirers, pledgers, solicitors, executors, and internally with staff up to and including Directors and Development Strategy Board members
C. MENTAL DEMANDS
a. JUDGEMENT AND DECISION MAKING
The post holder will need to use judgement in developing the legacy strategy, building on the work that has been undertaken to ensure legacy giving at ZSL is at the forefront of giving.
The post holder will need to work with the Head of Private Philanthropy to agree approaches to specific individuals
The post holder will need to use judgement to decide the best mechanisms for communicating legacy giving to ZSL visitors, members, staff, volunteers and other potential legacy audiences.
The post holder will also need to judge how specific legacy requests are handled, and how individual legacies are acknowledged.
The post holder will be juggling a number of priorities balancing project planning with shared administrative tasks, event execution and support of the Individual Giving and wider development team on major fundraising initiatives.
b. ORIGINAL THOUGHT AND PROBLEM SOLVING
The post holder will need to further develop the overall strategy for legacy giving and the Fellowship programme including recruitment and retention and its potential cross-over to legacy giving.
He/she will also need to develop the thinking about in memorial giving at ZSL and design a programme which meets the needs of ZSL and of donors.
c. CONCENTRATION
Concentration will be required to ensure that all communication to funders is clear, accurate, appropriate and timely as well as project planning and delivery of events
Concentration will also be required to ensure that all materials are developed to the highest standard for both programmes, and that all applications to the Discretionary Will Service are concise, clear and appropriate.
d. FLEXIBILITY
ZSL’s priorities for fundraising will be regularly reviewed and this may have implications for legacy giving.
The post holder will need to respond appropriately to the needs of executors and in memorial donors whilst fulfilling the demands of the Fellowship programme and being an integral member of the Individual Giving team, contributing to overarching priorities
C. WORKING CONDITIONS
This is a full time position based in central London with some travel to Whipsnade required. The post holder will be located in the Development Department of ZSL in the office building located inside the zoo over the gift shop which is accessed via the east service gate.
Normal working hours will be Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.30pm with one hour for lunch. The role requires some evening and weekend work to support ZSL events, network and visits with supporters for which in lieu time may be claimed.
A full driving licence will be helpful in fulfilling the demands of this role
25 days annual leave rising to 27 days after 5 years service.
Life Assurance cover of 3 times annual salary.
Interest free season ticket loan after 6 month’s service.
Subsidised staff Restaurant.