Development Manager

The Development Manager is responsible for owning the integrity, strategy, and execution of The Wildcat Sanctuary’s donor data, CRM systems, reporting, and fundraising operations.

This role serves as the on-site counterpart to the remote Development Officer, ensuring seamless execution of donor systems, campaign reporting, and event logistics, while directly supervising the Donor Services Associate.

This is a full-time, on-site position at The Wildcat Sanctuary. The regular work week is Monday-Friday. Some evenings and weekends are required for fundraisers/events., CRM Management (40%)

• Serve as the primary on-site owner of the CRM (Neon One), ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and integrity
• Oversee donor data entry processes and quality control standards
• Build and maintain reports for:
• Campaign performance
• Donor retention and acquisition
• Sustaining programs
• Revenue tracking across all channels
• Identify trends, gaps, and opportunities in donor data and present recommendations

Data Reporting (20%)

• Cross-train with the Development Officer to prepare weekly, monthly, and campaign-specific development reports
• Ensure alignment between CRM data and accounting records
• Support audit preparation and financial reconciliation processes
• Track performance against fundraising goals and benchmarks

Events and Fundraisers (20%)

• Lead on-site planning and logistics for 2-3 annual donor events
• Coordinate on-site donor, industry, and media visits/tours
• Manage timelines, materials, RSVP tracking, and post-event reporting
• Support execution of fundraising campaigns through list pulls, segmentation, and performance tracking
• Ensure accurate event data is captured and reflected in CRM

Team Leadership (15%)

• Directly supervise the Donor Services Associate
• Ensure excellence in:
• Gift processing
• Acknowledgements
• Donor customer service
• Provide training, documentation, and backup support for donor services functions
• Maintain continuity of operations during staff absences
• Lead on-site onboarding of new staff/interns
• Coordinate on-site volunteers as needed

Other duties as assigned (~5%)

Do you have experience in Team leadership?, * 4+ years of experience in nonprofit development operations, CRM management, or fundraising analytics

• Strong experience with CRM systems (Neon One, Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, etc.)
• Proven ability to generate, analyze, and present data-driven insights
• Experience managing and mentoring staff
• High attention to detail with strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

Additional Expectations and Culture Fit

• Typical schedule is Monday-Friday, with flexibility required as needed
• Adhere to sanctuary policies, procedures, and values
• Must be results-oriented, self-reflective, and take responsibility for actions
• Must be able to handle the physical and emotional aspects of work in a sanctuary and have a high level of resiliency
• Reliable transportation to our rural location in all four seasons is required
• Willingness to accommodate TWS dogs and domestic cats in the workplace

Pulled from the full job description

• Health insurance
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance, * Compensation: $60,000 - $63,000/year
• IRA contribution up to 3% match
• Health insurance, Dental insurance, Vision insurance
• Minnesota Paid Leave
• Short-term disability
• Life insurance
• Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• At-cost veterinary care in our on-site hospital
• Family & friends tours, * Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

The Wildcat Sanctuary’s mission is to provide a natural sanctuary to wild cats in need and inspire change to end the captive wildlife crisis. We are a leading, accredited, non-profit sanctuary that is internationally recognized for our work. Our marketing and development efforts reach over 5.45 million people around the world and raise $3.6 million annually to support the 150+ wildcats we care for. We partner with the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USDA Confiscations Network to save illegally trafficked wild cats. The Wildcat Sanctuary is nestled between the beautiful lakes, fields, and forests in rural Sandstone, Minnesota, conveniently located between Duluth and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.