Title: Senior Specialist, Development Gift Administration

Job Family/Level: Development/Senior Specialist

Reports to: Director, Development Systems Partnerships & Reporting

FLSA status: Exempt

Revised: August 2023

Major Function

The Development Gift Administration Senior Specialist serves as primary technical liaison between all stakeholders within the Development department and across Fundraising Operations, Accounting, and Program Operations departments to provide the full scope of gift administration support for WWF’s high-touch donors. This role ensures timely and accurate delivery of IRS tax acknowledgments (tax receipts) to high-level individual and foundation donors, through implementation of smooth and efficient processes and effective communication. The Senior Specialist is the first line of expertise for high touch gift administration, at the donor/transaction level, and is a key player on a large, cross-functional team focused on creating a donor-centered experience at WWF.

Key Responsibilities

• Convene and lead a cross-functional Gift Administration Working Group to address process issues and specific priority gifts/transactions
• Ensure swift gift administration for high-touch donors including investigating and attributing high-touch Development gifts from all non-mail sources: stock transfer, wire transfer, Lockbox Anonymous, donor-advised fund, and other third-party gifts.
• Ensure strong departmental responsiveness to donors by vetting donor correspondence including reading gift back-up files on a daily basis to find, interpret, and route donor correspondence to relationship managers and other Development staff.
• Collaborate with Program Operations on the full scope of Development’s SmartSimple gift administration needs.
• Manage specialized SmartSimple data entry, integrity, and analysis for major individual donor gifts and pledges.
• Liaise across Development fundraising teams, ProgramOps, and FundOps to collate, organize, and direct all required information for swift gift administration: restriction & pledge documentation, soft credit donors, report & pledge schedule, etc.
• Ensure smooth transition of gift processing workflows among Development teams.
• Serve as administrator for quality control and quality assurance on adjustments for priority high-touch gifts.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills and Abilities

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required, with a minimum of 6 years of program or other professional experience in development operations, customer service, project management, or other relevant field; or an advanced degree with a minimum of 3 years of experience.
• Demonstrated success in gift processing and/or advancement services operations is required.
• Possesses a thorough understanding of the lifecycle of donor relations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and situational awareness, deploying courtesy, tact, and diplomacy to effectively communicate with all constituents.
• Takes initiative to prioritize and complete work with minimal supervision within the agreed-upon timelines.
• Possesses strong organizational skills, managing many diverse activities and meeting competing deadlines.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills and impeccable attention to detail.
• Demonstrates flexibility in changing situations and priorities.
• Knowledge of a CRM donor management system is required; Blackbaud CRM is highly preferred.
• Familiarity with Microsoft office software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) preferred
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:

• Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
• Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
• Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
• Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.

• Convene and lead a cross-functional Gift Administration Working Group to address process issues and specific priority gifts/transactions
• Ensure swift gift administration for high-touch donors including investigating and attributing high-touch Development gifts from all non-mail sources: stock transfer, wire transfer, Lockbox Anonymous, donor-advised fund, and other third-party gifts.
• Ensure strong departmental responsiveness to donors by vetting donor correspondence including reading gift back-up files on a daily basis to find, interpret, and route donor correspondence to relationship managers and other Development staff.
• Collaborate with Program Operations on the full scope of Development’s SmartSimple gift administration needs.
• Manage specialized SmartSimple data entry, integrity, and analysis for major individual donor gifts and pledges.
• Liaise across Development fundraising teams, ProgramOps, and FundOps to collate, organize, and direct all required information for swift gift administration: restriction & pledge documentation, soft credit donors, report & pledge schedule, etc.
• Ensure smooth transition of gift processing workflows among Development teams.
• Serve as administrator for quality control and quality assurance on adjustments for priority high-touch gifts.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required, with a minimum of 6 years of program or other professional experience in development operations, customer service, project management, or other relevant field; or an advanced degree with a minimum of 3 years of experience.
• Demonstrated success in gift processing and/or advancement services operations is required.
• Possesses a thorough understanding of the lifecycle of donor relations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and situational awareness, deploying courtesy, tact, and diplomacy to effectively communicate with all constituents.
• Takes initiative to prioritize and complete work with minimal supervision within the agreed-upon timelines.
• Possesses strong organizational skills, managing many diverse activities and meeting competing deadlines.
• Demonstrates strong analytical skills and impeccable attention to detail.
• Demonstrates flexibility in changing situations and priorities.
• Knowledge of a CRM donor management system is required; Blackbaud CRM is highly preferred.
• Familiarity with Microsoft office software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) preferred
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with the core values of the WWF organization: Courage, Integrity, Respect & Collaboration
  • Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
  • Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
  • Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
  • Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.

WWF is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace and requires all US-based staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. WWF will consider requests for accommodation from the vaccine requirement based on disability, medical contraindication, sincerely held religious belief, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

To Apply:

• Submit cover letter and resume through our Careers Page, Requisition #24024
• Due to the high volume of applications we are not able to respond to inquiries via phone

As an EOE/AA employer, WWF will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status. WWF values diversity and inclusion and welcomes diverse candidates to apply.