Development Annual Coordinator at Forest Home in Forest Falls, CA

Purpose

We are seeking a relationship-driven Development Annual Coordinator to grow and care for a dynamic portfolio of mid-level donors ($1,000–$10,000). This role is essential to building a sustainable funding pipeline by strengthening donor engagement, increasing retention, and advancing qualified donors into the Major Gift pipeline.

The ideal candidate is a relational strategist who can balance data-driven decision-making with meaningful donor connections and confidently invite financial partnership. This is a key revenue-generating role supporting a growing development program with a goal of $1.2M+ in annual mid-level revenue.

The Development Annual Coordinator reports directly to the Chief Development Officer. This position plays a critical role in building a thriving donor pipeline, ensuring long-term sustainability, and deepening engagement with supporters. By cultivating meaningful relationships and stewarding generosity, the Development Annual Coordinator directly contributes to expanding the mission and impact of Forest Home. This is an opportunity to build meaningful connections, inspire generosity, and help fuel life changing ministry. Candidates must fully align with Forest Home’s beliefs, including its view on the authority and accuracy of scripture and its statement of faith and demonstrates a deep passion for advancing Forest Home’s mission: to inspire people to Encounter Jesus, Experience Transformation, and engage the World for Christ.

Key Responsibilities

Mid-level Donor Program ($1,000–$10,000 Giving Level)

Primary Objective: Drive qualification, acquisition, retention, and donor advancement to maximize the major gift pipeline and overall revenue growth.

Growth Strategy

• Grow mid-level donor base to 600 active donors by 2028
• Cultivate and engage 190–230 new donors annually
• Maintain 85%+ donor retention
• Graduate 50–85 donors annually to Major Gifts
• Actively manage a dynamic donor portfolio by:
  • Qualifying all current donors
  • Building individualized engagement plans
  • Cultivating and stewarding relationships
  • Removing disengaged donors and replenishing pipeline
• Convert qualified prospects into $1,000+ donors
• Upgrade high-capacity donors from the mass donor program
• Develop a clear and effective major gift referral process
• Lead and execute a comprehensive annual communication plan (weekly, monthly, spring, fall, and year-end appeals)

Core Responsibilities

• Donor Relationship Management
• Develop and execute individualized engagement plans for all donors (new, current, lapsed, retained, and those transitioning to major gifts)
• Conduct discovery conversations to assess donor interest, capacity, and alignment
• Complete 6–8 meaningful, mission-centered touches per donor annually, including:
• Phone calls, personalized emails, texts, handwritten notes, birthday messages, Impact storytelling (e.g. videos, camp stories)
• Tier donors and manage engagement
• Identify and qualify donors capable of $10K+ gifts monthly
• Track giving patterns, engagement signals, and upgrade movement
• Confidently make support asks in the $2K-$10K range
• Collaborate with the Major Gifts Officer on donor transitions:
  • In person meetings, quarterly events, individual meetings
• Coordinate targeted year end and campaign asks aligned with broader development efforts
• Respond to new donor inquiries within 2 hours
• Maintain accurate and timely CRM records (Bloomerang, DonorSearch)
• Track KPIs: retention, upgrades, lapses, and pipeline movement
• Develop monthly performance dashboards and reports
• Monitor retention rates (target: 75-80%+)
• Develop and manage a comprehensive annual donor communication plan
• Align messaging with ministry impact and donor interests
• Coordinate with the development teams, marketing on appeals and storytelling

Required Skills & Qualifications

Professional Skills

• Entrepreneurial, proactive, and growth-oriented mindset
• Proven success managing donor relationships and achieving revenue goals
• Strong relationship building and interpersonal skills
• Confidence in making direct financial asks
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including storytelling
• High emotional intelligence and active listening ability
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience with CRM systems (Bloomerang and DonorSearch preffered)
• Ability to manage a large caseload with strong time management and prioritization
• Self-motivated, organized, professional, goal oriented
• Passionate about educating and inviting donors to join God’s Kingdome work at Forest Home
• Solid understanding of fundraising analytics and donor behavior
• Strong project management and deadline adherence

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Experienced in fundraising or donor relations (3+ years preferred)

Core Competencies

• Relationship driven and donor centered mindset
• Data informed decision making and performance tracking
• Strategic planning and execution
• Sensitivity and effectiveness in spiritually oriented conversations
• Ability to move conversations from transactional to transformational
• Ability to design and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies
• Strong collaboration and cross-functional teamwork

Personal Characteristics

• Servant-hearted leader with a Christ-like attitude.
• High integrity, self-motivation, and commitment to excellence.
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including weekends as necessary

Expectations

• Actively participate in Forest Home’s spiritual life activities, including weekly all-staff meetings and prayer meetings
• Represent Forest Home with the highest standards of Christian integrity and professionalism in all interactions
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that all fundraising efforts reflect Forest Home’s mission and values
• This role requires on-site presence in the office, Monday through Friday

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with a disability to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, and requires sufficient hand, arm, and finger dexterity to operate office machines. Requires mild physical work; some lifting, pushing, or pulling of objects over 30 pounds. Requires visual acuity to read words and numbers and speaking and hearing ability sufficient to communicate in person or over the phone.

FOREST HOME EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT: Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. All terms and conditions of employment, duties, and responsibilities are subject to the Forest Home Employee Handbook.

FOREST HOME CORE VALUES

Surrender to Christ: (Romans 12:1-2)

• Abide with the Lord daily through study of His Word and prayer
• Surrender to the Lord daily through obedience to His Word Worship the Lord with the Forest Home Community
• Commit to grow in your faith through regular attendance at a local church
• Prioritize God, Family, and Work appropriately
• Be prepared to share your testimony with staff or guests

Walk in Biblical purity (1 Timothy 4:12)

• by rejecting one’s sinful nature

Love: (I Corinthians 13)

• Display the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22)
• Be respectful to others Demonstrate compassion

Serve: (Philippians 2:3-11)

• Give generously to God and others through time, talent and treasure
• Seek to put others’ needs above your own
• Demonstrate humility in both spirit and deed
• Actively look for ways to serve

Walk in Integrity: (Titus 2:11-12, Proverbs 4:23-27)

• Show loyalty to others, even when they are not present

• Do the right thing, even when others are not present

• Extend trust and seek to believe the best in others

• Ask for forgiveness quickly when necessary

• Be truthful and transparent with others

  Strive for Excellence: (Colossians 3:23-24)

• Demonstrate accountability with time and resources

• Request and receive training Desire to improve, and challenge others to do the same

• Commit to exceeding guest expectations

• Refuse mediocrity

Engage in Community: (I Thessalonians 5:11-13)

• Seek first to understand before being understood
• Communicate clearly, empathetically and respectfully Work through conflict Biblically (Matthew 18-15-17)
• Participate in intentional and purposeful community activities
• Partner with teammates for the goal of unity and team effectiveness
• Play and appreciate “campy” fun
• Faithfully pray for one another

Innovate: (Ephesians 3:20-21)

• Dream Big Proactively seek solutions Think outside the box
• Dream, plan and execute new ideas
• Acknowledge and trust that all things are possible through Jesus Christ our Lord (Matthew 19:26)