Donor Engagement Position - Independent Contractor

Job Summary: Join the 2021 IMLS-award winning Highwood Library & Community Center, a small but mighty library serving Highwood’s diverse community. This key position is responsible for engaging donors, tracking donations, and supporting fundraising efforts to advance the mission in alignment with the strategic plan, and to support current and future programming. This position requires extensive knowledge of donor engagement, strong communication skills, an ability to engage and work well with different groups including the library team, Friends board, donors and volunteers, and a marked ability to communicate the mission, vision and impact of the Highwood Library & Community Center’s programming.

About the Highwood Library & Community Center: Founded in 1976, the Highwood Library & Community Center is an anchor of the community, providing educational support, information needs, engaging services, and inspirational collections. The HLCC provides free multicultural and bilingual programs, services, and resources for Highwood and Illinois residents of all ages and ethnicities, including story time, book discussions, summer reading programs for all ages, as well as literacy-focused bilingual programming. The HLCC enriches, empowers, educates, and embraces the community it serves. Our vision is to uplift, inform and grow the community through the library’s collections, programming and engagement strategies.

Position Responsibilities:

· Work in consultation with Library Director to plan and cultivate engagement strategy and donor events

· Manage engagement/fundraising calendar

· Manage and update donor database to track fundraising efforts

· Help Library Director and Marketing Manager to craft compelling fundraising appeals

· Serve as a liaison between current and potential donors and Library Director

· Serve as a liaison to the Friends board

· Work in collaboration with the Library Director and Friends Board to plan and execute 50th anniversary fundraising plan and events

· Coordinate donor thank you’s and acknowledgements

· Coordinate and schedule donor tours, meet-ups, and mailings

· Coordinate fundraising articles for newsletter (specific to donors/fundraising)

· Work with Friends Board to develop content for Friends website

· Coordinate process to engage and acknowledge library volunteers

Skills required:

· Strong communication skills, written and oral, with a marked ability to communicate the mission, vision and impact of the Highwood Library & Community Center’s programming.

· Strong project management, organization, and planning skills

· Strategic thinking skills

· Passion for the library’s mission and work

· Event planning skills

· Strong ability to engage and work well with different groups including the library team, Friends board, donors and volunteers.

· Minimum of 1 year of experience using donor platforms, including data entry, running reports, and sending acknowledgement letter (Little Green Light experience preferred)

· Understanding of and ability to communicate the needs of the Highwood community

Physical Demands

Constant standing and walking. Lifting up to 30 pounds, bending, reaching, handling, and fine manipulation skills. Ability to communicate by telephone. Ability to use a keyboard. Speaking and hearing. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a contractor encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The library work environment is usually busy and demanding.

Pay: $30.00 - $35.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule

Work Location: In person