Major Gift Officer - Higher Ed. jobs in Santa Barbara, CA

Title:                            Development Associate and Gift Processor
Classification:             Full-Time 40-hour work week, non-exempt
Department:               Development 
Reports To:                 Director of Development
Compensation:          $23.00 - $25.00 per hour
Created:                      March 2024
Schedule:                    The schedule is typically Monday through Friday, 8:30 am -5:00 pm.                                                          Occasional weekend or evening hours are required.

About Lotusland:  
Ganna Walska Lotusland is a 37-acre botanical garden and historic estate located in Montecito featuring a collection of over 3,000 plant species from around the world as well as historically significant Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.  Since opening to the public in 1993, Ganna Walska Lotusland has grown to become one of the world’s premier botanical gardens and a center for sustainable garden practices, horticultural education, and plant conservation.    
 
Mission Statement:  
Our mission is to preserve and enhance the distinctive botanical gardens of Madame Ganna Walska. Lotusland educates and inspires visitors with its collections, sustainable horticulture practices and plant conservation. 
 
Position Description: 
Working as a member of the Development team, the Development Associate and Gift Processor must have experience with Salesforce and its uses as an effective prospect management and tracking tool.  

Key Responsibilities:
Gift Processing:

• Daily entry, tracking, coding and processing all contributions into SalesForce, including: general donations, memberships, gifts of securities, grants, memorials/tributes, in-kind gifts, special campaign gifts, event tickets, and Lotus Society (gifts to endowment) contributions. 
• Track, issue reminder mailings, and process pledges and pledge payments. 
• Track and process bequests and planned giving correspondence and documents. 

• Work with Development and Membership teams to produce and analyze reports of donors, members, and visitors to support a broad range of development activities. 
• Conduct monthly data reconciliation between the Salesforce CRM and accounting software in collaboration with Lotusland’s accounting team. 
• Manage quarterly compilation and editing of Lotusland Newsletter donor listings. 
• Supply yearly reporting, including compilation and editing of annual donor listings. 
• Pulling mailing lists and running reports for events, as needed.

• Serve as a primary gift processor and development database user for Lotusland’s SalesForce platform.
• Responsible for the day-to-day configuration, support, maintenance, and improvement of the database.
• Plan ahead for additional customizations, upgrades, and long-term projects. 

• Support membership, fundraising, accounting, marketing, and public programs activities with related data and reporting needs.
• Work with the Development team to ensure quality data across all Salesforce applications and functions. 
• Attend Department, Administrative and Staff meetings and take notes as needed. 
• Maintain professional and warm relations with donors, volunteers, and board members. 
• Support special projects, events, and perform other position-related duties as assigned. 

• A strong working knowledge with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, and Excel. 
• Experience using Salesforce is highly desired. 
• Ability to manage multiple ongoing projects and meet deadlines in a fast paced and professional environment.  
• Superior organization skills and attention to detail. 
• Be sensitive to confidential information.
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing. 
• Able to communicate clearly in the English language by phone and two-way radio. 
• Exhibits excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interact cooperatively with members, staff, volunteers, and the general public. 
• Must have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation as Lotusland is not accessible by public transportation.  Occasional driving of an electric cart inside Lotusland is required. 

• Associates degree or Bachelor’s Degree preferred. 
• Minimum of three years of administrative experience, preferably in the non-profit industry. 
• Minimum of two years of database administration, 
• Highly proficient in the English language in person and by phone.

• Lotusland’s administrative offices are on a historic 2-story estate in a 37-acre garden.    
• Frequent sitting and standing, walking, and bending and climbing stairs with occasional lifting of light loads (25 lbs.)   
• Requires working outside at times and the ability to comfortably move around the garden.    
• Frequent work on the telephone and computer (repetitive movement – typing)    
• Frequent standing, sitting, walking, climbing stairs and bending with occasional lifting of light to moderate loads (25 lbs.)    
• Occasional driving of company electric golf carts.   

• Health, dental, vision and life insurance.   
• 403(b) Retirement plans.   
• Paid vacation and sick leave.   
• Paid holidays.  

• Employment background/criminal check is required.  

Lotusland Core Values:  
Accountability: We take ownership of the commitments we make, holding ourselves accountable for our actions and decisions, both to ourselves and those we lead.  
Teamwork and Collaboration: Our roles are interdependent, requiring intentional collaboration within teams to consistently achieve our mission.  
Communication: Effective communication is crucial for building trust among our staff, board, and the larger community. We strive to share information clearly, consistently, and in a timely manner to foster understanding and commitment across our organization.  
Trust: We aim to cultivate mutual respect and open communication throughout the organization. Employees are encouraged to openly share their perspectives and feel secure in taking risks to enhance our effectiveness.  
Integrity: Aligned with our guiding principles of honesty, fairness, and decency, we promote a strong ethic of integrity among individuals and leaders.  
 
Lotusland is an equal-opportunity employer. We acknowledge that equal employment opportunity for all persons is a fundamental human value. Each employee will be considered based on individual ability and merit, without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, or marital status.