Fundraising Specialist

Lollypop Farm, the Humane Society of Greater Rochester, has been helping animals and people since 1873. Together with our community, we better the lives of animals through justice, prevention, and life-saving care. Our organization cares for thousands of animals each year—saving animals from abuse and suffering, sending homeless pets to new homes, connecting pet owners with resources to keep their pets, and sharing information on how to help animals every day.

The Fundraising Specialist will play a dual role in supporting the organization’s fundraising goals by identifying and researching potential individual donors and writing compelling grant proposals. This position will contribute to the organization's revenue generation strategy by leveraging research skills, data analysis, and creative writing expertise to secure funding from both individual donors and institutional grant makers.

Essential Job Duties:

Individual Donor Prospect Research (30%)

• Conduct thorough research on current and potential individual donors to identify giving capacity, interests, and philanthropic trends.
• Oversee qualification process and caseloads. Hold meetings with gift officers to keep them on track with qualification goals.
• Track metrics and compile reports related to qualification for the Director of Development.
• Utilize prospect research tools, databases, and publicly available information to uncover new donor leads.
• Collaborate with the development team to create targeted donor engagement strategies.
• Maintain and update donor research records in the organization's CRM system.
• Track and analyze donor trends to inform long-term fundraising strategies.

Grant Writing and Management (50%)

• Research and identify grant opportunities from foundations, corporations, and government agencies.
• Write and edit compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, and reports tailored to funders’ guidelines.
• Collaborate with program staff to gather necessary information for proposals, including budgets and program narratives.
• Track and meet all grant submission deadlines and reporting requirements.
• Build and maintain relationships with grant funders, including correspondence and site visits when required.
• Monitor grant outcomes and evaluate program success to report back to funders.

Administrative (20%)

• Assist with donor data entry and queries via Raiser’s Edge

Education/Experience: Associate degree in a related field strongly preferred. Three years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, prospect research, or grant writing. Proven ability to write persuasive and technically accurate grant proposals. Demonstrated proficiency with donor databases (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce NPSP) and Microsoft Office Suite. Knowledge of philanthropic trends and funding landscapes preferred. Experience with donor prospecting tools such as Prospect Insights, WealthEngine, iWave, or DonorSearch preferred. Experience utilizing foundation directory strongly preferred.

Skills: Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize data into actionable insights. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines. Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Collaborative team player with a self-starter mentality. Attention to detail and commitment to high-quality work. Adaptability and creativity in a fast-paced environment.

Physical Demands: Performs work primarily in an office setting. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to remain in a stationary position during shift and move throughout the building. Performance may also require prolonged periods of repetitive motion. Frequently required to communicate with others. Occasionally required to move excessive weight.

Must Align with the Company Mission, Vision and Core Values:

Mission: Together with our community, we better the lives of animals through justice, prevention, and life-saving care.

Vision: A just and compassionate world for all animals.

Core Values: We embrace and recognize that Lollypop Farm donors are the heroes of our work – voluntarily offering time or money, no matter the amount – to support our mission. Together, our core values unify and guide us to provide the best service to the animals, our community, our organization and ourselves.

• Compassion: We show empathy and sympathy for what people and animals are experiencing through positive and constructive actions.
• Communication: We engage in a two-way process to exchange thoughts, feelings, and ideas in pursuit of a mutually accepted goal or direction.
• Flexibility: We are willing and comfortable adapting to new circumstances and conditions.
• Commitment: We persevere in our efforts to achieve our mission.
• Teamwork: We collaborate and communicate to achieve common goals, understanding that the organization works best when unified.
• Integrity: We pursue our mission with honor, fairness, and respect for animals, individuals, the organization, and our community.
• Respect: We show consideration and professional regard for all aspects of the organization.

Commitment to Diversity

At Lollypop Farm, we believe that people are our greatest strength. We are united by our mission - Together with our community, we better the lives of animals through justice, prevention, and lifesaving care. Our values inspire us to promote and support a diverse and equitable environment of mutual respect where all staff, volunteers, and community members feel a sense of inclusion and belonging.

EOE/ADA