Job Description
Job Description
The Organization :
Deaf Bible Society began 10 years ago, fueled by the commitment of Deaf and hearing advocates desire for every Deaf person to receive, experience, and share the message of Gods love in sign language Scripture.
Our ultimate aim is to provide the Bible by video in more than 350 sign languages, representing 70 million people worldwide. Today, one of those languages has access to a full Bible, while portions of Scripture are accessible in 71 other languages, and counting. The technology of our Deaf Bible app makes all of this Scripture accessible for free as we work to advance sign language Bible translation, distribution, and engagement.
In this work, we identify, mobilize, develop, and celebrate the strengths of Deaf churches and communities working toward Bible access in their sign languages. Through Deaf-informed technology innovations, training, and sign language accessibility, these communities have hands-on participation in the mission.
The Position :
This newly created role comes as hearing donors are increasingly interested to invest in an ambitious mission that is too big for Deaf communities to accomplish on their own. But with Deaf-hearing partnerships, intercultural learning, and technology developed in just the past few years, key donors are seeing dynamic impact and momentum. Now its time to develop a stronger network of donors.
In this context, your role as the Donor Relations Manager will support the fundraising operation at Deaf Bible Society as we establish a Major Gifts program. This includes coordinating all aspects of donor relations to cultivate and steward strategic relationships with generous individuals, businesses, and foundations and connecting them with opportunities to invest for impact. You will ensure that these donors feel inspired, informed, invited, and appreciated.
Your influence extends beyond raising funds and includes raising awareness of the unique potential for Deaf communities to grow in their relationship with God as they discover the Bibles message in the sign language that most deeply connects to who they are.
Please note : Deaf Bible Society welcomes Deaf and hearing applicants for this role and is prepared to support cultural learning about global Deaf communities and sign languages. For hearing candidates, any knowledge of sign language is a plus but not required. Most of our donors are hearing, so your ability to communicate with them is the priority. We have interpreters to support Deaf-hearing communication as needed in the regular course of work with our team and with donors.
Responsibilities :
Connection & Relationships
- Connect with people and genuinely get to know them, their stories, and their passion for the Bible.
- Raise awareness of strengths and needs in Deaf communities, including the creation of compelling narratives to share with prospective donors and the public.
- Provide vision and passion that invites prospective donors to see opportunities for their investment in the mission.
- Integrate donor learnings and insights to build a meaningful communication rhythm.
- Connect contributions to results by illustrating how generous giving is making a difference for Deaf communities.
Discovery & Advocacy
Gain a growing understanding of Deaf culture, sign language Bible access, and other relevant topics that are often unfamiliar to hearing people who make up the majority of our donors; your willingness to be curious will be helpful in connecting with donors on their journey of discovery.Inform the development of resources required to appropriately engage and expand relationships with current and prospective donors.Advocate for action that addresses emerging needs, issues, or opportunities.Participate in meetings and task force groups as directed to maintain a strong knowledge of strategic and operational plans, and promote supporting goals and actions that will impact progress.Building & Developing
Maintain and increase Deaf Bible Societys donor retention and participation across all donor types, especially individuals, churches, and family foundations; and work collaboratively to engage support from independent foundations and corporations.Ensure a thoughtful and timely gift acknowledgment process. Identify opportunities to recognize donors generally and facilitate personalized recognition in key relationships.Develop an annual plan for donor communications, appeals, and events / experiences, using a variety of tactics to engage and steward participation. Work in collaboration with the advocacy team to schedule, design, and implement regular touchpoints according to the plan.Sustain communication and transparency around the organizations goals and progress to keep donors informed and inspired.Collaboration & Partnerships
Collaborate with the CAO and CEO in identifying strategic investment opportunities and plans to engage, expand, and enrich donor relationships.Consult and partner with donors to understand their goals, challenges, and needs and identify how they align to advance our mission.Participate in strategic partnerships with other agencies, businesses, and individuals for current and future engagement opportunities.Required Qualifications :
Active faith in Jesus Christ and a genuine love of the Bible.A growth mindset and curiosity toward understanding global Deaf experiences and sign languages; any prior experience with a Deaf community is a plus, whether you are Deaf or hearing.5 years progressively responsible fundraising experience that includes planning, skill development, and consistent use of donor database / CRM systems.Bachelors degree or equivalent work experience in communications, marketing, or business.Ability to use good judgment, take initiative, anticipate and respond to needs, prioritize and solve problemsCreativity and imagination in developing and implementing engagement strategies with existing donors and prospects.Excellent oral and written communication skills.Ability to learn new software programs and systems quickly.Travel up to 10-20% primarily domestically.Ability to work effectively from a remote location and have dependable communication access.Exceptional communication capabilities in written and oral and / or signed mediums, according to your primary language.Preferred Qualifications :
A demonstrated ability to foster relationships through new connections to individuals and churches.Exposure to the wide variety of Christian church denominations and traditions, including awareness of the global church.Prior experience creating, aligning, and executing details for engaging events and experiences, in person and online.Knowledge of Asset-Based Community Development concepts that recognize the strengths of local communities.General knowledge of Bible translation and Bible engagement ministry is a plus.Working knowledge of Salesforce is a plus.Location :
This role operates remotely in connection with professional staff at the Arlington, Texas, office and with contracted partners in other remote locations.Other Vital Information :
English is the primary language of most donors and of contracted partners.American Sign Language (ASL) is the preferred language for in-person office communication and on Zoom when Deaf participants are present. Language access is available through sign language interpreters.English is the preferred language for team communication on Slack and via email.Salary & Benefits :
65,00080,000 annuallyMedical, dental, and vision benefitsShort- and long-term disabilityPaid time off and USA national holidays offProfessional developmentEducational assistanceRetirement benefits with matching provision up to 4% of salary
