Planned Giving Advisor in at American Bible Society
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Job Description
Job Summary:
American Bible Society is an historic organization and an engaging place to work. We are looking for talented, ambitious, and collaborative people to come alongside us as we share the life changing message of the Bible for everyone – no matter who they are or where they live.
The Planned Giving Advisor is a member of the Development team, responsible for inviting and cultivating high-value donor relationships that generate near-term and long-term revenue in support of American Bible Society and its mission. With a primary focus on planned and legacy giving, the Advisor designs and executes customized engagement strategies that inspire donors toward lifetime and estate-based generosity—including bequests, charitable gift annuities, trusts, and other asset-based gifts—aligning each donor’s values with the work of ABS. Managing a caseload of donors and qualified prospects within an assigned region, the Advisor serves as a trusted representative of ABS, delivering on annual and planned revenue goals and building a durable base of legacy support.
This position reports to the National Field Director, Planned Giving and will work collaboratively in a team environment.
Minimum Spiritual and Personal Commitment:
- Demonstrate a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
- Identify with and participate in a Christian church and proactively seek to grow in their Christian faith.
- Actively participate in organizational prayer, devotional times, and organization-wide events.
- Maintain an exemplary standard of Christian ethics, behavior, and conduct within ABS and in their public and private life outside of ABS and always seek to uphold ABS’ Standards of Conduct and Affirmation of Biblical Community.
- Demonstrate Christian maturity in all interactions as displayed by good judgment based on biblical values and principles.
- Actively incorporate their faith in all aspects of their daily work.
- Demonstrate desire and ability to support organizational biblical and religious goals and participate in regular work-related spiritual activities without reservation.
- Have a personal passion for and belief in the Word of God, its ability to transform lives, and the mission of American Bible Society.
- Demonstrate alignment with the vision, mission, and values of American Bible Society.
Key Responsibilities:
- Caseload Development & Stewardship: Build and develop a caseload of new and existing donor relationships with the capacity and inclination to make planned gifts. Guide and steward these relationships in a way that furthers the partnership and honors the donor, engaging one-on-one through virtual and face-to-face qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Ensure each donor and prospect has a clear, multi-year strategy and timeline that advances them toward documented legacy commitments, and pursue creative, entrepreneurial ways to build generous, lasting relationships.
- Revenue Generation: Meet or exceed individual and team planned-gift revenue goals, which are set annually on the basis of caseload maturity, organizational needs, and individual experience. Actively advance long-term revenue growth, remaining accountable for planned-gift commitments and pipeline goals.
- Planned, Blended, and Asset-Based Giving: Identify, cultivate, and secure deferred and asset-based gifts—including bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and other estate and non-cash gifts—that deepen donor relationships and drive long-term revenue for the mission. Design personalized legacy strategies that align donors’ philanthropic, financial, and estate-planning goals with ABS’s mission, and advise donors of planned-gift benefits in a manner that builds interest and participation.
- Advisor & Family Engagement: Build trusted relationships through consultative, values-based conversations, including estate-planning discussions and, where helpful, family conversations. When appropriate, collaborate with donors’ professional advisors—attorneys, financial planners, and accountants—to structure gifts that are mutually beneficial and consistent with ABS policies.
- Lead Development: Engage personal and professional networks and mine for connections among donors and partners. Working with prospect development and research, identify and qualify new planned-gift prospects and apply relational fundraising to grow their giving inclination and capacity.
- Collaboration & Representation: Determine appropriate cultivation steps and, through the Senior Director of Planned Gifts, recommend engagement by other staff, the Chief Development Officer, and/or the President when appropriate. Partner with Major Gift Advisors and other ABS teams where beneficial, inform donors of ABS ministries and programs, represent ABS publicly to inspire legacy generosity and promote planned gifts, and pursue an active program of professional growth and development.
Performance Standards
- Maintain donor records and opportunities:
- Document relevant donor communication and interactions in the CRM (Salesforce) within one week of contact.
- Keep opportunities current to support accurate forecasting, and check the CRM regularly for gifts from your caseload so you can provide timely follow-up.
- Meet or exceed a set of core lead indicators, potentially including but not limited to:
- 10–12 face-to-face donor visits (or significant conversations) per month
- 20 letters, cards, or proposals prepared and sent per month
- 40+ donor phone calls initiated or returned per month
- Follow up on high-level gift opportunities and qualified leads within two weeks of a gift or new lead
- Meet or exceed the annual planned-gift fundraising goal, keeping your focus on the key donors who will complete your production for the year.
- Continuing Education & Career Development:
- Attend at least one training conference or twelve training webinars annually, including chapter or webinar meetings of AFP or other fundraising organizations.
- Stay current on ABS ministries, projects, and major-donor proposals.
- Maintain a professional development plan, such as working toward or maintaining CFP, CFRE, CAP or similar credential.
Performance and Evaluation Metrics
- Total planned-gift expectancies closed (wills, trusts, annuities, endowments)
- Number of planned-gift proposals presented
- Number of Major Gift Advisor donor referrals
- Number of $250,000+ opportunities in the pipeline
- Number of personal contacts with $100,000+ giving opportunities
Qualifications:
Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; a degree in a related field is preferred.
Experience: A minimum of five years in relationship fundraising, planned giving, charitable gift planning, or estate planning, with a clear record of achievement in a complex, mission-driven organization. Demonstrated success cultivating and securing planned or deferred gifts—or transferable experience in financial planning, estate planning, or complex gift-strategy development.
Knowledge: Working knowledge of planned-giving vehicles, non-cash gifts, and tax, financial, and estate-planning concepts.
Technical Skills: Experience using a donor CRM (Salesforce preferred) and Microsoft Office applications.
Certification: Certification from a nationally or internationally recognized organization (e.g., CFRE, CAP®, or similar) is preferred.
Other: A valid driver’s license is required.
Key Competencies:
All ABS staff must demonstrate the following skills:
- Demonstrate desire and ability to support organizational biblical and religious goals and participate in regular work-related spiritual activities without reservation.
- Have a personal passion for and belief in the Word of God, its ability to transform lives, and the mission of American Bible Society.
- Demonstrate alignment with the vision, mission, and values of American Bible Society.
- All staff must demonstrate the following skills at a level fitting their role:
- Communication Skills: Complex Communication: Proficient in communicating complex ideas to various stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
- Teamwork and Collaboration: Team Facilitation: Facilitates teamwork, encourages collaboration, and resolves conflict within the team.
- Cultural Competence and Inclusion: Cultural Awareness: Respects and values diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
- Service Orientation: Service Solutions: Understands service recipients’ needs, develops solutions to meet those needs, and builds relationships.
- Adaptability and Flexibility: Responsive Adjustment: Adjusts strategies based on new information, remains flexible in dynamic environments.
- Time Management and Organization: Efficient Coordination: Prioritizes tasks, manages multiple projects, and ensures team deadlines are met.
- Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Analytical Problem Solving: Analyzes complex problems, develops solutions, and makes decisions independently.
- Leadership and Initiative: Team Leadership: Guides, supports and leads team members to achieve goals, engage in cross-company collaboration and pivot when needed to achieve strategic change.
Physical requirements:
- Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer, both in-office/remote and while traveling.
- Occasional standing, walking, or reaching with hands and arms.
- Ability to lift and carry up to 10 pounds occasionally (e.g., laptop, briefcase, presentation materials) during travel.
- Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings or weekends, to accommodate travel schedules and time zone differences with donors, partners, or team members.
- Visual acuity to read and produce reports, proposals, and other written communication.
- Verbal communication required frequently in meetings, presentations, and via phone or video conferencing, including with remote or traveling team members.
American Bible Society is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities and ensuring a workplace free from discrimination. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws, we will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to participate in the application process and perform the essential functions of their job.
Office Location: Remote - with reasonable access to a major airport, to support this role's travel requirements. This is roles has regional travel requirements, specifically West, Southwest United States.
Core Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST
Travel Required: Several trips to HQ per year. Ability to travel for events, donor meetings, conferences, etc. primarily in the continental U.S. but occasionally internationally. Expected field meetings and/or travel: 40-60%. Balance of time in office ensuring every donor is properly served and accountability standards met for record keeping and donor follow-up.
Additional Information:
- Background Check: Candidates must pass a background check as a condition of employment. This may include criminal history, credit check, and verification of employment and education history.
- Reference Checks: Employment is contingent upon satisfactory reference checks.
- Eligibility to Work: Candidates must provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States.
- Affirmation of Biblical Community: Candidates must sign and agree to uphold the ABS Affirmation of Biblical Community as a condition of employment.
American Bible Society is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees, in accordance with federal, state, and local laws. We believe in the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, created in the image of God, and strive to reflect Christ’s love and justice in our employment practices.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is rooted in our Christian faith and values, which call us to love and respect all people.
As a faith-based organization, we require employees to affirm and uphold our Christian beliefs as a condition of employment. This requirement is consistent with our mission and ensures that our work environment aligns with our core values and deeply held religious principles.