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Annual Fund Officer
Seattle Aquarium
USD 30.3-36 / hour
Posted on May 28, 2025
JOB POSTING
Annual Fund Officer
Posted: Open to internal and external applicants
Reports to: Major Gifts Officer
Status: Full-time, hourly, benefitted position
Hours of work: Standard Monday–Friday workweek, 8am–5pm. Occasional need for weekend or after-hours work as related to events and other projects. This is a hybrid position working 2 days onsite each week, including Thursdays.
Date needed: July or August 2025.
Posting expires: Open until filled; priority given to applications received by June 10.
Position description:
The Seattle Aquarium, a leading marine conservation organization, is looking for an annual fund officer to join the philanthropy team. The annual fund officer contributes to the success of the Seattle Aquarium by helping to build and ensure a robust and donor-centric annual fund program. A successful candidate will be able to shape and execute an active, data-driven annual fund program, communicate with donors and prospects from diverse backgrounds, move them through the donor pipeline, strategize new approaches for donor engagement, collaborate with Aquarium colleagues across departments, and meet annual financial goals and activity metrics.
This position reports to the major gifts officer and works closely with the philanthropy team, membership staff, guest services team, and the marketing-communications team.
Our Philanthropy team has identified that Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, farm workers, low-income people, and LGBTQ+ communities are being disproportionately impacted by environmental harm while not having access to lead the conversation on conversation and environmental education. We are on a mission to change that narrative so we are seeking a philanthropy relations officer who can inspire philanthropy that not only funds our core mission but does so with an intention to advance social and cultural justice lens and opportunities.
Key functions:
DONOR ENGAGEMENT & BENEFIT DELIVERY – 40%
- Coordinate the Friends of the Aquarium (FOA) donor program, including partnering with philanthropy team members on fulfillment of donor club benefits.
- Communicate regularly with the Aquarium’s annual fund donors, including thank you and solicitation calls and quarterly email updates on Aquarium happenings.
- Plan and execute FOA benefit events, such as Curiosity Cafés and group behind-the-scenes tours. Staff philanthropy events as needed.
- Lead and maintain the donor welcome package and communications.
- Regularly update gift acknowledgement letter templates, telling stories of donor impact.
- Serve as a passionate spokesperson for the Seattle Aquarium and its mission.
FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS & STRATEGIES – 40%
- Create and execute an innovative, multi-channel, year-round annual fund campaign with a strong digital presence, written appeals, monthly giving program, and other relevant correspondence.
- Develop and implement innovative strategies to retain and upgrade donors.
- Plan and execute fundraising campaigns, including participation in local efforts such as Giving Tuesday and GiveBIG.
- Solicit gifts between $25 and $4,999, primarily via large-scale annual fund outreach and monthly letters to donors that are due to renew.
- Closely collaborate with Membership staff to graduate members into higher giving circles.
- Creatively utilize social media and digital tools to inspire new and increased philanthropic support, including YouTube fundraising and web round-up messaging for guests.
DATA ANALYSIS – 20%
- In partnership with supervisor and Philanthropy VP, set annual goals and relevant, measurable, and actionable metrics to evaluate program success.
- Monitor the program’s progress, regularly report on results to supervisor and VP Philanthropy, refine the program through data-driving learning, and refresh strategy and program elements as needed to meet metrics with a goal of growing the donor base.
- In consultation with supervisor, complete annual forecasting exercises and budgeting needs.
- Learn and utilize Raiser’s Edge donor database.
Additional responsibilities:
- Perform other related responsibilities to successfully achieve the Aquarium’s philanthropy goals and objectives as necessary.
- Contribute to the effort to build a culture of philanthropy throughout the organization.
- Honor the rights of our donors under the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Code of Ethics.
- All Aquarium staff and volunteers are expected to participate in advancing and integrating into their work Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Regenerative practices in alignment with our S.A.L.I.S.H. Values.
- Other duties as assigned as appropriate for level and scope of role.
Required skills and experience:
The skills and abilities listed below may be demonstrated through a combination of relevant cultural and community programs, jobs, internships, volunteer experience, and/or formal or informal education. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.
- Minimum two years of fundraising experience, with demonstrated success in gift solicitation and direct mail/social media appeals and campaigns.
- Demonstrated understanding of the donor giving cycle and the role of annual fund programs in a comprehensive fundraising program.
- Excellent English language skills: oral, written, reading as well as strong interpersonal communication skills for storytelling and building excitement around an organization’s mission. Multilingual and multicultural communication skills and experience are preferred.
- Excellent phone skills including making telephone calls and thanking people by telephone.
- Ability to compile and analyze data and suggest next steps for improvement or maintenance.
- Demonstrated self-starter with enthusiasm for jumping in and taking on both independent and collaborative projects.
- Highly organized with a project management mindset; able to work independently and keep multiple projects moving forward on time, keeping others informed along the way.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience/education, preferably in nonprofit management, marketing, communications, humanities, or related field.
- Knowledge and utilization of Raisers Edge donor database or similar platform.
- Microsoft Office skills.
- Demonstrates an understanding of the Aquarium’s Mission and Values, including Regenerative and Equity work.
Working conditions:
- Hybrid virtual/in-office model with minimum two days in office, including Thursdays.
- Flexibility for evening or weekend work throughout the year to support philanthropy events.
- Office work is performed in a semi-private work area. Events will occur in Aquarium exhibit areas, possible outdoor field excursions and off-site locations.
- Work is highly collaborative in nature and requires the ability to meet in person, talk on the phone and via Zoom/Teams, and listen well for understanding.
- Some exposure to elements. Employees are located in campus environment with multiple buildings, outdoor and semi-covered areas. Travel between Aquarium buildings and meeting sites in all types of weather.
Salary and benefits: $30.30 - $36.00/hour, Dependent on experience. Please include salary expectations in your materials. Full-time staff are eligible for the Seattle Aquarium’s comprehensive benefits package to include medical, vision, dental, an employer-funded health reimbursement account, medical and dependent care flexible spending accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, 403b retirement fund with employer match, access to a subsidized ORCA pass, a Seattle Aquarium Family Plus membership and generous paid time off.
How to apply: The Seattle Aquarium is committed to expanding a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation movement. We are invested in building an Aquarium with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, languages, cultural ways of knowing, and life experiences. We know research shows that society has conditioned communities of color, trans and gender non-conforming people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and other marginalized candidates to more frequently not apply to a job because they don’t feel that they meet all of the qualifications listed even if they are qualified. If you meet some of the requirements and you are passionate about our mission and our ocean, we encourage you to apply and look forward to learning more about you.
Interested candidates should upload a résumé to our online application to be considered. Application review will begin immediately.
Please let us know if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for this job by emailing us at jobs@seattleaquarium.org.
Note: If offered the position, candidates must pass a background check. Conviction record is not an automatic disqualifier; we are a second chance employer.
About the Seattle Aquarium:
The Seattle Aquarium is a respected authority on Puget Sound, the Salish Sea and the world’s one ocean. Our passionate staff increases awareness and drives the change needed to preserve and protect our marine environment by providing an inspiring visitor experience, engaging daytime and evening events, conservation education programs for people of all ages and backgrounds, community outreach to marginalized populations, research that advances understanding of animals in our care and their counterparts in the wild, advocacy and policy work, an award-winning volunteer program, high-impact marketing and communications, and more.
Our values, developed in conjunction with our staff, include commitments to adopting and promoting sustainable practices, creating awe-inspiring experiences, constantly learning and improving, fostering an inclusive community, maintaining scientific credibility through evidence-based practices and honoring our unique place by using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.
Proudly accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, we’re among the top 10 aquariums in the U.S. by attendance, and we welcome over 850,000 people each year. Guided by our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, we’re working to substantially increase our conservation impact by expanding our campus with a new building, the Ocean Pavilion. Learn more at SeattleAquarium.org.
Timeline:
We anticipate the following recruiting schedule for those candidates who are selected for consideration. The following dates are preliminary and subject to change. We will work with candidates to set interview dates. If hired, relocation assistance is not available.
- Application deadline: Open until filled.
- Priority given to applications received by June 10.
- Interviews completed by mid-July.
- Start date: July or August 2025.