Regional Manager, Philanthropy

Regional Manager, Philanthropy

Mercy Housing California

About Mercy Housing California

Home is where our lives unfold: where we gather, where we learn, and where we grow. However, affordable housing is one of the great crises of our time. In California, where home values and rents are among the most expensive, nearly one-third of renters spend more than half their income on housing. There is not a single city or county where a full-time minimum-wage worker can afford a modest twobedroom apartment.

Mercy Housing California (MHC)—the largest regional affiliate of Mercy Housing, Inc., which is the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in the country—works to address this challenge. The organization develops and operates affordable service-enriched housing that becomes the foundation for our residents' hopes and aspirations.

Today, MHC oversees over 160 communities that together serve more than 20,000 residents across the state.

An industry leader, Mercy Housing California is proud to…

• Participate in all aspects of affordable housing development, from designing and constructing affordable housing, to zoning and financing, to maintaining facilities, to managing housing for residents. Because of this “whole-housing approach,” MHC is able to create the best possible homes and nurture vibrant communities.
• Provide critical resident services. More than simply providing “keys to the door,” Mercy Housing California provides and partners with community organizations to offer residents onand off-site services, such as healthcare, access to nutritious food, financial education, youth programs, and others. This is the critical ingredient to success. Research and experience have shown that when residents' needs are supported, they can move out of survival mode and build for the future.
• Pioneer innovative housing solutions that are emulated by peers nationwide. For example, MHC pioneered the use of construction techniques, such as modular buildings and mass timber, that save time and cost. The organization's Land Acquisition Fund brought the speed of private equity to affordable housing for the first time, enabling the fast purchase of highvalue land. And through thoughtful design and construction, Mercy Housing has built vibrant communities—not just houses.
• Combine our deep local knowledge with the strength of a national system. Mercy Housing's national strength and portfolio diversity have been critical for enabling the organization to proactively plan and act, no matter the economic landscape.

Mission Values

At Mercy Housing, we believe that business and mission are not competing values. Employees are expected to contribute to a mission- and values-centered culture. Employees are expected to articulate and incorporate the mission and core values of Respect, Justice, and Mercy into their dayto-day work. We are more effective when diverse groups of people, including residents, feel valued, respected, and included.

The Opportunity

Mercy Housing California is seeking a relationship-driven Regional Manager, Philanthropy to establish and expand a major gifts program throughout Southern California. This is an exciting opportunity for a frontline fundraiser who enjoys building something from the ground up and wants to play a foundational role in expanding philanthropic support for one of the nation's leading affordable housing organizations.

Reporting to the Regional Director of Philanthropy, the Regional Manager will serve as Mercy Housing's primary philanthropy representative in the Los Angeles market, cultivating meaningful relationships with individual donors while helping elevate the organization's visibility and philanthropic presence across the region.

This role has been intentionally designed to focus primarily on individual giving. The Regional Manager will concentrate on identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors capable of making gifts of $1,000 and above.

Working closely with an engaged network of local board members and organizational leaders, the successful candidate will build a robust portfolio of supporters while also identifying opportunities to engage corporate partners through sponsorships, employee giving, and volunteer initiatives.

As the Southern California donor pipeline continues to mature, this position offers significant potential for professional growth and expanded leadership responsibilities.

The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial, self-directed fundraiser who thrives with autonomy and enjoys developing thoughtful strategies to strengthen donor relationships. They must be comfortable building (as opposed to inheriting) a system.

Mercy Housing's collaborative, trust-based culture empowers staff to lead their own work while providing coaching, mentorship, and partnership from an experienced philanthropy leadership team.

Although this individual will be the only philanthropy team member based in the Los Angeles office, they will be closely connected to colleagues across the California region and the national organization through a highly collaborative, matrixed fundraising team.

Success in this role will not be measured solely by immediate fundraising results, but by thoughtfully establishing a strong foundation for long-term philanthropic growth.

During the first year, the Regional Manager will immerse themselves in Mercy Housing's complex and mission-driven work, build trusted relationships with internal and external partners, develop and begin executing a strategic individual giving plan, and introduce fresh ideas that strengthen donor engagement across Southern California.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an emerging or experienced major gift officer who is eager to make a lasting impact while helping shape the future of philanthropy for an organization transforming lives through affordable housing.

Key Position Functions

The Regional Manager, Philanthropy will be responsible for

Major Donor Cultivation and Solicitation

• Represent Mercy Housing California throughout the Southern California region, increasing awareness of the organization's mission and philanthropic priorities.
• Identify, qualify, and cultivate new major gift prospects to establish a sustainable individual giving pipeline throughout Southern California.
• Conduct regular, personal, and meaningful interactions with priority donors and prospects through written communications, events, face-to-face meetings, and conversations.
• Work with staff, leadership, and key volunteers to recommend and implement appropriate cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Partner with local board members and volunteers to leverage their relationships, expand Mercy Housing's network, and create meaningful donor introductions.
• Use all appropriate research tools to identify prospect interest and giving potential.

Portfolio Management

• Build, manage, and grow a portfolio of individual donors giving above $1,000 throughout Southern California.
• Strategically manage the full donor relationship continuum from identification and research through cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship; coordinate with all philanthropy staff to integrate supporting activities.
• Continuously evaluate portfolio performance and donor movement, adapting strategies based on results and emerging opportunities.
• Manage financial data and constituent information using Raiser's Edge database.

Strategy Development and Planning

• Develop and implement individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans that deepen donor engagement and increase giving over time.
• Help shape Mercy Housing California's evolving individual giving strategy by recommending best practices, testing new approaches, and contributing fresh ideas to strengthen donor engagement.
• Identify opportunities to grow corporate partnerships through sponsorships, employee giving, volunteer engagement, and relationship-building activities.
• In collaboration with the Regional Director of Philanthropy, develop annual revenue goals.
• Plan and coordinate fundraising events and solicit sponsors and donations to support events for programs and activities in the Southern California region

Collaboration

• Serve as Mercy Housing's primary philanthropy representative in the Southern California market, building strong partnerships with regional California Philanthropy Team members, resident services staff, and colleagues across the National Philanthropy Team.
• Work collaboratively with philanthropy leadership to establish annual fundraising priorities, metrics, and long-term portfolio growth strategies.
• Build trusted relationships with community partners, volunteers, and other stakeholders to strengthen Mercy Housing California's philanthropic presence.
• Collaborate with department colleagues to ensure a seamless transition for identified donors and prospects into major gifts development.
• Act as a resource for local information on grant proposals; assist grants team with local and national grant applications and reporting, as requested.

Qualifications

Competencies and Attributes for Success in the Position

• Entrepreneurial mindset
• Balances stakeholders
• Plans and aligns
• Builds networks
• Communicates effectively
• Organizational savvy
• Cultivates innovation
• Collaborates
• Optimizes work process
• Customer focus
• Drives results
• Strategic mindset
• Resourcefulness
• Demonstrates self-awareness
• Action-oriented
• Nimble mindset

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Three to four years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with a focus on individual giving.
• Passion for mission-driven work and a commitment to delivering exceptional donor experiences.
• Ability to work independently while thriving in a collaborative, matrixed organization.
• Curiosity and willingness to recommend and implement fundraising best practices and innovative donor engagement strategies.
• Ability to maintain a hybrid work schedule and travel, occasionally overnight.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Experience building (or significantly expanding) a major gifts program, donor portfolio, or fundraising initiative from the ground up.
• Demonstrated success managing a portfolio of individual donors and personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding philanthropic gifts.
• Experience identifying and qualifying new donor prospects using research tools and relationship mapping.
• Strong relationship-building and networking skills, with confidence engaging volunteers, board members, and community leaders.

Compensation

The expected base salary for this position is $100,000-$110,000, commensurate with experience. All employees at Mercy Housing California are also eligible for a generous comprehensive benefits package including PTO and paid holidays; medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) retirement plans; Employee Assistance Program; and many more.

Application Process

Benefactor Group is pleased to be assisting Mercy Housing California with this executive search. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. All applications are considered highly confidential. To be considered for this position, please submit an application at this link: https://bit.ly/MHCPhilanthropyManagerApp

To learn more about Mercy Housing California, please visit: https://www.mercyhousing.org/california/

Please do not contact Mercy Housing California staff or board with questions or interest in the role. All inquiries about the position should be directed to Benefactor Group.

Benefactor Group Recruitment Team

HR@benefactorgroup.com

http://www.benefactorgroup.com

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