Manager of Membership Engagement

Organizational Context

Organizational Context: Forefront’s mission is to build a more vibrant and equitable social impact sector for the state of Illinois. It is one of the only regional associations in the US whose membership includes grantmakers, operating nonprofits, and their advisors. Through active membership engagement, Forefront provides opportunities for peer‑to‑peer learning, convening, education, policy engagement, leadership development, and solidarity amongst members. We also provide access to our best‑in‑class Knowledge Center, the largest philanthropic library collection in the Midwest, offering unique services and resources to the social impact sector throughout Illinois.

General

Job Description:

The Manager of Membership Engagement owns Forefront’s membership growth, retention, and engagement strategy. This role informs membership policy decisions, allocates program resources within budget guardrails; authorizes campaigns and initiatives; and leads cross‑functional execution across Advancement, Communications, Programs, and Finance. The Manager acts as a strategic partner to organizational leadership—informing policy decisions, shaping engagement strategy, leading data and KPI frameworks, and driving relationship development that supports Forefront’s long‑term growth.

This is an exempt salaried position.

• Set strategic standards for CRM data governance, lifecycle tracking, renewal automation, and benefit‑delivery workflows in partnership with Finance and Program teams, ensuring systems support accurate reporting and high‑quality member experiences.
• Lead the interpretation of membership performance metrics—including recruitment, retention, churn, and campaign effectiveness—to generate insights that inform budgeting, grant strategy, Board reporting, and community engagement planning.
• Establish insight‑driven frameworks for member follow‑up, documentation practices, and engagement workflows, using CRM analytics to continuously refine engagement strategies and optimize the overall member experience.
• Integrate Forefront’s mission, values, and impact priorities into membership strategy, ensuring that initiatives strengthen organizational identity and deepen community connection.
• Analyze philanthropic, nonprofit, social impact, and advisory‑sector trends to identify new membership growth opportunities and recommend strategic pathways to expand Forefront’s reach.
• Define strategic approaches to member recruitment, retention, and orientation; shape engagement pathways, messaging architecture, and value‑delivery standards while overseeing operational execution by support staff.
• Set standards for member service quality and guide the escalation process for complex member needs; ensure service operations support strategic membership goals.
• Provide strategic direction for membership communications, collateral, and promotional campaigns, ensuring alignment with market positioning and organizational priorities while establishing evaluation criteria and success metrics.
• Lead cross‑functional integration of membership strategy across Development, Communications, Finance, and Program teams, ensuring alignment with donor strategy, program offerings, and organizational priorities.
• Serve as a strategic ambassador for Forefront in member engagements, Board meetings, community events, and sector convenings; partner with Advancement leadership to identify, cultivate, and convert prospective members.
• Design insight‑driven membership conversion strategies for on‑site, virtual, and post‑engagement environments, establishing frameworks for follow‑up, qualification, and value communication.
• Define governance standards for CRM workflows, renewal processes, account management, and invoicing in collaboration with Finance; oversee staff executing these processes to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
• Guide strategic resource allocation and financial planning within the membership program to meet annual budget goals; analyze revenue performance and adjust strategies to optimize sustainability.
• Provide strategic leadership on special projects and organization‑wide…