Manager, Donor & Communications

MANAGER, DONOR EXPERIENCE & COMMUNICATIONS

Full Time | Professional | Chicago, IL, US

Salary Range: $70,000.00 – $75,000.00 Annually

Founded in 1997, Bottom Line is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization with a mission to partner with degree‑aspiring students of color from under‑resourced communities as they get into college, graduate, and go far in life. We achieve this mission by providing one‑on‑one guidance during the college application process through college graduation and the successful launch of their careers.

Our vision is to dramatically transform urban communities by producing thousands of new career‑ready college graduates.

When you join Bottom Line, you will find a rewarding, fast‑paced, results‑oriented environment. We build strong relationships with our students and with each other. We take our work seriously, and we know that a focus on data and metrics is integral to our continued success. Experts in our fields, we are driven by our mission and extremely proud of the work we do.

The Manager of Donor Experience and Communication (MDEC) will lead the Chicago region’s cultivation and engagement strategies to successfully steward donors and prospects. The primary responsibility of the MDEC is to implement a robust calendar of events, activities, and communications that attract, cultivate, and steward a diversified donor base, including a signature fundraising event, which we hope to grow to $500,000 annually.

A successful MDEC will effectively work with development team members, programmatic staff, the Regional Advisory Board and other team members to execute shared goals around fundraising, donor cultivation and engagement. They will be able to balance the requirements of an annual signature event with the need to engage in donor segments throughout the year in a variety of ways. They will be able to take insights and ideas from the portfolio managers in Chicago about donor engagement needs and opportunities and execute them, viewing in‑person and virtual events and strong communication and marketing as a valuable tool for our front‑line fundraisers.

They will also be able to work with program‑focused staff to ensure that our donor engagement activities not only reflect our programs and students authentically but also connect our external stakeholders directly with our students and programs in a meaningful way. The MDEC will be a great communicator who can use a variety of media to share our story in inspiring and meaningful ways that attract new donors and engage current supporters.

With a successful MDEC in place, the development team will be able to ensure that each member of the team can focus on building meaningful relationships that maximize donor contributions. Portfolio managers focus on cultivating donors via “1:1” activities and interactions; the Manager of Donor Experience and Communication executes “1: many” touchpoints and the vision of the Executive Director.

This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports.

Therefore, the MDEC needs to be able to:

• Understand the needs of each of Bottom Line’s donor segments, which currently include individual major donors and prospects (≥$5K), grant‑makers, corporate partners, and connectors.
• Partner with portfolio leaders on the development team to ensure their revenue and engagement goals are supported by strong engagement and communication strategies.
• Create and execute experiences of many sizes, audiences, and goals that elevate Bottom Line’s ripple effect and impact with details and logistic execution that signal best‑in‑class, starting with the potential and achievement of our students and alums.

• Lead the planning and execution of the annual signature fundraising event and all other revenue‑generating events (working closely with the event planner, development team, Host Committee, and Executive Director).
  
  Responsibilities include:
• Execute a clear and detailed event plan that includes goals, committee structure and roles, staff roles, event logistics, and a timeline for execution.
• Design…