Community Relations Specialist; Montgomery Area

Community Relations & Development Specialist (Birmingham Area)

Purpose:

The Community Relations & Development Specialist plays a vital role in advancing Hope Inspired Ministries’ (HIM) mission by engaging prospective students, volunteers, donors, sponsors, and community partners. The position focuses on increasing HIM’s visibility, cultivating financial supporters, strengthening community partnerships, coordinating fundraising initiatives, and enhancing branding efforts across digital and traditional media.

The Community Relations & Development Specialist will work collaboratively with the Community Relations & Development Director and Site Directors to increase student recruitment, donor engagement, volunteer involvement, sponsorship opportunities, and community support throughout the Birmingham area.

This role requires a proactive approach to relationship-building, donor development, fundraising, marketing, networking, and community outreach. The ideal candidate is highly relational, self‑motivated, comfortable making direct asks for support, and passionate about representing HIM in a variety of public settings.

• Act as a key representative of HIM, fostering strong relationships with local leaders, businesses, churches, civic organizations, foundations, and community partners.
• Inspire and motivate students, volunteers, alumni, donors, sponsors, and community advocates to engage in HIM’s mission.
• Represent HIM at speaking engagements, networking events, chamber meetings, civic clubs, church gatherings, and fundraising initiatives to increase awareness and community support.
• Actively recruit students through strategic partnerships, community outreach efforts, and referral networks.
• Develop and maintain partnerships that generate volunteers, financial support, student referrals, and community engagement opportunities.

• Manage and update all social media platforms, creating engaging content, impactful posts, targeted ads, and stories that promote HIM's mission and impact.
• Maintain and update the HIM website to ensure engaging, professional, and current content.
• Develop and distribute newsletters, email campaigns, donor communications, and community updates using platforms such as Constant Contact.
• Act as the primary contact for media relations, responding to requests and securing coverage for HIM programs, graduates, events, and success stories.
• Ensure all marketing materials are professionally branded, readily available, and distributed effectively throughout the community.
• Organize and coordinate marketing, branding, recruitment, and awareness campaigns that support organizational growth.

• Actively identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors, corporate sponsors, churches, foundations, and community partners.
• Support HIM’s fundraising efforts by building relationships that result in financial investments, sponsor ships, in‑kind gifts, volunteer support, and long‑term partnerships.
• Conduct donor visits, sponsorship presentations, and community meetings to communicate the impact and needs of Hope Inspired Ministries.
• Assist in securing event sponsor ships, table sponsors, corporate partnerships, and fundraising support for organizational initiatives.
• Manage donor software (Eleo) to track donor activity, sponsor ships, grants, communications, and contributions while ensuring accurate reporting.
• Prepare donor acknowledgments, stewardship communications, and follow‑up efforts that strengthen donor retention and engagement.
• Assist with fundraising campaigns, donor cultivation strategies, and annual giving initiatives.

• Plan and coordinate student events such as graduations, recruitment activities, and community outreach events in collaboration with Site Directors.
• Lead the planning and execution of fundraising events, donor appreciation events, volunteer engagement activities, and promotional events across all campuses.
• Secure sponsors, volunteers, vendors, speakers, and community participation for fundraising and outreach initiatives.
• Supervise and lead…