Donor Engagement Manager

Position:
Donor Engagement and Operations Manager
Department:
Administration
Pay Rate: $69,660 - $72,000 Status:
Exempt
Last Revised: 06.2026

The Donor Engagement and Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing development operations, grants management, donor and volunteer engagement systems, stewardship processes, and fundraising events to ensure a high-quality experience for supporters across the organization. This position owns the systems, processes, workflows, and team coordination that allow fundraising, grants, events, and engagement efforts to be effective, organized, and sustainable. The Donor Engagement Manager provides leadership and accountability across the development operations and engagement team and works closely with Programs, Finance, and Marketing to support organizational fundraising goals.
This is a full-time position, Monday through Friday, with occasional evenings and weekends required for events and engagement activities.

Development operations and engagement staff, including coordinators, specialists, interns, and volunteers as assigned.

• Lead partnership development, cultivation, and stewardship efforts to secure and retain corporate and community partners.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, donors, businesses, and community stakeholders to advance organizational goals.
• Develop and execute partnership strategies that increase revenue, visibility, and community engagement.
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the Art of Childhood (AOC) Gala, including partnership management, fundraising strategy, and overall event success.
• Manage and steward a portfolio of individual, foundation, corporate and community partners.
• Lead partnership development and execution oversight for Changemakers events while serving as a liaison to the Changemakers committee.
• Manage the approval process and oversight of third-party fundraising events, ensuring compliance with organizational policies, branding standards, and fundraising guidelines.
• Develop and maintain third-party fundraising resources, toolkits, and support materials for community partners.
• Provide strategic oversight and coordination of donor communications, stewardship activities, and engagement initiatives.
• Oversee programmatic events through cross-functional collaboration, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and donor engagement opportunities.
• Review and approve all donor-facing and event-related communications in partnership with the Director of Donor Relations and Marketing team to ensure consistency and quality.
• Develop, monitor, and manage event and engagement budgets, ensuring responsible stewardship of organizational resources and achievement of revenue goals.
• Manage relationships with vendors, partners, contractors, and community members, including contract oversight and fulfillment of commitments.
• Provide leadership and oversight of donor engagement systems, CRM operations, reporting, and data management functions to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and alignment with fundraising goals.
• Provide leadership, workflow management, and cross-department coordination to ensure successful planning and execution of fundraising and engagement initiatives.
• Provide strategic oversight of community donation drives and engagement campaigns, while delegating day-to-day execution and logistics.
• Lead holiday program strategy, planning, coordination, and execution across the organization.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Strong relationship-building, customer service, and communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with donors, sponsors, volunteers, executives, community partners, and staff.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple events, partnerships, timelines, and priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and coordinate collaborative efforts across departments to support fundraising and community engagement goals.
• Experience with partnership development, donor engagement, community outreach, fundraising events, or partnership management preferred.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, including the ability to provide direction, accountability, coaching, and support to staff and volunteers.
• High level of computer competency, including proficiency in Microsoft Office, with advanced Excel skills preferred (sorting, filtering, and pivot tables).
• CRM/database familiarity preferred, including experience maintaining donor records, supporting engagement efforts, and utilizing reporting tools.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and organizational skills with a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach.
• Ability to manage vendor relationships, event logistics, budgets, and operational details while maintaining professionalism, organization, and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively represent The…