Manager of Annual Giving

DIVISION: DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS Job Scope

The Manager of Annual Giving (MAG) is responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating annual fundraising strategies that generate sustainable philanthropic support for Kenneth Young Center. The position leads annual giving campaigns, donor stewardship, fundraising events, sponsorship development, donor communications, and moves management activities designed to acquire, retain, upgrade, and engage individual and corporate donors.

The Manager of Annual Giving plays a key role in building and managing the organization’s donor pipeline, identifying prospective major donors, and creating meaningful donor experiences that strengthen long‑term relationships and increase philanthropic investment. The position is responsible for executing revenue‑generating activities including annual fund appeals, peer‑to‑peer fundraising, event fundraising, sponsorship solicitation, donor stewardship, and donor engagement communications.

Working closely with the Director of Development and Communications, Finance, program leadership, and the Manager of Media and Communications, the Manager of Annual Giving ensures fundraising strategies align with organizational priorities, mission impact, and stakeholder engagement goals.

The Manager of Annual Giving serves as an ambassador for Kenneth Young Center and actively cultivates relationships with donors, sponsors, volunteers, community leaders, and prospective supporters.

• Develop and execute annual giving strategies to achieve revenue goals.
• Manage direct mail, email, digital, and year‑end fundraising appeals.
• Develop donor segmentation strategies and targeted solicitation plans.
• Monitor campaign performance and recommend adjustments to maximize donor participation and revenue.
• Manage recurring giving and monthly donor programs.
• Track donor retention, acquisition, reactivation, and upgrade metrics.
• Identify, qualify, and research prospective major donors.
• Maintain donor moves‑management plans and cultivation strategies.
• Coordinate donor meetings, site visits, and stewardship opportunities for leadership and board members.
• Prepare donor profiles, briefing materials, and gift proposals.
• Corporate & Foundation Grants
• Research, author, and support the creation, editing, submission, and tracking of grant applications and reports.
• Coordinate with programs, finance, and media and communications staff to ensure reporting and funder recognition.
• Donor Database
• Maintain donor database, pulling donor records, reports and mailing lists for fundraising, stewardship, and operational activities.
• Manage and analyze donor and fundraising data to improve efficiency, donor experience and event participation.

• Develop donor‑centered fundraising and stewardship communications.
• Create campaign messaging, donor impact reports, appeal letters, and stewardship material.
• Collaborate with the Manager of Media and Communications to ensure brand consistency and effective donor engagement.
• Support storytelling efforts that demonstrate mission impact and donor outcomes.
• Donor & Stakeholder‑Focused Newsletters (External)
• Determine messaging priorities and produce external stakeholder‑facing newsletter content including organizational and programmatic updates, fundraising updates, campaign appeals, event invitations and recaps, and donor impact stories.
• Coordinate with the MoMC to ensure consistent tone, branding, and formatting.

• Measurable outcomes in:
• Donor Retention Rate
• Donor Acquisition
• Recurring Donor Growth
• Event Revenue
• Sponsorship Revenue
• Number of Major Gift Prospects Identified
• Donor Stewardship Touchpoints Completed
• Campaign ROI
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in an office setting.
• Travel between offices, meeting outside of Illinois and to other locations in the community will happen on a regular basis
• At times it will be necessary to attend meetings and events in the evening and on weekends

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• While…