Director of Donor Relations

Watch Duty Overview

Watch Duty delivers clear, trusted, real-time information when disaster strikes. As weather-driven emergencies increase in frequency and severity, the need for reliable, human-verified emergency intelligence has never been greater.

Watch Duty has scaled rapidly and become a critical lifeline relied on by millions of people. This growth reflects the severity of the problem we are addressing and the trust our community has placed in our work. It also brings responsibility to build fundraising capacity, deepen donor relationships, and ensure Watch Duty can respond immediately and at scale.

We are building the infrastructure that allows Watch Duty to reach millions, surge during crises, adapt in real time, and serve as many people as possible when information can save lives. The Director of Donor Relations will play a central role in this effort, helping to transform donor generosity into sustained capacity and long-term impact.

This role offers the opportunity to help shape an ambitious organization at a pivotal moment, work in close partnership with the Chief Impact Officer, and build lasting donor relationships that directly enable life-saving work when it is needed most.

Position Overview

The Director of Donor Relations will create, implement, and manage a comprehensive donor engagement and stewardship strategy and plan that builds lasting, meaningful relationships with supporters across all revenue streams (including monthly donors, major donors, foundations, and corporate partners). This role is responsible for ensuring donors feel deeply connected to Watch Duty’s mission, valued for their support, and confident in the impact of their giving.

This role also includes active prospecting and cultivation of new donors, working closely with the Chief Impact Officer to grow Watch Duty’s funding base. While strong planning and systems are essential, Watch Duty operates in a disaster-driven environment where priorities can shift quickly. The ideal candidate is both strategic and highly adaptable, able to execute thoughtful plans while responding nimbly as disasters emerge.

This is a highly external-facing role that requires initiative, sound judgment, and follow-through. The Director of Donor Relations will partner closely with the Chief Impact Officer, frequently involving senior staff in donor calls, meetings, briefings, and events/engagement opportunities, with a shared focus on raising as much funding as possible to advance Watch Duty’s mission.

Key Responsibilities

Donor Stewardship, Engagement & Retention

• Design and lead a donor relations strategy that supports long-term retention and growth across major donors, foundations, and corporate partners.
• Develop and manage personalized stewardship plans, including tailored communications (emails, proposals, reports), recognition, and engagement opportunities.
• Ensure donors receive timely, compelling impact reporting that clearly demonstrates outcomes and reinforces trust in Watch Duty’s work.
• Continuously identify meaningful, mission-aligned ways to deepen donor engagement, including virtual and in-person experiences, events, and fostering special moments connected to Watch Duty’s work.

Prospecting & Relationship Development

• Actively prospect and cultivate new donors in partnership with the Chief Impact Officer.
• Maintain a strong external presence, representing Watch Duty with clarity and credibility in donor-facing settings.

External Engagement & Leadership Partnership

• Serve as a primary relationship manager for many donors, building trust-based, long-term partnerships.
• Plan and execute donor calls, meetings, briefings, and events.
• Prepare senior leaders for donor interactions through briefings, talking points, and follow-up materials.
• Act as an ambassador for Watch Duty, clearly communicating the urgency, relevance, and impact of the organization’s work.

Flexibility in a Disaster-Driven Environment

• Adapt donor engagement strategies and communications as disasters emerge and evolve.
• Support rapid-response fundraising and stewardship efforts during high-impact moments, balancing immediacy with long-term relationship building.
• Operate with focus, calm, and urgency in fast-moving situations where timelines and donor needs can shift quickly.

Systems, Execution & Growth

• Build and maintain scalable donor relations systems and processes that support Watch Duty’s rapid growth.
• Ensure accurate tracking of donor interactions, stewardship activities, and prospecting efforts.
• Identify gaps, anticipate needs, and take initiative to improve processes, clearly communicating opportunities and working to make them happen.

Qualifications & Experience

• Comfort operating in a mission-driven, real-time environment where storytelling, trust-building, and responsiveness are core to donor engagement.
• 8+ years of experience in donor relations, ideally in a high-growth or entrepreneurial organization.
• Proven experience stewarding existing donors and prospecting new donor relationships across multiple revenue streams.
• Strong external-facing presence with the ability to build credibility and rapport with donors and partners.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate real-time, complex work into compelling donor narratives.
• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic planning with flexibility and execution in dynamic environments.
• Highly collaborative, with comfort partnering closely with senior leadership.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Experience using CRMs as strategic tools for relationship management, donor insight, and fundraising planning.

Ideal Candidate Attributes

• Deeply mission-driven and motivated by the opportunity to enable life-saving work through strong donor relationships.
• Energized by growth, urgency, and responsibility in moments of crisis.
• Brings tenacity, ownership, and follow-through.
• Someone who wants to help build what comes next for a much-needed and ambitious organization.
• Comfortable rolling up their sleeves and contributing wherever needed to advance fundraising goals.

Work Environment:

• Remote (U.S.-based): This is a primarily remote role, requiring a reliable internet connection and suitable workspace. Watch Duty will provide or reimburse necessary equipment per company policy and California Labor Code requirements (Handbook, p. 21).
• Occasional Travel: Approximately 10-25% travel for donor visits, conferences, or team engagements, planned in advance with expenses reimbursed per company policy (Handbook, p. 17).

Legal Compliance and Disclaimers:

• Equal Opportunity Employment: Watch Duty is an Equal Opportunity Employer, prohibiting discrimination or harassment based on protected characteristics (Handbook, p. 6).
• At-Will Employment: This is an at-will position; either party may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or notice, unless altered by a written agreement signed by the employee and CEO (Handbook, p. 6).
• Exempt Status Justification: This role qualifies as FLSA-exempt under the administrative exemption due to its independent project oversight, discretion in decision-making, and impact on operational success.
• Note: This description is not exhaustive; duties may evolve based on business needs and applicable law.

Watch Duty offers a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including:

• Unlimited PTO: Flexible time off for vacation or personal needs, coordinated with your manager (Handbook, p. 12).
• Paid Sick Leave: Minimum of 40 hours annually, accruable after 90 days, with a cap of 80 hours (Handbook, p. 12).
• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical coverage (with company contributions), plus dental and vision plans (Handbook, p. 16).
• Retirement Plan: 401(k) with employee contribution options (Handbook, p. 16).
• Additional Perks: Remote flexibility, a mission-driven team, and professional development opportunities.
• Full details are in the Watch Duty Employee Handbook.