Donor Relations Manager

Job Type: Full-time, regular staff member

Reports to: Development Director

Location: Rockville, MD

Work Type: Hybrid: The expectations for this position range from full-time in-office work to a blend of remote and in-office work, depending on the needs of the Park Trust.

About National Park Trust

We believe our public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed by, and preserved by all for current and future generations. We accomplish this goal through our mission of preserving parks today and creating park stewards for tomorrow.

We expand our National Park Sites by acquiring critically important private lands that are then conveyed to the National Park Service. We also foster future park stewards by engaging kids and military families with parks nationwide.

Position Overview

We seek an experienced, people-oriented Donor Relations Manager who is passionate about our mission and programs to play a key role in building and sustaining our major donor program. The Donor Relations Manager will oversee administrative and operational aspects of donor engagement, ensuring effective tracking, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of current and prospective major donors through a formal Moves Management program. This position combines relationship stewardship with strong data and systems management, supporting leadership and frontline fundraisers in achieving ambitious revenue goals.

Detailed Position Description

Moves Management Administration:

• Manage all administrative aspects of the Moves Management program, ensuring accurate tracking of donor prospects and activity in the CRM database.
• Generate reports, dashboards, and pipelines to support leadership and board engagement in major gift fundraising.
• Coordinate internal systems and processes to track donor engagement from identification to stewardship.

Major Donor Program Support

• Work closely with the Development Director and Executive Director to build and maintain a robust major donor pipeline.
• Research, profile, and segment donor prospects for cultivation and solicitation.
• Draft correspondence, grant proposals, and impact reports to support major donor stewardship.
• Manage scheduling and logistics for donor meetings, site visits, and events.
• Manage relationships with the Park Trust’s planned donors, Bison Legacy Society Members, to grow donors’ knowledge of the organization, involvement, and financial support.

Donor Stewardship & Communications

• Ensure timely acknowledgment of major gifts with personalized letters, reports, and recognition opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a stewardship calendar to deepen donor engagement and loyalty.
• Work closely with program staff to gather impact stories, data, and content for donor communications.
• Take the lead in planning donor cultivation events and work with staff to execute.

Collaboration & Support

• Support board and campaign committees in fundraising by preparing briefing materials and tracking follow-up.
• Collaborate with the Development Coordinator to ensure gift processing and reporting align with donor intent.
• Help design and implement systems to measure donor engagement and retention.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Passion for our mission and enjoys working with a team to steward and engage donors
• Minimum of 2-3 years of development experience, with specific expertise in donor relations, prospect management, or advancement services.
• Demonstrated experience managing the administrative functions of a Moves Management program.
• Proficiency with fundraising CRMs/databases (e.g., Neon, Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, EveryAction, or equivalent).
• Exceptional organizational skills and keen attention to detail.
• Strong writing, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel spreadsheets.
• Proficient in Google Workspace and GSuite products.
• Comfortable assisting with basic IT troubleshooting.
• Willing to be flexible with hours depending on the needs of the organization, including out-of-state travel for board meetings, if needed.

Special Requirements:

Due to our work with kids and families:

• All staff are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. National Park Trust provides reasonable accommodations for medical reasons and sincerely held religious beliefs consistent with legal requirements.
• The candidate must satisfactorily complete a criminal background check.

Physical Requirements:

• Some physical exertion, including outdoor recreation activities.
• Lifting items up to 25-40 lbs - -this is needed for hosting donor events
• Driver’s license and use of a car.
• Local and overnight travel will be required.

National Park Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment. We seek diversity in thought, background, and experience among our staff, Board of Trustees, donors, and partners. Diversity within our organization informs our programming, strengthens our partnerships, and enables us to serve diverse stakeholders and communities effectively. National Park Trust follows all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding non-discriminatory hiring and employment practices. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.