Community & Donor Engagement Manager

ABOUT SPECIAL OLYMPICS WASHINGTON

Special Olympics Washington (SOWA) provides year-round sports training, competition, health, leadership, and inclusion opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the state. Through the power of sport, we create communities where everyone is included, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Community & Donor Engagement Manager will play a key role in advancing Special Olympics Washington’s mission by growing and strengthening statewide donor engagement and grassroots fundraising and strengthening community partnerships across the state. This position is responsible for managing a portfolio of mid and major donors, oversight of community engagement fundraising efforts, supporting local program-led initiatives, expanding peer-to-peer fundraising, and coordinating in-kind and vendor support.

This role is ideal for a relationship driven fundraising professional who enjoys working directly with donors, community organizations, volunteers, and statewide program staff to generate revenue and deepen mission impact.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Individual Giving, Prospect Research & Data Management (40%)

• • Conduct prospect research to identify and engage new individual donors, community supporters, and potential partners.
  • Manage a portfolio of mid-level and major donors through cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and ongoing relationship management.
  • Support the development and implementation of donor acquisition, retention, and upgrade strategies that strengthen the individual giving pipeline and increase long-term donor engagement.
  • Work collaboratively with the Development & Program team to support direct marketing and donor engagement efforts, including donor appeals, newsletters, stewardship communications, social media engagement, and donor acknowledgment processes.
  • Support the Development team by coordinating outreach and assisting with scheduling meetings with individual donors, corporate partners, and key community constituents.
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor and prospect records within Salesforce, including portfolio management, activity tracking, donor segmentation, gift processing, receipting, and reporting.
  • Ensure timely and thorough documentation of donor interactions, gifts, stewardship activities, acknowledgments, and follow-up actions.
  • Strengthen the donor pipeline by supporting data segmentation, reporting, and analysis of engagement and giving trends.
  • Produce monthly reports on donor pipeline activity, fundraising progress, and key performance indicators, recommending adjustments to improve performance and outcomes.

Community & Local Program Engagement Fundraising (30%)

• • Partner with Special Olympics Washington Program staff and Local Program volunteers statewide to strengthen grassroots fundraising capacity and deepen community engagement.
  • Develop and provide fundraising and Marketing resources, guidelines, coaching, and tools to empower local staff and volunteers to grow community-driven events campaigns and shared revenue.
  • Build, steward, support and maintain relationships with civic, service, and community-based organizations, including but not limited to:
  • Rotary Clubs, Knights of Columbus, Lions Clubs, and similar civic and service groups
  • Community Foundations and local philanthropic partners
  • Indigenous Tribes and Tribal community partners
  • Local Program constituents, supporters, and community stakeholders
  • Identify community-based grant opportunities and support local programs in pursuing funding and partnership resources. Occasionally write grants to support these partner relationships.
  • Serve as a key connector between statewide Development strategy and local community fundraising efforts to ensure alignment, consistency, and shared success.
  • Support Statewide and Local Programs with fundraising initiatives such as Polar Plunge, golf tournaments, third-party events, and community-driven campaigns.
  • Track campaign performance metrics, evaluating results, and recommend improvements to increase participation, engagement, and revenue growth.

Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) Engagement & Fundraising (30%)

• • Serve as a primary Development partner supporting and growing Law Enforcement Torch Run fundraising and engagement efforts statewide.
  • Build and strengthen relationships with law enforcement agencies, LETR leadership, and volunteer committees.
  • Lead and coordinate statewide Law Enforcement Torch Run event logistics, including planning timelines, volunteer coordination, registration support, event-day execution, and post-event follow-up.
  • Support fundraising campaigns, special events, sponsorship opportunities, and donor engagement initiatives connected to LETR.
  • Develop fundraising resources, communication tools, and stewardship strategies that support agency participation and revenue growth.
  • Collaborate with Program and Development staff to identify opportunities for increased LETR involvement, athlete engagement, and community awareness.
  • Track participation, fundraising performance, and engagement metrics while recommending strategies for continued growth.

GOALS & PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Identify and qualify 10–15 new major and mid-level donor prospects annually through research, referrals, community engagement, and relationship-building efforts.
• Manage and actively engage a portfolio of 75–125 donors and prospects, with documented cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and follow-up activities.
• Support donor acquisition, retention, and upgrade strategies that contribute to achieving annual individual giving revenue goals and maintain a donor retention rate of 60% or greater.
• Coordinate and support 4–8 donor, prospect, or community partner meetings per month.
• Maintain accurate donor and prospect records in Salesforce, ensuring 95%+ of donor interactions, gifts, stewardship activities, and follow-up actions are entered within three business days.
• Ensure 100% of gifts are processed, receipted, and acknowledged within established organizational timelines.
• Produce monthly donor pipeline, fundraising, and community engagement reports that support strategic decision-making and organizational goals.
• Establish or strengthen relationships with 8–12 community organizations annually, including civic groups, foundations, tribal partners, law enforcement agencies, and community stakeholders.
• Support local programs in developing fundraising opportunities and community partnerships, resulting in measurable year-over-year growth in community fundraising participation and revenue.
• Support and grow statewide fundraising initiatives, including Polar Plunge (in collaboration with the Special Events Manager), Law Enforcement Torch Run, golf tournaments, third-party fundraisers, and community-driven campaigns, achieving annual participation and revenue goals.
• Increase Law Enforcement Torch Run agency participation, sponsorship support, and fundraising revenue by 5–10% annually.
• Develop and distribute fundraising and marketing resources, tools, and training materials that support local programs, volunteers, and community partners statewide.
• Support at least 3–5 community outreach, stewardship, or engagement opportunities annually that increase mission awareness and donor cultivation opportunities.
• Consistently represent and strengthen the Special Olympics Washington brand, mission, and values in all donor, volunteer, community, and public interactions.
• Effectively manage multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholder relationships while meeting established fundraising, engagement, and organizational objectives.

QUALIFICATIONS

• • 3+ years of experience in fundraising, community engagement, or nonprofit development.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and steward strong relationships with community organizations, volunteers, and local partners.
  • Experience managing a medium-sized portfolio of mid-level or mid-major donors, including cultivation and stewardship strategies.
  • Familiarity with peer-to-peer fundraising platforms and grassroots fundraising approaches that drive participation and revenue growth.
  • Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities across geographically dispersed communities.
  • Proficiency with fundraising and collaboration tools, including Salesforce, Classy/GoFundMe, Auctria, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and the Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Commitment to the mission and values of Special Olympics Washington.
  • Employment is contingent upon successfully passing a background check in accordance with Special Olympics Washington policies.

WORK SCHEDULE & TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

This position requires a high level of community engagement and will occasionally involve travel throughout Washington State to support local programs, fundraising events, and partner relationships. Occasional overnight travel may be necessary.

Weekend and evening work will be required at various times throughout the year, particularly during key fundraising events and community outreach activities. Special Olympics Washington offers a flexible work schedule to accommodate these seasonal demands and support work-life balance.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary: $60,000 – $70,000 annually, commensurate with experience and qualifications
• Health insurance and 403(b) retirement plan
• Generous paid time off
• Hybrid work flexibility
• Professional development opportunities

How to Apply

Submit your resume and cover letter to sowa@sowa.org. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. No calls, please.

Special Olympics Washington is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building an inclusive workplace that reflects the diversity of the athletes, families, volunteers, and communities we serve

• Health insurance and 403(b) retirement plan
• Generous paid time off
• Hybrid work flexibility
• Professional development opportunities