Donor Engagement Specialist

The Donor Engagement Specialist supports the Director of Development by managing all aspects of individual donor engagement, from lead generation and early cultivation to stewardship and retention. This role requires a highly organized, tech-savvy communicator with strong CRM experience, and a proven track record in nonprofit fundraising. The ideal candidate is eager to understand and champion LEAP’s mission, and demonstrates initiative in translating our work into meaningful donor relationships. Key responsibilities include driving recurring giving, re-engaging lapsed supporters, and ensuring timely, personalized donor stewardship.

Our CRM is still under development, and this role is pivotal in shaping and optimizing the system to support effective year-end donor engagement. The successful candidate will work closely with the Director of Development on system setup, data integrity, segmentation strategies, and workflow development. Candidates should bring an enthusiastic, proactive mindset to troubleshooting, learning, and improving CRM use.

This hybrid position blends creative fundraising communication with CRM fluency and general IT competency. The ideal candidate is a systems thinker and thoughtful storyteller who enjoys working with both data and people. They will play a central role in enhancing donor experiences and serve as a reliable backup for essential tech functions across the organization. The position reports directly to Director of Development Monica Westfall.

Responsibilities:

• CRM Expertise: Use and maintain the organization’s CRM database to support all aspects of donor engagement and stewardship, in collaboration with the Director of Development who oversees overall CRM strategy and system administration.
• Donor Stewardship: Cultivate strong relationships with donors through personalized communications, timely acknowledgments, and impact reporting. Manage donor communications, including letters, emails, and phone calls. Issue tax receipts and annual giving summaries in compliance with IRS requirements. Maintain systems and templates for consistent donor correspondence.
• Major Donor Coordination: Proactively support the growth of LEAP’s major donor efforts by identifying prospects, developing tailored engagement strategies, and coordinating with the Executive Director to steward high-net-worth, and ultra-high-net-worth supporters. Prepare meeting briefs, customized communications, and strategic follow-ups.
• Appeals & Email Campaigns: In collaboration with the media department, develop and execute compelling fundraising appeals and segmented email campaigns. Employ storytelling and emotional engagement to inspire donor action. A/B test email components to optimize performance. Craft compelling subject lines and calls to action.
• Supporter Engagement & Retention: Develop and implement strategies to grow recurring giving and re-engage lapsed donors. Utilize audience segmentation and content personalization to maximize engagement. Develop strategies to attract new supporters and convert them into donors, particularly from email and web traffic.
• Newsletter Development: Create and consistently maintain a compelling monthly newsletter, collaborating with program and media teams for content, ensuring timely publication, and relevance to donor interests. Utilize integrated CRM email tools and monitor open and click rates to refine content strategies.
• Google Workspace Admin Support: Provide basic backup support with Google Workspace under the guidance of the Director of Development, including supporting user access, and assisting with Shared Drive organization. Participate in training on cybersecurity protocols and back up the Director of Development on critical IT functions.
• Website Support: Provide backup support for website maintenance in the event of an emergency or the absence of the Director of Development. This includes basic troubleshooting, and assisting with urgent content updates, plug-in, and security issues. Experience integrating donation forms, CRMs, or analytics tools is a plus.
• Digital Tools & Integrations: Assist in maintaining integrations between email marketing platforms, CRM, donation platforms, and the website. Experience using tools like Asana, Google Forms, Airtable, or analytics dashboards is a plus.
• Cybersecurity Awareness: Adhere to organizational data security protocols, including password hygiene, access control, and sensitive data handling.
• Training and Documentation: Assist the Director of Development in creating and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for development processes and IT functions. Contribute to staff onboarding and provide training on CRM usage and cybersecurity best practices.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Development.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in nonprofit development, with a focus on donor relationship management and digital engagement.
• Experience with donor segmentation, moves management, and building cultivation pipelines is strongly preferred.
• Advanced proficiency with nonprofit CRMs.
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to craft compelling and donor-centric messaging.
• Experience designing and executing successful fundraising appeals and email campaigns.
• Proven ability to grow recurring giving and re-engage lapsed donors.
• Demonstrated willingness to learn new systems and contribute proactively to a growing development operation.
• Working knowledge of Google Workspace administration and WordPress website maintenance.
• Familiarity with digital tools and integrations for email marketing, CRM, and donation platforms.
• Understanding of basic cybersecurity principles and data security best practices.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
• Strong initiative and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Basic HTML/CSS skills or experience integrating donation forms, CRMs, or analytics tools.
• Experience with specific CRM platforms (e.g., Bloomerang, NEON, or EveryAction) is a plus.

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and its responsibilities. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, skills, and qualifications required. The responsibilities and requirements may be subject to change based on organizational needs.