Alumni Engagement Manager

dreamprogram; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

DREAM seeks an Alumni Engagement Manager to strengthen lifelong connections with its alumni. This role develops opportunities for alumni to stay involved as volunteers, mentors, ambassadors, donors, and leaders while overseeing alumni communications, events, outreach, data management, and fundraising efforts.

The ideal candidate is a relationship builder who can organize events, craft fundraising appeals, and maintain donor records in a donor database.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience in alumni relations, fundraising, development, communications, events, or related field.
• Ability to build relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience with fundraising, donor stewardship, volunteer engagement, or community-building initiatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience planning events or programs from development through execution.
• Comfort using donor databases, CRMs, email platforms, spreadsheets, and basic reporting tools.
• Strong organization, project management, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams.
• Experience with nonprofit, mentoring, education, or youth-serving organization preferred.
• Personal experience as a DREAM alum or participant in similar programs valued.
• Occasional evenings/weekends and travel to DREAM regions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement an alumni engagement plan with clear annual goals.
• Build relationships with DREAM alumni across programs, regions, and generations.
• Create opportunities for alumni to participate as volunteers, mentors, speakers, ambassadors, advisors, and donors.
• Identify and support alumni leaders who can help strengthen DREAM’s alumni community.
• Explore regional alumni gatherings, committees, or networks in areas with strong alumni participation.
• Develop strategies to increase alumni giving and build a long-term culture of philanthropy.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of alumni donors and prospects.
• Coordinate alumni-focused fundraising campaigns, appeals, and giving initiatives.
• Create meaningful communications and stewardship opportunities that show alumni the impact of their support.
• Partner with the broader development team to connect alumni engagement with DREAM’s fundraising goals.
• Plan alumni events, including regional gatherings, networking opportunities, reunions, service activities, and virtual programs.
• Manage event promotion, registration, logistics, budgets, and follow-up.
• Produce alumni communications, including newsletters, event invitations, organizational updates, and fundraising appeals.
• Collect and share alumni stories, accomplishments, and community contributions.
• Collaborate with DREAM’s communications team on alumni content for email, social media, and the website.
• Maintain accurate alumni records in DREAM’s donor and relationship-management systems.
• Conduct outreach and research to update contact information and reconnect with alumni.
• Develop processes for capturing information as participants transition from DREAM programs into the alumni community.
• Track alumni participation, volunteering, communications, and giving.
• Use engagement data to evaluate results and guide future strategies.
• Work with development, communications, program, data, and regional staff to coordinate alumni engagement.
• Help staff create consistent pathways for participants to remain connected after leaving DREAM programs.
• Identify alumni who may be strong candidates for employment, board service, advisory roles, partnerships, or storytelling opportunities.
• Represent DREAM at alumni, fundraising, and community events.

Skills

Relationship building

Fundraising

Communication

Event planning

Data management

Collaboration

Project management

Equity and inclusion

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

CRMs

Donor databases

Email platforms

Spreadsheets

Reporting tools

Job description

Alumni Engagement Manager

Position Summary

DREAM seeks a relationship-driven and highly organized Alumni Engagement Manager to strengthen lifelong connections between DREAM and its alumni.

This position will develop opportunities for alumni to stay involved as volunteers, mentors, ambassadors, donors, and organizational leaders. The Manager will oversee alumni communications, events, outreach, data management, and fundraising efforts while helping DREAM build a stronger culture of alumni engagement and philanthropy.

The ideal candidate is a strong relationship builder who is equally comfortable connecting with alumni, organizing an event, writing a fundraising appeal, and maintaining accurate records in a donor database.

Essential Functions

Alumni Engagement

• Develop and implement an alumni engagement plan with clear annual goals.
• Build relationships with DREAM alumni across programs, regions, and generations.
• Create opportunities for alumni to participate as volunteers, mentors, speakers, ambassadors, advisors, and donors.
• Identify and support alumni leaders who can help strengthen DREAM’s alumni community.
• Explore regional alumni gatherings, committees, or networks in areas with strong alumni participation.

Fundraising and Stewardship

• Develop strategies to increase alumni giving and build a long-term culture of philanthropy.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of alumni donors and prospects.
• Coordinate alumni-focused fundraising campaigns, appeals, and giving initiatives.
• Create meaningful communications and stewardship opportunities that show alumni the impact of their support.
• Partner with the broader development team to connect alumni engagement with DREAM’s fundraising goals.

Events and Communications

• Plan alumni events, including regional gatherings, networking opportunities, reunions, service activities, and virtual programs.
• Manage event promotion, registration, logistics, budgets, and follow-up.
• Produce alumni communications, including newsletters, event invitations, organizational updates, and fundraising appeals.
• Collect and share alumni stories, accomplishments, and community contributions.
• Collaborate with DREAM’s communications team on alumni content for email, social media, and the website.

Alumni Records and Reporting

• Maintain accurate alumni records in DREAM’s donor and relationship-management systems.
• Conduct outreach and research to update contact information and reconnect with alumni.
• Develop processes for capturing information as participants transition from DREAM programs into the alumni community.
• Track alumni participation, volunteering, communications, and giving.
• Use engagement data to evaluate results and guide future strategies.

Collaboration

• Work with development, communications, program, data, and regional staff to coordinate alumni engagement.
• Help staff create consistent pathways for participants to remain connected after leaving DREAM programs.
• Identify alumni who may be strong candidates for employment, board service, advisory roles, partnerships, or storytelling opportunities.
• Represent DREAM at alumni, fundraising, and community events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• One to five years of experience in alumni relations, fundraising, development, communications, events, community engagement, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience with fundraising, donor stewardship, volunteer engagement, or community-building initiatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience planning events or programs from development through execution.
• Comfort using donor databases, CRMs, email platforms, spreadsheets, and basic reporting tools.
• Strong organization, project management, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams.
• Experience with a nonprofit, mentoring, education, or youth-serving organization preferred.
• Personal experience as a DREAM alum or participant in a similar youth-development program is valued.
• Ability to occasionally work evenings or weekends and travel to DREAM regions.

Core Competencies

• Relationship building and stewardship
• Alumni and community engagement
• Fundraising and donor development
• Communication and storytelling
• Event and project management
• Data management and follow-through
• Collaboration and adaptability
• Commitment to equity and inclusion

Compensation

The anticipated salary range for this position is $50,000–$70,000 annually, depending on experience and qualifications, along with DREAM’s comprehensive benefits package.

About DREAM

DREAM partners with youth and families living in affordable housing communities to close the opportunity gap through mentoring, social-emotional learning, and enrichment programs. Our work is grounded in long-term relationships, and we believe that connection to DREAM can continue long after a participant completes a program.

DREAM values collaboration, flexibility, accountability, and community. We seek team members who are relationship-oriented, self-directed, creative, and committed to helping alumni remain connected, contribute, and lead.