Development Manager

EMERGE Scholars; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Disability and life insurance

403(b) retirement plan with employer -

27 paid time off days

18 organizational holidays

Job summary

EMERGE Scholars in Houston, TX seeks a Development Manager to own donor-facing programs—events, stewardship, volunteers, mentor program, and development marketing—while managing a small donor portfolio and leading prospect research.

Reporting to the Managing Director of Development, this full-time exempt role is hybrid in Houston, requiring 2+ years in nonprofit development, strong written communication, and multi-program management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 2+ years nonprofit development, fundraising, or philanthropic experience.
• Experience planning and executing donor-facing events, including concept development and budget ownership.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Comfortable managing multiple relationship-facing programs at once.

Responsibilities

• Own the vision, planning, and execution of EMERGE fundraising events (Sporting Clays, annual luncheon, hosted home receptions, VIP receptions).
• Develop and manage stewardship, donor relations, and recognition programs.
• Design and launch a formal volunteer program with policies and success metrics.
• Own mentor program strategy and relationships with the Development Contractor.
• Plan donor communications calendar, write appeal letters, and maintain branding across materials.
• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects.

Job description

Description

Reports to: Managing Director of Development

Direct reports: None

Location: Houston, TX - hybrid

Job Status: Full time, Exempt

Organization Overview

EMERGE is building the next generation of leaders. We support high-achieving students from low-income communities to access and succeed at the nation's most selective colleges and universities, unlocking talent that will shape industries, communities, and the country for decades to come. Founded in 2010 in Houston, TX, EMERGE has grown from serving 14 students across four high schools to reaching more than 3,000 scholars across a dozen school districts and more than 100 selective colleges and universities across the country.

Requirements

Position Overview

The Development Manager owns the donor-facing programs that build and sustain EMERGE's relationships with supporters: events, stewardship, volunteers, the mentor program, and development marketing and communications, while managing a small personal portfolio of donors and prospects and leading EMERGE's prospect research.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Events

• Own the vision, planning, and execution of each EMERGE fundraising event, including Sporting Clays, the annual luncheon, hosted home receptions, and VIP receptions
• Set each event’s concept, guest experience, and budget within the portfolio envelope set by the Managing Director
• Own each event’s outcomes, including post-event evaluation
• Partner with the Development Coordinator, who owns event data integration, volunteer training logistics, and check-in execution

Stewardship and Donor Relations

• Own EMERGE's stewardship and donor relations program
• Develop and implement a written stewardship plan with touchpoints tailored to giving levels.
• Ensure timely, personalized gift acknowledgments (e.g., within 48 hours), including thank-you calls from staff, board, or students.
• Coordinate holiday cards and gifts for donors, board members, and key partners.
• Plan donor cultivation and appreciation events
• Manage donor recognition, including annual report listings, giving societies, and website or social media acknowledgments.

Volunteer Program

• Own EMERGE's development-related volunteer program
• Design and launch a formal volunteer program, including mission, structure, roles, policies, and success metrics.
• Develop volunteer opportunities that connect directly to the student experience (e.g., mentoring, mock interviews, résumé reviews, college and career panels, event support).
• Develop and manage onboarding materials, including volunteer applications, background check processes, training, and a volunteer handbook.
• Maintain volunteer records in the CRM, tracking hours, engagement level, and giving history.
• Build a volunteer-to-donor pipeline by identifying engaged volunteers for cultivation and moving them toward first-time and recurring gifts.
• Plan volunteer appreciation activities.
• Gather volunteer feedback and report on program outcomes and conversion to giving.

Mentor Program

• Own the strategy and volunteer relationships for the mentor program; partnering with the Development Contractor, who owns mentee (student)-side, logistics, and back-office execution

Marketing and Communications

• Plan and maintain an annual donor communications calendar aligned with fundraising campaigns and key giving moments (e.g., year-end, Giving Tuesday, fiscal year-end).
• Design and distribute a regular donor e-newsletter (monthly or quarterly), tracking open and click-through rates.
• Create and schedule social media content that highlights program impact, student and alumni success, volunteer engagement, and donor recognition.
• Publish blog posts and website content that tell the organization’s story and support fundraising goals.
• Develop a student and alumni spotlight series, coordinating interviews, photos, and approvals with program staff.
• Write appeal letters and email campaigns for year-end, Giving Tuesday, and the annual giving campaign.
• Maintain consistent branding and messaging across all donor-facing materials.
• Build and maintain a library of impact stories, photos, testimonials, and program data for use in grants, appeals, and presentations.

Portfolio

• Manage a portfolio of donors and prospects

Qualifications and Skills

Required

• Bachelor's degree
• 2+ years of nonprofit development, fundraising, or philanthropic experience
• Experience planning and executing donor-facing events, including concept development and budget ownership
• Strong written communication skills
• Comfortable managing multiple relationship-facing programs at once

Highly Desired

• Experience with prospect research tools or databases
• Experience with donor stewardship or volunteer program management
• Nonprofit or mission-driven experience

What We Offer

• Salary range: $70,000 - $78,000, commensurate with experience
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability and life insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• 27 paid time off days plus 18 organizational holidays