Development Officer, Annual Fund

Mile in My Shoes; Minnesota; Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefit stipend

3% retirement matching

Generous vacation policy

Job summary

Mile in My Shoes in Minnesota is seeking a Development Officer, Annual Fund to coordinate logistics, communications, and tracking for fundraising activities. You will manage peer‑to‑peer campaigns, donor follow‑up, grant support, and development operations, reporting to the Executive Director who sets strategy.

This hybrid role requires strong project management, exceptional written and verbal communication, and a commitment to equity and inclusion in our fundraising efforts.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2+ years in nonprofit development or fundraising
• Experience with donor databases and fundraising platforms
• Strong written and verbal communication and collaboration with diverse stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple projects with limited oversight
• Alignment with the mission of Mile in My Shoes

Responsibilities

• Coordinate peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns and participant support.
• Manage donor engagement, solicitations, and stewardship activities.
• Grant writing support, research, tracking and reporting.
• Develop and maintain fundraising systems, calendars, and reports.
• Recruit and collaborate with volunteers/committees to support development work.

Skills

Project management

Written and verbal communication

Attention to detail

Time management

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Adobe

Job description

Mile in My Shoes Staff Position Description

Development Officer, Annual Fund

Based in homeless shelters, addiction recovery programs and re-entry centers for people exiting incarceration, Mile in My Shoes views running as a tool for both personal and collective transformation.

By centering people and spaces historically excluded by the running community, our teams use movement as a catalyst for social justice. By bringing together people from diverse backgrounds, our Resident Members and Run Mentors not only find common ground, but learn from and reach out to one another for support. As we transform ourselves, we transform one another, and we transform our communities. More information at https://www.mileinmyshoes.mn/about-us

Mile in My Shoes teams (seven in 2026) meet various times each week for group runs at shelters, reentry centers and recovery programs. In addition to the runs, teams participate in races (5k to marathon) and social events. While many members have running goals, the primary emphasis of MiMS is on relationship-building, creating community, and celebrating forward movement.

Position summary: The Development Officer supports MiMS fundraising efforts by coordinating the logistics, communications, systems, and tracking that keep fundraising activities moving. The Development Officer oversees all aspects of fundraising, communications and stewardship for the organization. The Development Officer reports to the Executive Director who sets fundraising strategy and goals. These positions will work closely as Mile in My Shoes develops a fundraising plan that fosters growth and donor engagement. The Development Officer role focuses on peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, fundraising events, donor and sponsor follow-up, and grant writing support.

The Development Officer will prioritize equity, access, and inclusion in programming with a dedication to constant improvement. The ideal candidate will have a critical eye and the ability to create and execute a plan of action with limited oversight.

Tasks related to the role include, but are not limited to:

1. Peer-to-Peer and Community Fundraising - Conduct day-to-day coordination and support of Mile in My Shoes’ peer-to-peer fundraising (FundRacing) campaigns, helping participants feel equipped, motivated, and connected throughout their fundraising experience.

• Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing communication with FundRacers and other peer-to-peer fundraisers.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for fundraising participants, answering questions and providing timely support.
• Support relationships with race partners, fundraising platforms, and other external partners connected to peer-to-peer fundraising
• Manage our online FundRacing donor platform, including creating specific campaigns, assisting FRs in setting up their fundraising pages & trouble-shooting as needed
• Work with the ED to create marketing content for MiMS website, emails, social media, and for partner websites and communications
• Develop and maintain fundraising resources, templates, toolkits, and communications to help participants reach their goals
• Monitor fundraising progress and proactively follow up with participants who need additional support or encouragement.
• Identify opportunities for improving and expanding peer-to-peer FundRacing program through new race partnerships and new audiences

2. Donor Engagement - Provide the coordination and administrative support needed to help the Executive Director successfully cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and sponsors.

• Maintain accurate tracking of donor and sponsor prospects, solicitations, commitments, gifts, and follow-up activities.
• Track the status of active solicitations and ensure the Executive Director has timely information about outstanding asks and next steps.
• Maintain a development calendar and coordinate deadlines for solicitations, campaigns, acknowledgments, renewals, and stewardship.
• Prepare materials and information the Executive Director needs for donor and sponsor meetings and solicitations.
• Coordinate follow-up communications after donor and sponsor meetings, events, and solicitations.
• Ensure gifts and sponsorship commitments are accurately recorded and that agreed-upon benefits and follow-up actions are completed.
• Coordinate donor acknowledgment and thank-you communications.

4. Grant Writing & Administration Support - Support the Executive Director with grant research, writing, submission, tracking, and reporting.

• Research and identify relevant foundation, corporate, and community grant opportunities.
• Maintain the grant calendar and track application and reporting deadlines.
• Coordinate the collection of program information, outcomes, stories, budgets, and supporting materials needed for applications.
• Draft, edit and submit grant proposals.
• Maintain organized records of grant applications, awards, reports, and funder communications.

5. Development Operations & Revenue Tracking - Maintain the systems and information that allow MiMS to understand and manage fundraising activity.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date donor, sponsor, FundRacer, and campaign records.
• Track solicitations, gifts, sponsorship commitments, campaign performance, and outstanding follow-up.
• Maintain development calendars and task lists to ensure deadlines and next steps are visible.
• Prepare regular reports showing progress toward fundraising and revenue goals.
• Coordinate development-related communications and materials.

Other:

• MiMS has several volunteers and committees each year who support and are a huge asset to development work. The responsibilities above will be largely aided by these volunteers, and it will be the Development Officer’s role to recruit (as needed) and collaborate with these volunteers/committees.

Qualifications & Experience

• 2+ years of experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, communications, or a related field
• Strong project management and organizational ability with excellent attention to detail
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Computer application proficiency, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Adobe
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines at once with limited oversight
• Experience with donor databases, fundraising platforms, or other development systems
• Interest in and alignment with the mission and values of Mile in My Shoes

Personal Characteristics

• Ability to develop a strong understanding of the mission and values of MiMS, and be able to act as an ambassador of those values at all times.
• High level of personal and professional integrity, including ability to protect and maintain confidentiality
• A proactive, assertive and hands-on individual who is self-motivated and able to work effectively with a team and independently
• High energy, results-oriented leader who can effectively manage and motivate others
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to adapt quickly to a fast-paced, changing environment
• Desire to continuously learn for personal and professional growth
• Dynamic personality to convey mission of the organization

Position Specifics

Compensation: $52,000 to $65,000 depending on experience and negotiated hours

Benefits: $550 monthly health benefit stipend and 3% retirement matching, generous vacation policy

Job Type: This role is available at 0.8–1.0 FTE, with scheduling flexibility based on candidate preference and organizational needs, beginning January 1, 2027. This position reports to the Executive Director. This is a full-time position.

This position is hybrid, with a combination of hours at our office in St. Paul and remote. The role requires some flexibility with additional evening and weekend work. Attendance at key fundraising events is essential to fulfilling the above duties and vacation blackout periods may apply. Required events include Run More, Judge Less 5K (June), Grandma’s Marathon (June), City of Lakes Half Marathon (September), Twin Cities Marathon Weekend (October), and MiMSies Celebration (December).

This job description materially represents the responsibilities of the position; however, the Development Officer may be asked to perform other job-related tasks not specifically presented in this job description.

Mile in My Shoes is dedicated to ensuring that our staff and volunteers reflect the diverse and vibrant communities we work with. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds, including Black and African-Americans, African immigrants, Asian-Americans, Indigenous people, Latinx individuals, LGBTQ-identified people, people with disabilities, and individuals with lived experience in the criminal legal system. We encourage community members who are interested but may not meet all of the criteria to submit their information for consideration.