Director of Donor Engagement

Marklund; Geneva (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Marklund in Geneva, IL is seeking a Director of Donor Engagement to lead a $6.7M fundraising program, focusing on mid-level giving and donor relations for children and adults with profound disabilities.

You will own the mid-level donor pipeline, leadership giving circle, and the full individual giving program, coordinating segmentation, analytics, CRM workflows, and communications for a 9-person development team.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of progressive fundraising experience in annual giving, mid-level giving, or leadership annual giving.
• Direct experience with donor portfolio management, donor pipelines, stewardship plans, and fundraising analytics.
• A track record of building core fundraising systems, including moves management, stewardship cadence, and annual development planning.
• Proficiency with Raiser's Edge NXT and Microsoft Excel.
• Strong donor writing skills: appeals, proposals, and stewardship materials.

Responsibilities

• Grow the Leadership Giving Circle, soliciting gifts of $1,000 to $14,999 and upgrading donors toward major gift consideration.
• Manage a mid-level donor portfolio, pipeline, and retention strategy using disciplined moves management.
• Set the donor segmentation, analytics, and communications strategy behind Annual Fund performance, in close partnership with the Annual Fund Manager.
• Identify and qualify prospects for major gift cultivation, partnering with the Major Gifts Manager on timing and a seamless handoff.
• Oversee donor communications and stewardship, including the LGC Quarterly Newsletter, Leadership Letter mailings, the annual Thankathon, the annual report, and the development communications calendar.
• Manage the annual LGC reception and apply individual giving strategies to event participants.
• Maintain clean donor data through clear CRM workflows and data hygiene standards.
• Serve as backup to the Chief Development Officer, providing soft leadership and mentorship across the department.

Skills

Donor portfolio management

Fundraising analytics

Moves management

Donor communications writing

CRM workflows

Tools

Raiser's Edge NXT

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Lead mid-level giving, leadership giving, and donor relations for a $6.7M fundraising program at Marklund, a Geneva, IL disability services nonprofit serving children and adults with profound disabilities. $85,000–$95,000 plus bonus eligibility. Hybrid.

Marklund has been making everyday life possible for individuals with profound disabilities since 1954, when Claire and Stan Haverkamp opened their home to care for an infant with Down syndrome. Today it's a multi-campus disability services and human services nonprofit serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through residential, educational, and community day services.

As Director of Donor Engagement, you'll own the mid-level donor pipeline and the Leadership Giving Circle (LGC), building customized donor cultivation and donor stewardship that retains and upgrades donors through personalized donor relations. You'll also serve as a primary strategist for the full individual giving program, driving the segmentation, fundraising analytics, CRM workflows, and communications planning that support a 9-person development team. This role is a good fit for an analytical fundraiser who enjoys building the systems that make a development program work, and who wants to do that work for a mission-driven organization they can see in action every day.

What you'll do:

• Grow the Leadership Giving Circle, soliciting gifts of $1,000 to $14,999 and upgrading donors toward major gift consideration
• Manage a mid-level donor portfolio, pipeline, and retention strategy using disciplined moves management
• Set the donor segmentation, analytics, and communications strategy behind Annual Fund performance, in close partnership with the Annual Fund Manager
• Identify and qualify prospects for major gift cultivation, partnering with the Major Gifts Manager on timing and a seamless handoff
• Oversee donor communications and stewardship, including the LGC Quarterly Newsletter, Leadership Letter mailings, the annual Thankathon, the annual report, and the development communications calendar
• Manage the annual LGC reception and apply individual giving strategies to event participants
• Maintain clean donor data through clear CRM workflows and data hygiene standards
• Serve as backup to the Chief Development Officer, providing soft leadership and mentorship across the department

What you'll bring:

• 5–7 years of progressive fundraising experience in annual giving, mid-level giving, or leadership annual giving
• Direct experience with donor portfolio management, donor pipelines, stewardship plans, and fundraising analytics
• A track record of building core fundraising systems, including moves management, stewardship cadence, and annual development planning
• Proficiency with Raiser's Edge NXT and Microsoft Excel
• Strong donor writing skills: appeals, proposals, and stewardship materials
• Experience in disability or human services nonprofits a plus.

Compensation and location: $85,000–$95,000, commensurate with experience, plus bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits package including health coverage and retirement. This role is primarily on-site in Geneva, IL, with some flexibility based on the work.