Donor Relations Director

World Renew; Byron Township (MI); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A nonprofit organization is seeking a Donor Relations Director to lead donor engagement and development efforts across the United States. This role involves managing teams, overseeing strategies, and cultivating relationships with donors. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in fundraising and a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion. The position offers hybrid working conditions and requires up to 25% travel within the U.S.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to Christ and fulfilling a role that contributes to His Kingdom.
• Experience managing budgets and evaluating ROI of development efforts.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, including major donor development.

Responsibilities

• Lead and scale donor engagement and development efforts across the United States.
• Oversee strategy and reporting, managing high-performing teams.
• Manage regional Donor Relations budgets and ensure alignment with strategic goals.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Donor development principles

Communication

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business, marketing, or related fields

Job description

Donor Relations Director

Department: Constituency Relations (CORE) Team, USA

Reports To: Chief Marketing and Philanthropy Officer

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Location: Hybrid from our Byron Center office preferred. (Relocation support may be considered for exceptional candidates.)

Salary Level: Level I

Last Updated: July 18, 2025

Purpose: To lead and scale donor engagement and development efforts across the United States by cultivating relationships across a diverse donor base, overseeing strategy and reporting, managing high‑performing teams, and supporting the execution of major fundraising campaigns. This role is responsible for supervising regional Donor Relations teams, managing donor administrative systems, and partnering across borders to align global fundraising efforts.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the counterpart Donor Relations Director to jointly lead and develop global donor engagement strategies.
• Provide strategic leadership, performance management, and oversight for regional Donor Relations teams comprised of major, mid‑level, and planned giving staff.
• Facilitate annual planning and establish performance objectives aligned with World Renew’s priorities.
• Identify and respond to trends affecting donor engagement and fundraising strategies.
• Ensure implementation and continuous improvement of donor development plans.
• Manage regional Donor Relations budgets and ensure alignment with strategic goals.
• Support team member development through coaching, training, and performance feedback.
• Establish scalable systems and performance metrics to ensure team effectiveness.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 75 major donors, developing and implementing customized engagement plans.
• Prepare and present proposals and case statements to individuals, families, businesses, and donor groups.
• Report on the impact of gifts to increase donor understanding and affinity.
• Ensure timely and personalized gift acknowledgments.
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to create compelling donor materials.
• Develop and oversee tailored engagement strategies for each donor tier—major, mid‑level, planned giving, and mass donors.
• Lead strategies to retain newly acquired mass donors, including onboarding, engagement, and conversion to sustained giving.
• Ensure personalized stewardship and long‑term retention across all donor segments.
• Represent Donor Relations on the CFC Task Force, aligning donor strategies and activities with campaign priorities and goals.
• Collaborate with partners such as Christian Stewardship Services and the Barnabas Foundation on estate giving initiatives.
• Monitor, evaluate, and respond to fundraising trends that may impact donor engagement and campaign performance.
• Lead the development and promotion of the Joseph Stewards Legacy Giving Society and serve as primary point of contact for planned giving and estate inquiries.
• Leverage data analytics and CRM systems to monitor donor engagement, forecast giving trends, and inform strategic decisions.
• Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement in donor engagement practices.
• Test and iterate new approaches to meet evolving donor expectations and philanthropic trends.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• US Donor Relations team including Regional Donor Relations Managers, Mid‑level and Sustaining Donor Manager, Donor Retention and Administrative Specialist, volunteers and contracted support.

Qualifications

• Able to respect and support the mission, vision, and values of World Renew.
• Demonstrated commitment to Christ and fulfilling a role that contributes to His Kingdom.
• Familiarity with the Reformed faith and tradition as practiced by the CRCNA.
• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice.
• Proven knowledge of donor development principles: cultivation, solicitation, stewardship.
• Experience managing budgets and evaluating ROI of development efforts.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and coaching skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting to varied audiences.
• Strong organizational, time management, and multitasking abilities.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications

• CFRE or CCNL certification preferred or a demonstrated commitment to obtaining certification.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, including major donor development.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; preferred fields include nonprofit management, business, marketing, or related disciplines.
• At least 3 years of experience in supervising or leading a team preferred.
• Experience or knowledge of international community development is an asset.
• Fluency in English, with strong verbal and written communication skills.

Language Skills

English (fluent)

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Approximately 25% travel within the United States and occasional travel to Canada.
• Work may include meetings during non‑business hours and occasional overnight stays.
• Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with disabilities.

World Renew conducts a thorough background check as part of the recruitment process.

Application deadline: EOD September 29, 2025 for External and Internal Applicants.