Donor Relations & Events Lead

Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington; Fairlawn (NC); On-site; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental, long-term disability, and life

401(k) with employer match

Paid leave (sick, annual, personal)

Childcare discount at Spark Academy

Job summary

Beacon Education is seeking a Development Officer to support Beacon Education, GLOW Academy, and Spark Academy, coordinating donor relations and fundraising efforts on-site in Wilmington, NC. The role includes event planning, communications, and stewardship across multiple programs.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree and at least 3 years in fundraising or nonprofit development, with strong writing, planning, and collaboration skills to engage donors and volunteers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in fundraising, donor relations, annual giving, or nonprofit development.
• Experience with donor management/database systems.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to work professionally with donors, volunteers, community leaders, and external stakeholders
• Competency with Google Workplace, donor databases, and digital communication tools, including Canva and CRM platforms
• Valid driver's license required
• Must pass a nationwide criminal history and background check

Responsibilities

• Work with the CEO and Director of Organizational Development to create achievable and agreed upon goals, both long and short-range, to accomplish the organization's financial and public awareness needs
• Create, plan and schedule for event delivery, allowing appropriate lead times for outlines, marketing and communication with all constituents
• Plan, implement and manage 2 major events and various small events, annually
• Work as part of the Development Team, envisioning consistent brand messaging to present the organization and its events internally and externally. This includes, but is not limited to: developing invitations, social media posts, website content, landing pages, brochures, and other marketing materials.
• Proactively prepare for events concurrently, including, but not limited to: creating a strategy and running order for event so that all activities and details are accounted for
• Resourcing events appropriately in terms of helping to find speakers, collaborative partners, and equipment
• Leading communications with internal and external partners involved in each event, to ensure all parties are supported and prepared
• Managing positive working relationships with internal teams and external partners
• Budget oversight to ensure events come within budget
• Integrate feedback and evaluate events following their completion.
• Manage event committees, including but not limited to; new committee member recruitment, coordinating and planning meetings, planning and executing event logistics
• Develop an event follow-up plan for the purpose of keeping attendees engaged after events with the goal of cultivating them into donors
• Work as part of the Development team to distribute appeals, announcements, and other communications via mail, e-mail, social media, and other methods
• Collaborate on messaging and storytelling that communicates organizational impact and inspires philanthropic support
• Support philanthropic communications including newsletters, donor impact stories, campaign messaging, and digital engagement
• Help maintain consistent donor-centered messaging across communication platforms
• Assist with website updates and donor-facing content related to fundraising initiatives
• Manage donor cultivation events and stewardship gatherings throughout the year
• Creates from the pool of event attendees a portfolio of individuals for cultivation and stewardship with the goal of identifying and potential annual & major gift donors
• Summarize face-to-face visits, outreach and communication, and proposal details via contact reports in donor records utilizing Bloomerang
• Coordinate donor communications including thank-you letters, impact reports, donor updates, and personalized outreach
• Track donor interactions, giving history, and engagement strategies within the donor database
• Ensure timely and professional donor acknowledgment and recognition processes
• Maintain discretion and confidentiality in relationships with all Board members and internal matters
• Engage with board members and community leaders
• Attend and participate in professional group meetings and in local events to keep current on community activities
• Participate in weekly staff meetings to ensure coordinated advancement of organizational and personal goals
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Communication

Organization

Donor relations

Event planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Google Workspace

CRM platforms

Canva

Job description

Beacon Education is seeking a Development Officer to support Beacon Education, GLOW Academy, and Spark Academy, coordinating donor relations and fundraising efforts on-site in Wilmington, NC. The role includes event planning, communications, and stewardship across multiple programs.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree and at least 3 years in fundraising or nonprofit development, with strong writing, planning, and collaboration skills to engage donors and volunteers.