Donor Relations & Partnerships Lead

Knox Area Rescue Ministries; Knoxville (TN); Hybrid; USD 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) seeks a Stewardship Manager to grow partnerships with corporate partners, churches, and civic groups. Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations, you will develop engagement plans, manage a donor portfolio, and craft sponsorship proposals to drive monetary support.

You will work with the Development team to strategize fundraising plans, secure funding, and expand engagement opportunities through events and workplace giving campaigns.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent and 5+ years of fundraising experience.
• Proven track record of securing four- and five-figure gifts.
• Strong interpersonal and written/oral communication skills.
• Experience cultivating corporate and community partnerships.
• Comfort with donor interactions and presenting impact reports.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and grow a portfolio of corporate partners, churches, and community groups.
• Execute annual plans to acquire, renew, and grow partnerships and giving campaigns.
• Make direct solicitations and write sponsorship proposals and funding requests.
• Coordinate with internal departments to ensure stewardship and recognition of sponsors.
• Design and run donor reports, gift summaries, and donor activity analyses.
• Represent KARM at events, meetings, and community functions to raise awareness.
• Collaborate with Development team to support fundraising strategy and revenue growth.
• Maintain strong donor relations through visits, calls, emails, and thank-you communications.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Communication

Relationship building

Public speaking

Strategic planning

CRM experience

DonorPerfect

DonorSearch

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

DonorPerfect CRM

DonorSearch

MS Office

Job description

Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) seeks a Stewardship Manager to grow partnerships with corporate partners, churches, and civic groups. Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations, you will develop engagement plans, manage a donor portfolio, and craft sponsorship proposals to drive monetary support.

You will work with the Development team to strategize fundraising plans, secure funding, and expand engagement opportunities through events and workplace giving campaigns.