Donor Relations Specialist

CASA of Travis County; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A local nonprofit organization in Austin is seeking a Donor Relations Specialist to enhance fundraising efforts and support community impact. The role involves cultivating donor relationships, organizing the CASAblanca Gala, and ensuring effective donor stewardship. The ideal candidate will have at least two years of experience in a fundraising environment, strong communication skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Office. This position requires teamwork, independence, and a commitment to the mission of supporting children in need.

Qualifications

• Minimum of two years of experience in fundraising, including donor cultivation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and Word.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and solicit recurring donors through relationship building.
• Collaborate on the CASAblanca Gala event planning.
• Ensure timely donor stewardship and maintain donor database.

Skills

Fundraising experience

Microsoft Office proficiency

Detail-oriented

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Tools

Canva

CRM systems

Job description

We are looking for a Donor Relations Specialist who can work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders to further CASA’s mission and community impact.

CASA of Travis County believes every child who’s experienced abuse or neglect deserves to have a dedicated advocate speaking up for their best interest in court, at school, and in our community. To accomplish this, the team at CASA educates and empowers community volunteers who ensure each child’s needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system. Through honorable and respectful involvement with families, courts and all parties, CASA makes independent and educated recommendations that prioritize children’s safety and, wherever possible, preserve connections to their families.

As a Donor Relations Specialist, you will help execute CASA of Travis County’s fundraising efforts alongside the other members of CASA’s Advancement Team to accomplish CASA’s mission and advance the agency’s vision. The Specialist will be responsible for maintaining and growing a portfolio of recurring donors, coordinating and supporting CASA’s giving societies, collaborating with the Advancement Team on planning the CASAblanca Gala, supporting CASA’s program team with event planning needs and supporting other Advancement initiatives. The Donor Relations Specialist is a critical role to move CASA of Travis County towards meeting our vision of providing a volunteer advocate, safe home and promising future for every child in Travis County who needs us.

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward members of CASA’s recurring giving program and new and existing entry‑level leadership donors (donors giving $1,000/year or more) through relationship building and moves management.
• In collaboration with the Individual Giving Manager and Data Specialist, ensure timely donor stewardship.
• Maintain and update the “Moves Manager” features in the donor database to track active and prospective donor activity and strategy.
• Expand and diversify CASA’s donor base/pipeline through prospect research, outreach to existing and former donors, analyzing the constituent database, and other internal and external resources.
• Create and execute solicitation plans for annual fund campaigns in collaborations with the Individual Giving Manager and Communication team such as Amplify Austin, Spring Campaign, and the End of Year Campaign. Execution includes writing letters and emails and designing collateral and developing peer‑to‑peer fundraising resources.

Support of the CASAblanca Gala and Other Fundraising Events (45%)

• Collaborate with Advancement Team to execute the CASAblanca Gala and other events.
• Cultivate relationships with prospective donors to solicit tables, sponsorships and in‑kind donations.
• Support revenue tracking and standards, sponsorship tracking and fulfillment of benefits, tracking of ticket sales, invoicing, table host communications, and gathering of attendee data.
• Support the Management of the CASAblanca committee, by ensuring timely correspondence and meeting management.
• In collaboration with Individual Giving Manager, ensure timely stewardship of all event sponsors, table hosts, and event guests.
• Lead the planning process of at least one CASA stewardship event.

As needed, work in various capacities at fundraising, volunteering, and other CASA events.

Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• A minimum of two years of experience in a fundraising environment, including proven experience soliciting, cultivating, and stewarding individuals through a moves management framework.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products, particularly Excel and Word.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated excellence in written, oral, and visual communication.
• Demonstrated ability to work under time constraints, be goal‑oriented, and maintain productive and effective relationships with volunteers, team members, and community supporters.
• Demonstrated integrity, honesty, and ethical conduct.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects while balancing competing priorities. Ability to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as in collaboration with a team.
• Demonstrated critical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Must pass CASA’s background checks, including fingerprint background check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Four years of experience in a fundraising or sales environment, including proven experience soliciting, cultivating, and stewarding individuals.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and passion for CASA’s mission.
• Proficiency in Canva and CRM (such as Salesforce or Raiser’s Edge)
• Experience building and maintaining budgets.
• Experience managing community volunteers.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

The Donor Relations Specialist will spend some time in the office that could involve intermittent physical activities including bending, reaching, sitting and walking during working hours. The individual in this position must be able to lift approximately 25 lbs. and stand for extended periods of time, specifically on event days. Additionally, it is anticipated that the person may spend several hours each day seated at a personal computer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable a person with physical disabilities to perform the job.