Philanthropy and Donor Acquisition Officer

The Jewish Federation; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Jewish Federation of St. Louis is seeking a Philanthropy and Donor Acquisition Officer who will cultivate donor relationships and grow the annual campaign through engagement, stewardship, and strategic solicitation.

You will manage a portfolio of ~100 donors, collaborate across departments, and lead volunteer solicitors while tracking progress in the CRM to meet fundraising goals and strengthen community impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience required.
• Minimum 5+ years in fundraising, sales, relationship management, or related roles.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of ~100 donors and prospects with annual giving potential of $1,000+.
• Develop and execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Conduct donor visits, calls, and outreach to deepen engagement.
• Maintain timely donor activity records in the CRM system.
• Build donor proposals, impact reports, and stewardship materials.
• Collaborate with volunteers and staff to support fundraising events.

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Fundraising experience

Relationship management

Donor engagement

Sales experience

Tools

CRM (Dynamics 360)

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Summary

As the Philanthropy and Donor Acquisition Officer, you play a key role in advancing the Jewish Federation of St. Louis's mission by building meaningful relationships with donors and identifying new philanthropic partners. This position manages a portfolio of current and prospective donors, develops strategic cultivation and solicitation plans, and helps grow the Federation's annual campaign through donor engagement, stewardship, and acquisition efforts. The ideal candidate is a skilled relationship builder who is motivated by connecting people to purpose and inspiring philanthropic investment in our community.

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Management and Donor Engagement

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 100 donors and prospects with annual giving potential of $1,000+.
• Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Conduct donor visits, calls, and outreach activities to deepen engagement.
• Maintain timely and accurate donor activity records in the CRM system.

Stewardship & Collaboration

• Build authentic, long-term relationships with donors to enhance engagement and loyalty.
• Develop compelling donor proposals, impact reports, and stewardship materials.
• Engage through Federation events and activities that current donors and prospects to share the mission of Federation
• Coordinate, plan and execute stewardship activities, including thank‑you calls, recognition, and donor briefings.
• Ensure high-quality donor experience aligned with organizational values.

Donor Acquisition and Fundraising

• Solicit annual campaign gifts and increase donor engagement through strategic relationship-building.
• Identify opportunities to move donors through the pipeline toward increased giving and involvement.
• Collaborate on fundraising strategies supporting both Annual Campaign and TFRD initiatives.

Volunteer and Campaign Leadership

• Partner with campaign volunteers and lay leaders to support donor outreach efforts.
• Provide volunteers with training, tools, and coaching necessary for successful solicitations.
• Support campaign events and engagement opportunities that advance fundraising goals.

Collaboration & Internal Partnership

• Work closely with the AVP, Annual Campaign on prospect strategy, growth, and pipeline management.
• Partner across departments to effectively communicate Federation priorities and community impact.
• Participate in fundraising events and organizational initiatives as needed.

Success Metrics

• Achievement of annual fundraising goals.
• Growth in donor retention and engagement.
• Number of qualified new donor relationships established.
• Completion of portfolio moves management goals.
• Accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions.

Responsibilities

• Implement campaign strategy, donor development pipelines, and coordinate with lead staff on major campaign events.
• Prospect new donor engagement opportunities
• Collaborate with Development Leadership to set campaign goals and metrics.
• Manage strategies for benchmark giving levels through moves management.
• Personally solicit from a donor portfolio and oversee a group of volunteer solicitors
• Coordinate with finance team on pledge/payment documentation, acknowledgements, tax letters, tributes, and billing for portfolio of donors
• Ensure campaign volunteers are motivated, trained, and prepared for donor outreach.
• Serve as a collaborative member of the Development team; perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of fundraising, sales, relationship management, or related experience.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to connect with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

• Comfort with donor databases (CRM), data entry, and tracking activities.
• Ability to articulate a complex organization’s mission, accomplishments, and goals.
• Maturity, sound judgment, and ability to interact with major donors, Board members, and staff.
• Proficiency with database systems and constituent relationship management software (e.g., Dynamics 360) and Microsoft Office.
• Familiarity with Jewish culture, values, traditions, and communal organizations is preferred. Candidates who are eager to learn and effectively represent the Federation's mission are encouraged to apply.
• Demonstrated ability to use data to achieve strategic outcomes.
• Strong organizational, strategic planning, and relationship-building skills.
• Team-oriented and collaborative mindset.