Senior Community and Donor Relations Associate

St. John's Community Services; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

St. John's Community Services seeks a Senior Development Associate to expand the DMV fundraising presence by cultivating donor relationships and increasing unrestricted revenue. You will manage donor pipelines, plan events, and build strategic partnerships across the region.

In this externally focused role, you will travel regionally, engage community leaders, and collaborate with leadership on major gifts and Gifts-in-Kind opportunities to reduce program costs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 5-7 years of fundraising, nonprofit development, sales, or relationship management experience.
• Proven success in donor cultivation or client relationship management.
• Experience planning and executing events.
• Strong public speaking and networking skills.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends for community events.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for regional travel.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned portfolio of individual donors throughout the DMV.
• Plan and execute fundraising events from concept to close.
• Develop cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
• Cultivate Gifts-in-Kind partnerships to reduce expenses.
• Represent SJCS at community events and build partnerships.
• Track donor activity and report monthly fundraising metrics.
• Maintain CRM donor records and provide donor communications.

Skills

Donor cultivation

Public speaking

Networking

Event planning

Relationship management

Evenings/weekends availability

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Reports To: Director of Development (or Vice President of Marketing & Development)

Location: DMV Region (Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia) – Hybrid-office/Field-Based

Status: Full-Time

Position Summary

The Senior Development Associate is responsible for expanding St. John's Community Services' fundraising presence throughout the DMV by cultivating meaningful relationships that result in increased philanthropic support and community engagement.

This is a highly external, relationship-driven position requiring a proactive, "boots on the ground" approach to building awareness, identifying new supporters, cultivating donors, managing fundraising events, and developing strategic partnerships across the region.

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing an assigned portfolio of individual donors, guiding prospects through the SJCS donor journey, creating new opportunities for community engagement, and executing fundraising events that generate unrestricted revenue. While financial contributions are the primary objective, this position will also cultivate Gifts-in-Kind (GIK) partnerships that reduce operating expenses across SJCS programs.

Primary Responsibilities

Individual Giving & Donor Cultivation (40%)

• Manage and cultivate an assigned portfolio of individual donors throughout the DMV.
• Maintain accurate donor records and engagement strategies within the CRM.
• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and retention plans.
• Identify, qualify, and engage new prospective donors.
• Move donors strategically through the SJCS donor journey—from awareness to annual giving, major giving, and long-term engagement.
• Conduct regular donor meetings, tours, stewardship visits, and personalized outreach.
• Coordinate donor recognition and stewardship activities.
• Collaborate with leadership on major gift opportunities.

Serve as the primary project manager for assigned fundraising events from concept through execution.

Responsibilities include:

• Event planning and timeline management
• Sponsorship development and fulfillment
• Ticket sales and attendee cultivation
• Budget management
• Auction and raffle management
• Marketing coordination with the Communications team
• Post-event stewardship and reporting

Continuously evaluate opportunities to expand existing events while creating new fundraising experiences that engage new audiences and increase unrestricted revenue.

Community Engagement & Business Development (20%)

Act as a visible ambassador for SJCS throughout the DMV.

Responsibilities include:

• Represent SJCS at community events, networking functions, civic organizations, chambers of commerce, and nonprofit collaborations.
• Identify opportunities for speaking engagements, tabling events, community fairs, and local partnerships.
• Develop relationships with:
• Civic organizations
• Corporate partners
• Professional associations
• Faith communities
• Foundations
• Community leaders
• Introduce new audiences to the mission of SJCS and convert awareness into donor engagement.
• Build a robust pipeline of prospective supporters and partners.

Gifts-in-Kind (GIK) Development (10%)

Develop and maintain partnerships that provide meaningful in-kind support for SJCS programs.

• Food donations
• Household goods
• Furniture
• Office supplies
• Event items
• Seasonal donations

The objective is to reduce program expenses while strengthening community partnerships.

Data Management & Reporting (5%)

• Maintain accurate donor records in the CRM.
• Track donor movement through the fundraising pipeline.
• Prepare monthly reports on donor activity, event performance, community engagement, and revenue.
• Monitor fundraising metrics and recommend strategies for growth.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 5-7 years of fundraising, nonprofit development, sales, business development, or relationship management experience.
• Demonstrated success in donor cultivation or client relationship management.
• Experience planning and executing events.
• Strong public speaking and networking skills.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends for community events.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation for regional travel.

Preferred

• Experience using donor CRM software.
• Experience with sponsorship development.
• Experience working with nonprofit organizations.
• Knowledge of the DMV philanthropic community.
• Experience securing Gifts-in-Kind partnerships.

Core Competencies

• Relationship Building
• Strategic Networking
• Event Management
• Community Outreach
• Project Management
• Donor Stewardship
• Communication & Presentation
• Initiative & Self-Direction
• Results Orientation

Performance Expectations

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Growth in unrestricted fundraising revenue.
• Number of new individual donors acquired.
• Donor retention and advancement through the SJCS donor journey.
• Event revenue growth and attendance.
• Sponsorship revenue.
• Number of new community partnerships established.
• Number of community engagement opportunities secured.
• Gifts-in-Kind value secured.
• Quality and consistency of donor stewardship.
• Accurate and timely CRM documentation.

Physical Requirements

This position requires frequent travel throughout the DMV region, attendance at evening and weekend events, lifting and transporting event materials up to 25 pounds, and extended periods of standing during community outreach and fundraising events. Occasional travel to other SJCS program areas throughout western Tennessee & New York.

Why Join SJCS?

At St. John's Community Services, we believe fundraising is about more than raising dollars—it's about building communities of people who believe in our mission. As the Senior Development Associate, you will play a vital role in expanding our network of supporters, increasing unrestricted revenue, and creating opportunities for individuals and families to belong and thrive.