Senior Manager - Donor Relations

RiseMe; Carrollton (TX); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

403b plan

Paid time off and paid holidays

Job summary

Operation Kindness Humane Society in Carrollton, TX, is seeking a Senior Manager – Donor Relations to advance our lifesaving mission by cultivating major donors and growing philanthropic support. The role sits within the Major Gifts team and involves building personalized engagement strategies, coordinating donor experiences, and collaborating with leadership to secure transformational gifts.

The ideal candidate will be a relationship builder who thrives in a nonprofit environment, with strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• 3–5 years of fundraising, business development, sales, or donor-relations experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain meaningful professional relationships.
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio management of major gifts donors and prospects with moves management.
• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Conduct donor visits, tours, calls, virtual meetings, and community engagements in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
• Prepare personalized proposals, gift agreements, and stewardship reports.

Skills

Relationship management

Communication

Organizational skills

Microsoft Office

Valid driver’s license

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Raiser’s Edge NXT

Job description

Operation Kindness is seeking a Senior Manager - Donor Relations to join our team! Operation Kindness is a pioneer in Texas for assisting animals in need of veterinary care, companionship and most of all, a home.

We offer a competitive salary with an excellent benefit package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 403b plan, generous PTO, paid holidays and more!

About Operation Kindness Humane Society: For more than 50 years, Operation Kindness Humane Society has been a leader in animal welfare, continually redefining what i is possible through innovation, collaboration, and compassion. Today, the organization is transforming lives through pet adoption, lifesaving veterinary care, community support programs, disaster response, and strategic partnerships that strengthen both animal and human well-being. As Operation Kindness continues to expand its impact across North Texas and beyond, philanthropy remains at the heart of everything we do. Our donors are true partners in our mission, making it possible for more pets to receive lifesaving care and more families to experience the joy of the human-animal bond.

Reporting Relationship:

Reports to the Senior Development Manager

Position Overview:

The Senior Manager – Donor Relations plays a vital role in advancing the mission of Operation Kindness Humane Society by cultivating meaningful relationships with donors and inspiring philanthropic investment in the organization’s lifesaving work. As a member of the Major Gifts team, the Senior Manager – Donor Relations manages a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, developing personalized engagement strategies that deepen relationships, inspire generosity, and grow philanthropic support for Operation Kindness’s annual operating priorities.

Working closely with the Senior Development Manager, Vice President of Advancement, executive leadership, Board members, and colleagues across the organization, this position helps donors connect their passions with opportunities to create lasting impact for pets and the people who love them.

The ideal candidate is a relationship builder who enjoys meeting people, asking thoughtful questions, listening well, and connecting individual passions with meaningful opportunities to make a difference.

Position Responsibilities:

Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 100-125 qualified major gift donors and prospects using best practices in moves management.
• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies that strengthen long-term donor relationships.
• Conduct meaningful donor visits, tours, phone conversations, virtual meetings, and community engagements throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
• Prepare personalized proposals, gift agreements, stewardship reports, and other donor communications.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions and strategies within the organization’s donor database.
• Continuously identify and qualify new major gift prospects through research, referrals, and community engagement.
• Develop and execute a strategic solicitation calendar for a portfolio of donors, identifying, cultivating, and managing individualized giving opportunities

Donor Cultivation and Stewardship

• Build authentic, long-term relationships with donors by understanding their philanthropic interests, passions, and goals.
• Inspire charitable investment through thoughtful, donor-centered conversations and personalized giving opportunities.
• Coordinate meaningful donor experiences, including shelter tours, behind-the-scenes visits, volunteer opportunities, and program updates.
• Ensure donors receive exceptional stewardship through timely acknowledgment, recognition, and ongoing communication regarding the impact of their generosity.
• Partner with leadership on strategies for major gift solicitations and stewardship.

Collaboration and Strategy

• Partner closely with the Senior Development Manager and Vice President of Advancement to achieve annual fundraising priorities.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications department to ensure consistent donor messaging and impactful storytelling.
• Work alongside operations and executive leadership to deepen donor understanding of Operation Kindness’s work.
• Support fundraising events by cultivating sponsor relationships, engaging major donors, and assisting with strategic donor experiences.
• Participate in prospect strategy sessions and contribute ideas that strengthen the organization’s overall fundraising efforts.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve as an ambassador for Operation Kindness throughout the community.
• Represent the organization at donor meetings, community events, volunteer activities, and fundraising functions.
• Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, confidentiality, and sound judgment in all donor interactions.
• Contribute to a collaborative, supportive, and mission-driven Development team culture.
• Perform other duties, as assigned by supervisor.

General Responsibilities

• Reports suspicion of animal abuse or neglect to any Manager or above immediately.
• Reports any unsafe working conditions to any Manager or above immediately.
• Follows SOPsand other safety regulations at all times.
• Completes all necessary and requested training in a timely manner in accordance with shelter policy.
• Attends staff meetings.
• Participates in shelter events as requested by Supervisor.
• Performs other duties as requested or assigned.

Position Requirements:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, business development, sales, relationship management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain meaningful professional relationships.
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining close attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Valid driver’s license with reliable transportation for local travel throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Preferred

• Major gift fundraising experience within a nonprofit organization.
• Experience managing an individual donor portfolio.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or comparable donor management software.
• Knowledge of donor cultivation, stewardship, and moves management best practices.
• Experience working with volunteers, executive leadership, or governing boards.
• Passion for animal welfare and the mission of Operation Kindness.

What Will Help You Succeed:

• Genuine curiosity about people and their stories.
• Exceptional listening skills and emotional intelligence.
• Initiative and strong personal accountability.
• Professional discretion and integrity.
• A collaborative, team-first mindset.
• Excellent follow-through and organizational skills.
• Adaptability in a fast-paced, growing nonprofit environment.
• A commitment to creating exceptional donor experiences built on trust, authenticity, and long-term relationships.

Work Environment:

This position offers a flexible hybrid work environment based in Carrollton, Texas. Major gift fundraising happens where relationships are built, whether that is at Operation Kindness, over coffee, at lunch, during a donor tour, or at a community event throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Team members typically work in the office 2-3 days per week while maintaining the flexibility needed to best serve donors and organizational priorities. Approved business mileage and donor cultivation expenses are reimbursed in accordance with organizational policies.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to remain stationary for extended periods while working at a computer.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to navigate an active animal welfare environment, including exposure to animals, cleaning products, odors, noise, and varying temperatures.

Why Join Operation Kindness?

Joining Operation Kindness means becoming part of a collaborative team that believes philanthropy changes lives, not only for the pets we serve, but also for the people who care deeply about them.This is an opportunity to help shape the future of one of the nation’s most innovative animal welfare organizations while building meaningful relationships with donors whose generosity makes that future possible

A background check and drug screen is part of the hiring process at Operation Kindness.

Operation Kindness is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics or status.