Senior Manager of Communications & Philanthropy

Star House; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Star House is seeking a Senior Manager of Communications & Philanthropy to advance fundraising, communications and community engagement in Columbus, OH. The role focuses on donor stewardship, campaign execution and innovative storytelling that honors the resilience of youth exiting homelessness.

Collaborating with leadership, the position builds donor pipelines, leads online and in-person campaigns and ensures consistent brand messaging across channels while deepening community partnerships and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Business Administration or related field; masters preferred.
• 3–5 years of nonprofit development, fundraising or communications experience.
• Proven ability to cultivate and steward donors, support campaigns and produce stewardship materials.
• Experience with donor CRM systems and data analytics preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead donor stewardship and campaign management to grow giving.
• Develop content for fundraising and communications across channels.
• Oversee events and community engagement to raise visibility and support.
• Coordinate collaborations with leadership and volunteers to expand donor base.

Skills

Donor cultivation

Fundraising campaigns

Storytelling

Salesforce

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing/communications/business

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

About Us

Star House exists to lift young people out of homelessness and into a community of hope. Founded in 2006, Star House operates our nation’s only drop-in center for teens and young adults experiencing homelessness that offers immediate access to safety and hosts continuous best practice research for effective service. Along with the Finance Fund and Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Star House operates the only housing village of its kind in Central Ohio for young people who are exiting homelessness. The organization met the unique needs of 1,418 individual young people in 2025, successfully connecting them with housing, jobs, education, health care, therapy and a range of community resources.

Star House’s mission is to do whatever it takes to support young people as they exit homelessness and thrive in a community of hope. Our vision is to replicate our evidence-based model of service for youth nationally and globally, based on the demand for our services in other communities.

We are seeking a Senior Manager of Communications & Philanthropy who believes in our mission; embodies our values of unconditional care, doing whatever it takes as long as it takes and creating innovative solutions; and who can help us achieve our vision with expertise.

Job Description

Title: Senior Manager of Communications & Philanthropy

Work Location: Star House, 1220 Corrugated Way, Columbus, OH 43201

Reports To: Vice President of Philanthropy

Full-Time Exempt, Salary

Position Summary: With an intrinsic passion for the Star House mission, the Senior Manager of Communications & Philanthropy advances the organization’s impact by developing and implementing fundraising, communications and community engagement strategies that strengthen donor relationships, expand community support and advance organizational priorities. Through compelling, trauma-informed storytelling that honors the dignity of young people exiting homelessness, this role builds community awareness, inspires giving and deepens connections to Star House. In partnership with the Philanthropy and organizational teams, the Senior Manager of Communications & Philanthropy drives donor stewardship, impactful campaigns and community engagement initiatives that support Star House’s programs, growth and long-term sustainability.

Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

Fundraising and Donor Development

• Manage a portfolio of individual donors as the primary cultivator and solicitor of gifts from $1 to $10,000, supporting Star House programs and growth plans, including Star House South Side.
• Build and refine online giving, monthly giving and annual giving programs in partnership with the VP of Philanthropy.
• Plan and carry out annual giving campaigns, including year-end, Giving Tuesday and spring appeals, across mail, email and social media.
• Support the VP of Philanthropy to grow the donor pipeline and the number of active donors, moving first-time donors toward repeat and monthly giving.
• Build and manage peer-to-peer and community fundraising efforts, giving supporters simple tools to raise money on behalf of Star House.
• Coordinate logistics for cultivation events and signature gatherings and represent Star House at community events as needed.
• Lead donor stewardship and impact updates.
• Maintain accurate donor records and campaign reports in Salesforce, tracking results against goals.
• Facilitate Nomination Committee to foster community awareness and recognition.

Marketing and Communications

• Lead Star House communications across the website, social media and other digital channels by developing and creating content, maintaining a detailed communications calendar, scheduling and publishing posts and ensuring consistent, timely and on-brand messaging.
• Analyze fundraising, communications and audience data to evaluate performance, identify opportunities and recommend or implement strategic adjustments to campaigns, messaging and engagement efforts.
• Create social media content, including copy, graphic design, video and giving asks.
• Write e-blasts, press releases, advertisements, appeal letters and campaign materials that follow Star House brand standards.
• Develop and recommend fundraising, communications and community engagement strategies aligned with organizational priorities and independently implement approved strategies and initiatives.
• Tell the Star House story with dignity, centering the resilience and leadership of our guests from a trauma informed lens.
• Gather photos, videos and stories in partnership with program staff, following consent and privacy practices.
• Serve as a communications and development resource to organizational leadership, providing recommendations related to donor engagement, fundraising opportunities, messaging, community visibility and audience growth.
• Develop, implement and maintain procedures, templates, guidelines and approval processes across communications, marketing and philanthropy, ensuring consistency, accuracy, brand alignment and adherence to organizational standards for all related materials, publications, campaigns and external communications.

Volunteer Engagement

• Oversee volunteer recruitment, onboarding, scheduling and engagement, providing direction and support to staff responsible for these functions while ensuring continuity of volunteer operations.
• Manage the coordination of in‑kind donation drives to address priority needs across the Drop‑In Centers and housing villages.
• Ensure volunteer records, background checks, service hours and waiver documentation are accurate, complete and maintained in accordance with organizational requirements.
• Develop and strengthen pathways for volunteers to deepen their involvement through giving, advocacy and continued engagement with Star House.
• Guide volunteer recognition and impact communications throughout the year, ensuring volunteers feel valued and understand the impact of their contributions.
• Maintain overall responsibility for volunteer engagement and perform these functions directly as needed to ensure continuity of operations.

Job performance is evaluated according to the policy provisions of Star House and the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio-Council of Governments.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Business Administration or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional background. Masters preferred.
• 3–5 years of professional work in nonprofit development, fundraising, communications or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and steward individual donors, support annual giving campaigns and develop donor appeals and stewardship materials.
• Proficiency with donor management or CRM systems, with Salesforce preferred.
• Ability to monitor fundraising and communications results, interpret analytics and apply insights to inform strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to manage organizational communications across multiple channels, including websites, email and social media.
• Excellent writing, editing and storytelling skills, with the ability to adapt messaging for different audiences and communicate the organization’s mission with dignity and respect.
• Ability to develop content calendars and create or coordinate digital content, including graphic design and video.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace and familiarity with website content management systems, social media management platforms and design tools such as Canva or Adobe Creative Suite.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships with donors, volunteers, community members and organizational partners.
• Background in volunteer recruitment, coordination and engagement, as well as community events, partnerships or other engagement initiatives.

This assignment will require a valid driver’s license and access/availability of a reliable vehicle.

Star House is committed to equal opportunity employment, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socio economic status, national origin, veteran or disability status. In order to further Star House’s mission, achieve our vision and live out our values, drawing from the collective wisdom of a diverse group of individuals is essential. With diverse minds influencing our work and decisions, we can go further for the young people we serve, ensuring that our continued programming and the solutions developed along the way are influenced by the best minds.