Director of Donor Experience

Description

At Guiding Eyes for the Blind, we are passionate about connecting exceptional dogs with individuals seeking greater independence.  We are dedicated to creating and supporting life-changing partnerships between people and dogs.

At our facilities, we breed, raise, and train exceptional guide dogs – and match them with individuals ready to embrace a life of greater freedom, confidence, and possibility.  Together, they embark on incredible life adventures.  Are you ready to play a role in that journey?  Join us and help be a part of transforming lives.

Our incredible dogs make our mission possible – and working with them will inspire you!  We put our clients first, striving to exceed their expectations by providing exceptional dogs trained to meet their unique needs and empower them to live the lives they choose.

We believe philanthropy is about more than fundraising.  It's about building meaningful relationships with people who share our commitment to creating life-changing guide dog partnerships.  Every gift represents a person's belief in our mission, and every donor interaction is an opportunity to deepen that connection, demonstrate the impact of their generosity, and inspire lifelong support that helps transform lives.

The Director of Donor Experience leads Guiding Eyes for the Blind's annual giving strategy and is responsible for creating meaningful donor experiences that inspire engagement, loyalty, and long-term support.  Working closely with the Vice President of Philanthropy, this role brings the organization's philanthropy philosophy to life through direct response fundraising, digital engagement, donor stewardship, analytics, donor communications, corporate engagement, and special events.

As a key member of the Philanthropy team, the Director will develop and strengthen a cohesive annual giving program that increases donor retention, recurring and upgraded giving, and overall donor lifetime value while building a pipeline of future mid-level and major donors.  This role collaborates across the organization to ensure every donor interaction reflects Guiding Eyes' commitment to gratitude, transparency, excellence, and authentic relationships.

At Guiding Eyes, you'll work alongside passionate, caring professionals who are united by a love of dogs and a shared commitment to our mission.  Together, we help create life-changing partnerships between people and guide dogs while connecting donors to the extraordinary impact their generosity makes possible.  If you're looking for meaningful work in a collaborative, purpose-driven environment, we'd love to hear from you.

The Role

Annual Giving & Donor Engagement

• Develop and implement annual giving strategies that support the Vice President of Philanthropy's strategic priorities.
• Design and continuously improve the donor journey across all annual giving channels.
• Use donor insights and analytics to improve retention, recurring giving, and donor lifetime value.
• Develop qualification strategies that prepare donors for mid-level and major giving.

Integrated Fundraising

• Lead direct mail, digital fundraising, email, online giving, and integrated annual campaigns.
• Manage campaign planning, segmentation, testing, vendors, and performance evaluation.
• Ensure fundraising channels work together to provide one seamless donor experience.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Serve as an ambassador for Guiding Eyes during donor visits, organizational events, community engagements, and other stakeholder interactions.
• Communicate the mission, impact, and philanthropic priorities of Guiding Eyes to donors, volunteers, corporate partners, and other constituents.
• Partner with the Development and Marketing & Communications teams to support fundraising, awareness, stewardship, and engagement initiatives.
• Provide oversight to corporate engagement activities and cultivation efforts.
• Work in partnership with the Vice President of Philanthropy and Development Team to plan and execute various special events, including the annual Golf Classic.

Leadership & Collaboration 

• Supervise assigned annual giving staff, including direct response and digital fundraising functions.
• Coach and develop team members while fostering collaboration and accountability.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications, Programs, and Philanthropy colleagues to deliver consistent donor experiences.
• Manage budgets and program performance while recommending continuous improvements.

Additional Responsibilities

• Lead or support special projects and organizational initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission and goals of Guiding Eyes.

What Success Looks Like

• Meet or exceed annual fundraising revenue targets.
• Increase donor retention, recurring giving, and overall donor engagement.
• Grow donor lifetime value and strengthen the pipeline for future mid-level and major donors.
• Execute successful integrated fundraising campaigns across direct mail, digital, and other giving channels.
• Strengthen corporate engagement and special event fundraising efforts.
• Improve fundraising return on investment through effective resource allocation and ongoing optimization of programs and vendor investments.
• Identify and implement operational efficiencies that strengthen departmental effectiveness while maintaining or enhancing the donor experience.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture and exceptional donor experience.

Qualifications You Will Need

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, Marketing, Communications, or similar), or equivalent experience.
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, including leadership of annual giving, donor engagement, and integrated fundraising in a nonprofit setting.
• Demonstrated success leading direct response, digital fundraising, and donor stewardship programs.
• Experience managing integrated campaigns, budgets, and vendor relationships.
• Experience supervising and developing staff. 

Professional Skills

• Strong judgment, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing demands in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
• Flexibility and adaptability in navigating organizational change.
• Strategic thinker able to translate organizational priorities into effective fundraising and donor engagement strategies.
• Strong data-informed decision-making, including analyzing fundraising data and program performance to identify improvement opportunities.
• Commitment to innovation, continuous improvement, and enhancing the donor experience.
• Ability to build and lead high-performing teams while fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.

Communication & Collaboration

• Exceptional verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Skilled at building relationships with donors, corporate partners, and vendors — and translating those relationships into sustained support.
• Effective at building consensus across departments to align fundraising efforts with the broader organization.
• Able to work independently while staying accountable to a team.
• Leads with integrity, empathy, and transparency; represents Guiding Eyes credibly with both internal and external audiences. 

Technical & Physical Requirements

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office programs and donor management/CRM systems; Salesforce savvy a plus.
• Ability to analyze fundraising data, generate reports, and leverage insights to drive performance.
• Ability to travel locally for donor meetings, events, and organizational activities, as needed.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends in support of fundraising events and donor engagement activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree preferred.
• CFRE certification preferred.
• Experience supporting corporate partnerships, sponsorships, and fundraising events.
• Experience developing strategies to increase donor retention, recurring giving, and donor lifetime value.

Better Together: Why In-Person Mattersat GEB

At Guiding Eyes, we believe our best work happens when we’re together.  In-person collaboration strengthens relationships, sparks meaningful conversations, and helps us achieve greater impact – bringing our core values to life every day.  Being on campus fosters a true sense of community and shared purpose, reminding us that we’re all part of something bigger as we work side by side toward our mission.

Annual Salary Range: $125k - $160k, commensurate with experience.  Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as internal equity, relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and market considerations.

Please include a cover letter along with your resume telling us 'About You' and to share why you're excited about contributing to our mission.  As a Guiding Eyes employee, you will enjoy knowing that every day you make a difference in the lives of people with vision loss!

While we appreciate your interest and application, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind offers a comprehensive benefits package including the following:

• Competitive and generous healthcare (Medical/Dental/Vision)
• 403(b)
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off and Holidays
• You are invited to bring your well-behaved dog to work

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed in this role.  It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications.  Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties as assigned in support of Guiding Eyes for the Blind's mission and operational needs. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER M/F, D/V 

Must be authorized to work in the United States.