Senior Manager, Donor Experiences & Engagement

Overview

The Senior Manager of Donor Experiences & Engagement develops and leads strategic donor engagement experiences that advance philanthropic relationships, deepen affinity, and support fundraising outcomes across the Greater Chicago Food Depository's major giving, corporate engagement, and campaign priorities.

This role is embedded within the Development team and serves as a strategic partner to Individual Giving (IG), Corporate/Foundation/Organization (CFO) Relations, Donor Engagement, and Marketing & Communications (MarCom) to design curated cultivation, stewardship, recognition, and fundraising experiences for high-value donors, prospects, sponsors, and community leaders.

While responsible for select fundraising and stewardship events, the primary focus of this role is advancing donor strategy through personalized engagement experiences. This role is distinct from centralized organizational event operations and focuses specifically on donor engagement strategy, philanthropic relationship building, and development-related experiences.

Key Responsibilities

Donor Experience Strategy & Philanthropic Engagement

• Design and lead high-impact donor engagement experiences that support cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and long-term relationship building with key philanthropic audiences.
• Develop strategic engagement opportunities that align with fundraising priorities, campaign objectives, and donor pipeline strategies.
• Partner closely with Individual Giving teams to create tailored cultivation and stewardship experiences for major, principal, planned, and leadership giving donors and prospects.
• Collaborate with frontline fundraisers to identify opportunities to advance donor relationships through personalized and mission-centered engagement experiences.
• Design donor journeys and engagement touchpoints that strengthen donor affinity and move constituents along the philanthropic continuum.
• Identify and recommend innovative engagement opportunities that support audience growth, deepen donor investment, and elevate the organization's philanthropic brand.
• Evaluate engagement performance, donor participation, and fundraising outcomes to continuously refine strategies and improve impact.

Cross-Functional Development Collaboration

• Serve as a strategic connector across Development and MarCom teams to ensure donor experiences are fully integrated into fundraising strategies and donor pipelines.

• Partner with:

• CFO teams to support sponsorship strategy and deepen corporate engagement

• IG teams to support donor cultivation, stewardship, and major/planned giving strategies

• Donor Engagement teams to align recognition and post-engagement stewardship efforts

• MarCom teams to ensure cohesive messaging, storytelling, branding, and promotion

• Translate fundraising priorities into donor-centered experiences that support relationship advancement and philanthropic growth.

• Collaborate with development leadership to align engagement strategies with annual fundraising goals, campaigns, and organizational priorities.

Donor, Volunteer & Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage and support volunteer committees, donor leaders, sponsors, and key stakeholders connected to fundraising and donor engagement initiatives.
• Cultivate strong relationships with volunteer leaders and philanthropic partners to enhance engagement, participation, and long-term support.
• Oversee committee engagement including meeting planning, materials development, fundraising tracking, and strategic communications.
• Design meaningful donor recognition and stewardship experiences that reinforce impact, gratitude, and long-term connection to the mission.
• Partner with frontline fundraising staff to ensure strong follow-up and relationship management strategies following engagement opportunities.

Sponsorship & Fundraising Coordination

• Lead donor and sponsorship engagement strategies in partnership with CFO and Development leadership, including benefit development, positioning, and stewardship experiences.
• Partner with MarCom and Development teams to develop compelling sponsorship and donor engagement materials.
• Track and analyze sponsorship, donor engagement, and fundraising performance metrics to inform future strategy and growth opportunities.
• Support fundraising revenue goals by creating experiences that strengthen donor retention, increase engagement, and expand philanthropic investment.

Experience Delivery & Operations Coordination

• Oversee engagement execution and experience delivery in partnership with centralized operations teams, vendors, and internal stakeholders to ensure high-quality donor-facing experiences.
• Develop and manage engagement budgets, revenue forecasts, and financial tracking related to donor experience initiatives.
• Coordinate timelines, communications, and operational planning necessary to support successful engagement experiences and fundraising outcomes.
• Prepare strategic briefing materials, engagement plans, and post-event analyses for internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5-7 years of experience in donor engagement, development events, fundraising strategy, or philanthropic relationship management, preferably within a nonprofit organization.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with frontline fundraising teams to support donor cultivation, stewardship, and philanthropic growth strategies.
• Experience developing strategic engagement experiences for major donors, sponsors, and executive stakeholders preferred.
• Strong relationship management and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and align diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Experience with StratusLive or similar CRM systems preferred.

Core Competencies

• Strategic donor engagement and philanthropic relationship building
• Development collaboration and influence
• Donor cultivation and stewardship strategy
• Executive stakeholder management
• Experience design for fundraising outcomes
• Cross-functional leadership and partnership
• Strategic communication and alignment
• Budget and resource management
• Relationship building and volunteer engagement

Benefits:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
• Employer-paid life and disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution
• Generous paid time off
• Parental leave
• On-site gym
• $3,000 annual employer-paid ThrivePass lifestyle and wellness benefit program
• $250 employee referral bonus