Community Engagement Manager

About the Role

The Community Engagement Manager leads community engagement initiatives that strengthen sponsor relationships, support fundraising, expand mission awareness, and create meaningful connections between the community and the Make-A-Wish mission. This role cultivates and manages relationships with community organizations, corporate partners, volunteers, wish families, and alumni to increase awareness, engagement, volunteer involvement, philanthropic support, and mission delivery opportunities.

Responsibilities

• In collaboration with senior leadership, implement community engagement and fundraising strategies that increase awareness, volunteerism, donor engagement, and philanthropic support for the Make-A-Wish mission.
• Serve as a Make-A-Wish ambassador within the community, building relationships with corporations and community groups to advance mission and fundraising objectives.
• Identify, cultivate, and recommend new partnership opportunities that could generate financial support, sponsorship revenue, volunteer engagement, in-kind donations, and wish enhancements.
• Partner closely with Development staff to identify prospects for sponsorships, corporate partnerships, cause marketing campaigns, third-party fundraisers, and employee engagement opportunities.
• Develop strategic community outreach activities and engagement opportunities throughout the chapter’s territory that support donor acquisition, stewardship, volunteer recruitment, and brand visibility.
• Partner with Development and Mission Delivery teams to identify wish opportunities that can be enhanced through corporate partnerships, sponsorships, volunteers, and in-kind contributions.
• Support donor and sponsor stewardship efforts by creating meaningful engagement experiences that connect supporters directly to the mission and demonstrate impact.
• Design and coordinate the mission engagement components of donor, sponsor, volunteer, and community events.
• Support engagement of community leaders, board members and advisors, corporate representatives, and volunteers as potential advocates, ambassadors, donors, sponsors, and fundraising partners.
• Help capture and share wish stories, impact moments, and engagement successes that support fundraising initiatives, donor stewardship, sponsor retention, and community awareness.
• Collaborate with Development and Communications teams to promote fundraising campaigns, third-party events, volunteer opportunities, and mission engagement initiatives.
• Build and maintain community relationships that expand the visibility, engagement, and financial support of Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana.
• Support the growth and stewardship of the wish alumni program by coordinating engagement efforts that build lifelong connections with alumni and their families.
• Identify opportunities for alumni to share their story, volunteer, advocate, fundraise, steward donors, and support mission-based engagement activities.
• Partner with Development and Communications to engage alumni through events, campaigns, donor relations, and storytelling initiatives.
• Support alumni ambassadors for speaking and mission engagement opportunities.
• Establish and maintain department service standards, engagement protocols, and intake processes to ensure resources are allocated appropriately and consistently.
• Supervise the Community Engagement Coordinator, helping prioritize work, coordinate projects, and ensure follow-through on assigned responsibilities.
• Develop and maintain performance metrics and insights related to community engagement, sponsorship stewardship, volunteer and alumni participation, and mission engagement activities to inform strategy, demonstrate impact, and drive organizational growth.
• Be fully versed in the volunteer onboarding process and collaborate with Volunteer Manager on broader organizational volunteer opportunities.
• Coordinate community engagement volunteer orientations, training, and recruitment opportunities.
• Partner with Development, Mission Delivery, and Communications teams to mobilize volunteers and community advocates in support of fundraising campaigns, donor events, sponsorship fulfillment, and mission engagement initiatives.
• Represent Make-A-Wish as a community ambassador by developing relationships with corporations, educational institutions, and other community organizations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Passion for the Make-A-Wish mission and commitment to serving children and families.
• Demonstrated ability to build scalable processes, establish service standards, and create systems that balance stakeholder needs with organizational capacity.
• Experience supporting fundraising, donor engagement, sponsorship activation, community relations, or nonprofit development activities preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, think strategically, establish priorities and boundaries, allocate resources effectively, and translate organizational goals into scalable engagement strategies and measurable outcomes.
• Understanding of donor stewardship principles, corporate engagement strategies, volunteer management, and community-based fundraising practices.
• Ability to cultivate relationships and inspire community members, donors, sponsors, and volunteers to support the organization’s mission through engagement and philanthropy.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and public speaking skills.
• Strong project/event management, organizational, and time-management abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities.
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to use data to support recommendations and inform program execution.
• Exceptional customer service skills and professionalism when representing Make-A-Wish.
• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality in sensitive situations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce, Canva, and virtual meeting platforms.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel throughout the chapter’s service area as needed.
• Exceptional attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, nonprofit management, marketing, business, or related field.
• Minimum of 2-5 years of progressively responsible experience in volunteer management, community engagement, relationship management, special events, fundraising, or a related field.
• Experience leading volunteers, community programs, or engagement initiatives.
• Experience with Salesforce or comparable CRM systems preferred.
• Experience working within a nonprofit organization preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus.
• Confidentiality and personal integrity are essential.

Physical Requirements

• Physical agility to push/pull, squat, twist, turn, bend, stoop and to reach overhead.
• Regular attendance is an essential function of the job.
• Reasonable accommodation may be made to assist individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, maintain a driving record in good standing, and be able to operate a vehicle for work-related travel as needed.

Working Conditions

This position will be based in the Stafford, TX office. The position requires the individual to work in an office environment in a shared office space. Incumbent must be willing to work some nights/weekends and travel within the territory.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package including 100% employer-paid healthcare, dental, and vision insurance.
• Basic life insurance; short-term and long-term disability.
• Medical coverage for employee’s family members available through company policy.
• After one year of service, employees become eligible to participate in a company 401(k) retirement savings plan, with an employer match.
• Hybrid work schedule for full-time employees, beginning with one remote day per week, moving to two remote days per week after six months.
• Generous paid time off, as well as 14-16 paid holidays in a calendar year, including a week near the end of December.