Senior Manager, Donor Experiences & Engagement

About the Role

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. The primary focus is advancing donor strategy through personalized engagement experiences, distinct from centralized organizational event operations.

Responsibilities

• Donor Experience Strategy & Philanthropic Engagement
  • Design and lead high-impact donor engagement experiences supporting cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and long-term relationship building.
  • Develop strategic engagement opportunities aligned with fundraising priorities, campaign objectives, and donor pipeline strategies.
  • Partner with Individual Giving teams to create tailored cultivation and stewardship experiences for major, principal, planned, and leadership giving donors.
  • Collaborate with frontline fundraisers to advance donor relationships through personalized, mission-centered engagement.
  • Design donor journeys and touchpoints to strengthen affinity and move constituents along the philanthropic continuum.
  • Identify and recommend innovative engagement opportunities to support audience growth and deepen donor investment.
  • Evaluate engagement performance, donor participation, and fundraising outcomes to refine strategies.
• Cross-Functional Development Collaboration
  • Serve as a strategic connector across Development and MarCom teams to integrate donor experiences into fundraising strategies.
  • Partner with CFO teams to support sponsorship strategy and deepen corporate engagement.
  • Collaborate with IG teams on donor cultivation, stewardship, and major/planned giving strategies.
  • Align with Donor Engagement teams on recognition and post-engagement stewardship efforts.
  • Work with MarCom teams to ensure cohesive messaging, storytelling, branding, and promotion.
  • Translate fundraising priorities into donor-centered experiences supporting relationship advancement.
  • 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 initiatives.
  • Cultivate strong relationships with volunteer leaders and philanthropic partners to enhance engagement and long-term support.
  • Oversee committee engagement, including meeting planning, materials development, fundraising tracking, and communications.
  • Design meaningful donor recognition and stewardship experiences reinforcing impact and gratitude.
  • Partner with frontline fundraising staff to ensure strong follow-up and relationship management post-engagement.
• Sponsorship & Fundraising Coordination
  • Lead donor and sponsorship engagement strategies, including benefit development, positioning, and stewardship.
  • Develop compelling sponsorship and donor engagement materials with MarCom and Development teams.
  • Track and analyze sponsorship, donor engagement, and fundraising performance metrics.
  • Support fundraising revenue goals by creating experiences that strengthen donor retention and expand philanthropic investment.
• Experience Delivery & Operations Coordination
  • Oversee engagement execution and experience delivery in partnership with operations teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
  • Develop and manage engagement budgets, revenue forecasts, and financial tracking.
  • Coordinate timelines, communications, and operational planning for successful engagement experiences.
  • Prepare strategic briefing materials, engagement plans, and post-event analyses for stakeholders.

Requirements

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

Skills

• 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