Donor Engagement Officer
ACLU of Oregon
Portland, OR
Anticipated Start Date: 06/01/2026
Description
The Donor Engagement Officer is a senior-level, non-management fundraising position and a core member of the ACLU of Oregon’s Development Team. This role is ideal for a technically skilled major gifts fundraiser who is motivated to build authentic donor relationships, exercise professional judgment, and take ownership of a donor portfolio while continuing to grow their practice in a values-driven, collaborative environment.
Reporting to the Director of Development, the Donor Engagement Officer builds, cultivates, solicits, and stewards relationships with individual donors and prospects. The position manages an active portfolio of approximately 100–125 donors with the capacity to make major and transformational gifts and spends a significant portion of time in direct donor interaction.
The Donor Engagement Officer independently solicits major gifts of $10,000 or more, develops donor-specific strategies, and works closely with organizational leadership, staff, and board members to advance fundraising goals aligned with the ACLU of Oregon’s mission and values. This is a full-time, exempt position based in Oregon. While most staff work remotely for the majority of their time, this role requires regular in-person engagement for donor meetings, events, and team activities, as well as periodic travel within Oregon.
Responsibilities
Major Donor Portfolio Management & Strategy
Build and manage an active portfolio of approximately 100–125 donors through personalized, relationship-based cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
Independently solicit major and transformational gifts of $10,000 or more in partnership with the Development Director.
Develop and own donor-specific cultivation pathways, solicitation strategies, and stewardship plans that align donor interests with organizational priorities.
Establish achievable fundraising goals based on donor capacity and assess progress toward those goals using qualitative and quantitative indicators.
Conduct donor research and qualification to inform portfolio development, including recommending additions, removals, or reassignment of donors over time.
Donor Engagement, Stewardship & Solicitation
Design and implement multi-channel donor engagement strategies across phone, email, mail, social media, personal visits, and small group events.
Prepare for and lead donor meetings, including research, strategy development, proposal preparation, and timely follow-up.
Translate programmatic priorities, advocacy strategies, and impact into compelling donor-facing narratives grounded in ethical storytelling.
Partner with the Executive Director, Development Director, board members, and staff experts to support donor engagement, solicitation, and stewardship opportunities.
Organize and support donor stewardship events and issue-area briefings that deepen donor understanding and connection to the ACLU of Oregon’s work.
Data Management & Systems
Maintain accurate, timely records of donor interactions, strategies, and follow-up in the CRM.
Track portfolio activity and progress to goals and use data to inform strategy, prioritization, and continuous improvement.
Contribute to annual portfolio review and planning processes, including assessing portfolio health and recommending refinements.
Collaborate closely with Development Team members and cross-departmental colleagues to ensure fundraising strategies are aligned with organizational values, priorities, and integrated advocacy efforts.
Campaigns & Special Projects
Contribute to the success of annual fundraising campaigns, including Give!Guide and other digital, email, and direct mail appeals.
Support special fundraising initiatives and projects as assigned, consistent with organizational needs and priorities.
Requirements
Minimum Education and Experience Required
Four (4+) years of experience soliciting, closing, and stewarding charitable or political gifts.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage donor relationships and conduct major gift solicitations.
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex information into clear, compelling donor communications.
Proficiency with donor databases, research tools, and fundraising-related technology, or the demonstrated ability to learn new systems quickly.
Strongly Preferred
Knowledge of and values alignment with Community-Centric Fundraising principles and practices.
Experience working in a mission-driven or advocacy-based nonprofit environment.
Or equivalent education and/or experience.
Certifications and Licenses
Preferred: active driver’s license.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Ability to establish, cultivate, and steward strong professional relationships with donors, members, partners, and other stakeholders to build lasting partnerships and trust while aligning their passions with the mission, priorities, and values of the ACLU of Oregon.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to take information from various sources and distill it into core messages that are communicated to a variety of audiences.
Ability to effectively engage with and navigate challenging conversations and ask hard questions both internally and externally to the organization.
Motivated, optimistic, and diplomatic with good judgment, strong interpersonal skills, and a sense of humor.
Achievement-oriented, deadline-driven, and innovative, with a willingness to take initiative and to work independently and collaboratively as a member of a team.
Strong organizational and time management skills; excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
Strong critical-thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Ability to apply sound judgement and to maintain donor data confidentiality
Knowledge or practice working to deeply embed anti-racism at the organizational level and in philanthropy.
Demonstrated competence and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, anti-racism, anti-misogyny, anti-transphobia, anti-homophobia, anti-ableism, and other forms of anti-oppression, and dismantling of the structures and systems of white supremacy.
Salary Range and Employee Benefits
This is a salaried, exempt, full-time position. The annual salary for the Donor Engagement Officer position is $90,562.
Because we have established an internal salary system that centers equity, clarity and transparency, competitiveness, and sustainability, salaries for positions are not negotiable.
Our current excellent benefits package includes:
paid vacation time
paid sick time
paid personal time
14.5 paid holidays per year
office shutdown periods during summer and winter as consistent with the organization’s values and work needs
flexible Friday hours, consistent with operational needs and supervisor approval
remote work stipend and commute-related benefits -health insurance (medical/vision and dental)
life insurance
long-term disability insurance
employer contributions to a wellness FSA account
401(k) retirement plan with matching and other contributions of up to 5.5% of salary, subject to the organization’s 401(k) plan requirements, which include a vesting schedule -support for work-related coaching
parental leave
funds to support professional development related to work -funds to support relationship and connection building related to work
Please note that all employment-related pay and benefits provided to ACLU of Oregon’s employees are subject to all applicable policies, practices, processes, and legal requirements, including changes to them that may occur from time to time.
How to Apply for this Job
About the Organization
t is an exciting time at the ACLU of Oregon: we are envisioning an approach to our work that centers Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), low-income, and other marginalized communities and voices; expanding our fundraising base; strengthening our legal and advocacy firepower; and amplifying public engagement and support for our work to fight threats to the freedom and well-being of individuals and communities head-on — and win. In addition to fulfilling our strong mission and high-profile work, we aspire to create and nurture an internal culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and to dismantle white supremacy and replace it with equitable organizational structures.
To this end, we are intentionally seeking to attract team members and leaders who are interested in shaping our future as an equity-focused organization that centers and prioritizes our internal and external work with the following values: anti-racism, anti-misogyny, anti-transphobia, anti-homophobia, anti-ableism, and other forms of anti-oppression.
All positions at the ACLU of Oregon require strong and continued commitment to these values and the proven ability to incorporate these values into work internal and external to the organization. We are committed to creating and sustaining an organization and community that values and respects differences of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family relationship to a current or prior employee, immigration status, citizenship, differing abilities or disability status, veteran or uniformed service status, record of arrest or conviction, and socio-economic status.
As well, we are committed to creating and nurturing an internal space that supports and prioritizes the well-being and safety of team members, our work-life balance, and our ability to engage in the hard work of justice while flourishing as individuals, family members, parents, spouses, partners, friends, and community members.
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