Donor Relations Manager

Jun 19

Anticipated Start Date: 8/1/25

Description

Summer Search Bay Area is seeking a Donor Relations Manager to provide key strategic support and project management for all individual giving programs that will enable the site to meet their $2M+ individual giving goal. This hire will coordinate individual donor engagement across Summer Search Bay Area development staff and volunteer leadership. In addition, this hire will manage and grow their own portfolio of individual donors.

The Donor Relations Manager will work on a site fundraising team of two alongside the Director of Development and will join a dedicated and collaborative Bay Area site staff of approximately 20 employees. This is an exciting position for a project- and relationship-oriented professional to grow in their development career, work closely with experienced site leadership, and make a significant impact on Summer Search’s capacity to serve even more Bay Area youth.

Responsibilities

Specifically, the Donor Relations Manager will:

Partner with the Director of Development to coordinate the entire $2M+ individual giving program, inclusive of new donors, mid-level giving, and annual fund activities.
Manage all individual strategies for prospecting, relationship building, stewardship and moves management. Manage a portfolio of ~100 existing individual donors with a current annual revenue target of $500-750K
Qualify and cultivate new individual donor prospects who are aligned with Summer Search’s growth plans and core values and have the capacity to make or move into four, five- and six-figure gifts
Partner with the executive director, director of development, program staff, and alumni to ensure that the donor portfolio is engaged through a strategic mix of meetings/calls, events, student engagement opportunities, and personalized communications.
Ensure exceptional and personalized stewardship by crafting impact reports, email, letters, videos, and other donor communications.
Utilize a “moves management” system for donors and prospects in Raiser’s Edge NXT, ensuring that all touchpoints and projections for gifts are tracked with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.
Oversee event committee, working alongside Bay Area and National Development teammates to implement regional fundraising & cultivation events, including our annual signature event, Beyond Limits.
Partner with the Associate Board on volunteer-driven fundraising and brand-building initiatives.
Collaborate with development colleagues across the Summer Search network to share best practices and participate in network-wide initiatives as a representative for the Bay Area site, as needed.

Requirements

The Donor Relations Manager position calls a data and project oriented professional with a strong track record of building authentic partnerships in a professional setting, inspiring a variety of audiences through a clear, concise articulation of the importance of an organization’s work. Specifically, this hire will bring:

EXPERIENCE: At least 4 years of related work experience in nonprofit development/fundraising required.

DATA MANAGEMENT: You are adept at the process of acquiring, validating, and managing accurate information within a shared system. You leverage databases to track donor data and organize information within the Development function.

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT: You partner with prospects and donors by building lasting relationships to support the organizational mission and meet fundraising goals.

FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES: You approach fundraising through an analytical and data-driven lens and are hands-on in translating strategy into tangible activities and goals.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: You hold yourself and others responsible for processes, decisions, actions, and commitments to results to drive high-quality outcomes. You're responsive to the needs of stakeholders and follow through on commitments.

CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS: You have an understanding of the root causes of societal discrimination and injustices and are self-reflective about your own privilege and positional power. You apply critical thinking and take action toward liberatory and inclusive practices.

TECHNOLOGY: Experience with a Development Moves Management system including creating reports and analyzing and tracking data is required. Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT is strongly preferred. Above all, all Summer Search staff bring a commitment to our mission of unleashing students’ potential through mentoring and transformative experiences, as well as the ability to thrive in an environment that values excellence, gratitude, well-being, diversity, authenticity, and collaboration.

LOCATION AND TRAVEL

This is a hybrid role, with regular in-person work expectations. The DRM must be available for in-person donor meetings Monday through Friday as needed. The Bay Area site currently has a once-a-month minimum in office expectation with the intention of increasing in person connection in the coming months. In-office requirements subject to change due to the needs of the site or position.

This hire must be able to be in-person for all staff meetings & events in the community, as well as serving as a consistent presence in all Bay Area office locations (currently Oakland and Richmond) and at team-building activities across the region. The DM must be able to travel as needed between our Bay Area offices and to meetings & events across the entire region, as well to staff/attend events outside of normal work hours, as needed.

Salary Range and Employee Benefits

This is an exempt position with a salary range from $81,903 to $88,641. Summer Search is committed to transparent, equitable compensation practices. Salaries are benchmarked using current market data and salary bands are created to demonstrate the growth potential within the band.

Typically, offers are made at the starting place of the salary band. The Hiring Manager partners with the Talent Team to ensure offers are appropriate, competitive and maintain internal equity. Well-being, flexibility, and ongoing learning and development are pillars of our culture. We value our staff and are committed to creating an environment where every individual feels seen, heard and valued.

Investments in our staff include:

Medical insurance with up to 90% employer contribution Dental, vision, FSA, life and disability insurance plans 401 (K) and Employer Match up to $2,000 annually Generous time off including 15 vacation days, 10 sick days, and 18 holidays (2 floating holidays of your choice, a birthday day-off, 10 company-wide holidays, and a 1-week December closure). Plus, Re-Fresh Friday’s - a paid day off the first Friday of every month! A comprehensive Employee Recognition Program (years of service awards, spot awards, and professional development funding).

A four-week paid sabbatical after five years of continuous employment. Individual, local, regional and national training A commitment to developing leaders from within the organization. An organizational culture that supports staff well-being and holistic self-care/community care Ample opportunities to connect with the students and communities we serve.

How to Apply for this Job

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About the Organization

Summer Search is a 7-year mentorship program for promising students facing unjust obstacles. Students join the program in their sophomore year of high school and are supported through college or other post-secondary pursuits. We provide comprehensive support through one-on-one mentorship from trained staff, peer-led group mentorship, and summers of experiential learning, while also supporting young people to build a toolkit for navigating and challenging systemic barriers to higher education and career opportunities.

Since our founding in 1990, Summer Search has reached more than 6,500 young people and currently serves more than 3,600 high school and college students in five regions across the country – San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Our alumni become the kind of leaders our country needs -- civic leaders, advocates, industry leaders, teachers, mothers and fathers. Their collective leadership ripples out into the community and future generations and contributes to a more equitable society.

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