Director of Annual Giving and Engagement

JOB TITLE: Director of Annual Giving and Engagement
EMPLOYER: Advocates for Children
DEPARTMENT: Development
REPORTS TO:  Vice President, Development
EFFECTIVE DATE:  05/14/2026
 
SUMMARY: The Director of Annual Giving and Engagement leads execution of the organization’s annual fundraising strategy, with primary responsibility for annual fund performance. This role manages a reliable revenue engine across campaigns, marketing and events, and corporate partnerships, ensuring strong donor experiences, disciplined execution, and measurable results. This position oversees day to day execution of the organization’s fundraising operations and annual giving strategy in partnership with the Vice President and their major gifts focus.
 
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Annual Fund Strategy & Campaigns

• Own the annual fund plan, calendar, and revenue targets.
• Lead multi-channel fundraising campaigns (direct mail, email, digital, peer-to-peer, Giving Tuesday).
• Develop segmented donor strategies to increase retention, upgrades, and acquisition.
• Oversee in-kind donation drives that support program and budget needs.
• Track performance weekly and adjust tactics to meet goals.

• Lead marketing and donor communications strategies that strengthen donor engagement, increase visibility, and support fundraising revenue goals.
• Manage all fundraising events from planning through execution, including signature, third-party, and community-based events.
• Develop event revenue plans with clear ROI, sponsorship strategies, and expense controls.
• Ensure consistent branding, messaging, and donor experience across all events.
• Support regional community outreach and volunteer engagement in coordination with the Volunteer Coordinator.

• Grow corporate giving by cultivating and stewarding regional corporate partners.
• Collaborate with the Chief Programs Officer to develop meaningful volunteer engagement opportunities.
• Lead prospect strategy meetings and establish performance metrics to assess corporate relations and volunteer management.
• Collaborate with the CEO and Vice President to manage relationships with top corporate executives and manage handoff of high-potential prospects.

• Provide leadership, accountability, coaching, and professional development to assigned development staff that includes Development Assistant, Corporate Relations Specialist and Volunteer Coordinator.  Provide on-going coaching, feedback and complete annual performance reviews.
• Establish workflows, timelines, and standard operating procedures to improve efficiency and execution.
• Build a performance culture grounded in data, ownership, and performance quality and improvement.
• Develop and manage annual fundraising and event budgets in coordination with Vice President.
• Monitor expense ratios and net revenue performance.

• Ensure timely, high-quality acknowledgment and stewardship for donors, sponsors, event participants, and in-kind contributors.
• Design donor journeys that move supporters from entry-level giving to deeper engagement.
• Partner with the Vice President to identify and qualify annual donors for major gift cultivation.

• Produce monthly dashboards tracking revenue, pipeline, retention, and campaign performance.
• Ensure accurate donor records, campaign tracking, pipeline management, and reporting within the organization’s CRM system.
• Use data to inform decisions, optimize fundraising strategies, and forecast revenue.

• Yes

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, marketing, communications, business administration, public relations, or a related field required.
• Minimum of five to seven years of progressive nonprofit fundraising experience, including demonstrated success in annual giving, campaigns, corporate partnerships, donor engagement, and fundraising events.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to represent the organization professionally with donors, sponsors, volunteers, and community leaders.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented with strong project management, budgeting, and operational planning skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and complement a major gifts-focused leadership structure.
• Passion for the mission of serving children, youth, and families through trauma-informed and relationship-centered practices.
• Collaborative leader who complements a major gift–focused Vice President.

• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.
• Must maintain current automobile insurance coverage that meets organizational requirements.
• Ability to travel throughout the organization’s service area for meetings, events, donor engagement, and community outreach.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for fundraising events and donor activities.

• Diversity - Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; educates others on the value of diversity; promotes a harassment-free environment; Builds a diverse workforce.
• Ethics - Treats people with respect; keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity and ethically; upholds organizational values.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent changes, delays, or unexpected events.
• Quantity - Meets productivity standards; completes work in timely manner; strives to increase productivity; works quickly.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet needs; presents numerical data effectively; able to read and interpret written information.
• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; looks for ways to improve and promote quality; applies feedback to improve performance; monitors own work to ensure quality.

• The role may require periodic standing and walking.
• The role requires frequent sitting.
• The role requires frequent use of hands and fingers for handling, typing, or operating office equipment.
• The role requires the ability to communicate effectively, including talking and hearing.
• The employee may be occasionally exposed to outdoor weather conditions.

• Ability to regularly lift or move items up to 10 pounds.