Grand Canyon Conservancy seeks a dynamic Donor Relations Manager to design and run the Conservancy's stewardship program, ensuring every donor is thanked, informed, and engaged in ways that deepen their connection to Grand Canyon National Park and encourage continued giving. This program-manager-level role owns stewardship strategy and execution across donor segments, from first-time and annual donors to major and legacy donors, working closely with Philanthropy Services, fundraising colleagues, and Park partners. The Donor Relations Manager ensures that GCC’s recognition, reporting, and engagement efforts are thoughtfully designed to strengthen retention, deepen relationships, build the donor pipeline, and support sustained philanthropy growth for GCC and Grand Canyon National Park. GCC is currently in the quiet phase of a $50M-$70M comprehensive campaign.
The Donor Relations Manager serves as a strategic resource to the entire Philanthropy team, developing the information, stories, tools, communications, recognition opportunities, and engagement resources relationship managers need to cultivate and steward donors effectively. Transform project and program information into compelling stories and donor-centered communications that demonstrate impact, strengthen connections to the mission, and create meaningful donor experiences. This position works closely with the Park Project Manager, who gathers and synthesizes program information, project results, and data from GCC and NPS staff responsible for executing programs and projects.
In this role, the Donor Relations Manager will develop new and creative ways for donors to engage with GCC, Grand Canyon National Park, organizational and park leadership, program experts, and one another through meaningful outreach and donor recognition. This role serves as an advocate for the donor perspective - continually considering what donors want to know, experience, understand, and feel to strengthen their affiliation with GCC and shared commitment to protecting Grand Canyon National Park, which ultimately guide their future giving.
The Donor Relations Manager is a full-time, benefit-eligible, and exempt/salaried position. The position is remote, with a geographic requirement that the incumbent must live within a five-hour radius of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The position requires travel for meetings at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and/or Flagstaff, AZ, for which GCC temporary housing and office space would be provided, with advance notice for scheduling. This position reports to the Director of Philanthropy Services.
ABOUT GRAND CANYON CONSERVANCY
Grand Canyon Conservancy (GCC) is the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park. As the official philanthropic and collaborative partner of Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon Conservancy’s mission is to inspire generations of park champions to cherish and support the natural and cultural wonder of Grand Canyon. GCC raises private funds, operates retail shops within the park, and provides premier educational programs about the natural and cultural history of the region. In partnership with Grand Canyon National Park, we support initiatives that uplift Indigenous knowledge, protect sacred sites, and ensure tribal voices play a vital role in shaping the future of the canyon.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Manage multiple projects and priorities, anticipate needs, exercise sound judgment, and meet deadlines with limited supervision. Duties may include, but are not limited to:
Donor Relations Program Management: Partner with Philanthropy leadership and front-line fundraising staff to develop and strengthen GCC's donor engagement and stewardship strategies, practices, tools, and resources. Develop and implement an annual stewardship plan with clear goals, segmentation, timelines, and measures of success (that evolve over the course of the campaign). In collaboration with department leads, create tiered stewardship pathways for first-time, recurring, mid-level, major, and planned-gift donors. Manage acknowledgment and receipting standards, including timeliness, tone, and personalization. Coordinate donor recognition, including honor rolls, giving societies, and gift-specific recognition commitments. Important metrics for success include overall annual fundraising, growth in number of donors, upgrades, donor retention, and donor sentiment. Specific activities in support of these outcomes include:
Donor Communications, Impact Reporting & Storytelling: Synthesize complex or technical information from the Park Projects Manager into compelling donor-facing communications. Produce impact reports, project updates, and personalized donor communications in partnership with fundraising staff and Marketing/Communications staff. Draft and coordinate stewardship letters, emails, and call scripts for leadership and board members. Ensure restricted and designated gifts (including endowments) are accompanied by accurate, timely reporting on how funds were used. Manage donor stewardship projects such as annual reports, public donor walls, plaques, and awards.
Donor Engagement & Experience Development: Identify and develop creative opportunities for donors to connect more deeply with GCC, Grand Canyon National Park, staff, and board members, as well as with leadership teams at GCC and NPS. Help donors to experience the impact of their philanthropic relationship through mission experiences, educational opportunities, program experts, communications, events, and other meaningful interactions. Identify and develop meaningful engagement and recognition opportunities that reflect donor preferences, giving history, relationship context, and philanthropic impact. For Major and Principal Gift donors, work closely with relationship managers on strategy and execution for donor visits at Grand Canyon National Park, along with strategic campaign events at or outside the park.
Donor Perspective: Deliver joy to GCC donors and members! Serve as an advocate for the donor perspective, helping ensure GCC communications, engagement, events, recognition, and stewardship across the organization reflect what donors want to know, understand, and experience. Continually seek opportunities to distinguish the GCC donor experience through meaningful inclusion, exceptional communication, authentic relationships, and deeper connection to Grand Canyon. Provide support to donors’ questions and needs as they arise.
Data, Systems, and Reporting: Use Raiser's Edge to track stewardship actions, moves management, donor preferences, and recognition details, maintaining clean and consistent records. Build reports and dashboards on retention, upgrade, and engagement metrics to inform strategy. Contribute stewardship results to board-facing and leadership reporting. Partner with Philanthropy Services staff on gift processing, data quality, and process improvement
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
• Three to five years of experience in the nonprofit fundraising field with a proven track record of creating impactful donor-centric relationships and related communications. Note: academic achievements such as Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD, or equivalent in related disciplines may be considered in lieu of, or to supplement, the level of professional experience listed above.
• Proficiency with Raiser’s Edge NXT or a comparable fundraising CRM generally achieved by having two to three years of experience with the systems including the ability to query, extract, analyze, and interpret donor, giving, and engagement data.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including Teams, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.
• Ability to travel on occasion to Grand Canyon National Park or other required locations in order to support GCC donors and staff, with schedules determined with advance notice by management; must also meet geographic requirement of residing no more than a 5-hour drive from Grand Canyon for this remote-designated position.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND CHARACTERISTICS
• Interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish trust and connect effectively with donors, colleagues, organizational leaders, and partners.
• Writing, editing, storytelling, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information, data, and program results into clear, compelling donor-centered communications.
• Experience in donor relations, stewardship, donor engagement, recognition, impact reporting, or related philanthropy programs.
• Donor orientation, creativity, and curiosity, with the ability to develop meaningful approaches to donor engagement, recognition, communications, and mission connection.
• Ability to develop effective communication standards, workflows, tools, and resources that support consistent, high-quality donor engagement.
• Project management and organizational skills, with the ability to anticipate needs, manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and produce high-quality work.
• Collaborative and resourceful, with the ability to work across departments and areas of expertise to gather information, develop resources, and advance shared goals.
• Judgment and commitment to the ethical handling, confidentiality, accuracy, and management of donor information.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively while contributing to a positive, inclusive culture of philanthropy and demonstrating GCC's Core Values.
WORKING CONDITIONS
• Approximately 90% of the work takes place in an office, including sitting for long periods of time and using computer equipment to complete tasks and to meet with colleagues in a virtual environment.
• May be required to work in an outdoor environment with existing weather conditions for approximately 10% of schedule, predominately to support donor-related events and activities.
• May occasionally work more than 40 hours per week or on weekends and holidays to meet critical deadlines and to attend designated special functions.
TOTAL COMPENSATION
This is a full-time, exempt, benefit-eligible position. The target salary rate is $80K annually, supplemented by a comprehensive benefits package including employer-sponsored health insurance options with free or low-cost premiums and HSA account contributions; life, disability, and AD&D insurance policies at no charge; eligibility for participation upon hire in retirement plans with employer match and financial planning services; paid time off, leaves, and sick time; unique paid Canyon Experience Days honoring time spent for rejuvenation in nature; and discounted GCC-sponsored outdoor experiential classes and retail purchases among other perks.
GCC CORE VALUES
GCC has identified four core values that represent how we interact with our employees, partners, visitors, supporters, and followers. Our values include the following:
• Integrity: We are honest, respectful, inclusive, caring, and accountable for our actions. We operate at a high level of excellence, utilizing our resources to their best and fullest potential.
• Education: We are a dynamic learning organization uniquely positioned to cultivate the “awe” of the Grand Canyon.
• Service: We embrace our role as a valued partner of the National Park Service at Grand Canyon National Park and will provide the highest level of excellence in every interaction with employees, partners, visitors, supporters, and donors.
• Connection: We foster a sense of wonder and adventure for the Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer
