DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY PROGRAM MANAGER

Position Objective:

Reporting to the Senior Director of Development and Community Engagement, the Development and Community Manager plays a key role in advancing the Foundation’s fundraising initiatives and cultivating meaningful donor and community relationships. This position leads fundraising, sponsorship, team recruitment, and volunteer leadership for up to seven Walk for Victory events nationwide.

The Development and Community Manager is responsible for achieving fundraising goals through the effective engagement, empowerment, mobilization, and stewardship of volunteers, donors, sponsors, and community partners. Key responsibilities include engaging the Marfan, Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS), and vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (VEDS) communities; recruiting, developing, and supporting fundraising teams; collaborating with volunteer and medical chairs; and identifying and securing corporate sponsorships for assigned Walk for Victory events.

This position works closely with the Director of Program and Event Logistics, who supports Walk event logistics, Marketing and Communications team, including the Manager, Constituent Experience, who supports Walk for Victory On the Go program and other Foundation team members.

Essential Functions:

Fundraising Strategy and Execution:

• Recruit and engage key community, hospital, and corporate leaders to establish Walk for Victory fundraising goals based on market potential and lead comprehensive fundraising strategies to achieve revenue goals.
• Acquire, cultivate, and maintain relationships with donors, community members, and sponsors to secure financial support for the Walk for Victory program and other special events.
• Build and maintain pipelines of previous and prospective donors and sponsors in Salesforce to grow the Walk for Victory program and other special events.
• Use data analysis and fundraising best practices to identify new donor prospects, work with volunteer leaders on new leads, and develop tailored approaches to donor engagement and to securing new or increased sponsorships with hospitals and corporations.
• Develop a profile of businesses in each assigned Walk area with a plan to involve them in Walk for Victory.

Walk for Victory Teams, Volunteers and Events:

• Establish a weekly touch base with Team Captains and Top Fundraisers in each assigned Walk area, charting gap to goal.
• Develop timelines in concert with fundraising goals and objectives for each Walk event.
• Establish new teams and sponsors, and build strong relationships with existing sponsors, teams, and individuals to retain and upgrade their financial involvement and reach the highest level of revenue.
• Guide volunteer recruitment, training, and management for key community and corporate leaders, including volunteer and medical chairs.
• Partner with the Director of Program and Event Logistics, who helps manages venues, permits, vendors, and registration, ensuring all logistics are handled effectively to deliver a positive, seamless Walk experience. The Development and Community Manager maintains responsibility for fundraising strategy, sponsorships, donor engagement, revenue goals, and volunteer leadership.
• Coordinate with the Manager, Constituent Experience, who serves as the primary liaison for Walk for Victory On the Go hosts, so that in-person and On the Go fundraising efforts are aligned.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design Walk event experiences that align with the organization’s mission and inspire community participation.

Stewardship and Communications:

• Help develop and execute stewardship communication strategies with the MarCom team, including but not limited to donor thank-you notes and impact reports, to keep donors informed and engaged with the organization’s work.
• Collaborate with the development team and the Marketing and Communications team to develop promotional materials, social media campaigns, and press releases to raise awareness of Walk events and drive participation.
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team to use various marketing channels to attract sponsors, donors, and participants and expand the organization’s reach.
• Consult and collaborate with the Technology team and gift entry and data staff on list pull queries and emails for online and traditional outreach.

Reporting and Financial Management:

• Track and analyze fundraising metrics, event participation data, and financial performance to evaluate the effectiveness of fundraising strategies and event outcomes.
• Prepare comprehensive reports for management, donors, and board members to showcase the impact of fundraising efforts and Walk events.
• Monitor Walk revenue and expenses against approved budgets, and work with Finance to reconcile Walk revenue, sponsorship commitments, and expenses.
• Ensure sponsorship agreements, sponsor benefits, and in-kind gifts are documented and shared with Finance and gift entry staff for accurate recording and donor acknowledgment.
• Prepare timely, specific, and relevant materials for development meetings and conversations, and attend weekly development meetings.

Competencies:

• An outgoing, highly motivated, and relationship-driven professional who enjoys meeting new people, developing strategic partnerships, and proactively identifying fundraising opportunities.
• Confident initiating conversations and conducting cold outreach to prospective donors, corporate sponsors, hospitals, and community leaders, with the ability to cultivate these connections into lasting relationships that advance the Foundation’s mission.
• Excellent interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and maintain positive relationships with donors, sponsors, volunteers, and staff.
• Experience in fundraising, event planning, and logistics management in the nonprofit sector preferred.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to oversee multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Proficiency in Salesforce CRM and peer-to-peer fundraising platforms such as GoFundMe Pro (formerly Classy) and GoFundMe Live, and other relevant tools.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of donor information.
• A motivated self-starter and team player who is adaptive, flexible, and has a sense of humor, takes on ad hoc tasks with a can-do attitude, and is comfortable working in a small, roll-up-your-sleeves nonprofit environment.
• Passion for making a positive impact on the communities.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience.
• Three or more years of development experience, preferably in a nonprofit environment.
• Familiarity with 501(c)(3) structure and demonstrated success in fundraising for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
• Experience with Salesforce CRM and GoFundMe Pro, and GoFundMe Pro Live or similar fundraising platforms preferred.

Work Environment:

Remote Works closely with supervisor, other department leaders, and staff. (Daily zoom meetings) Very collaborative, team environment 15-25% travel is required to support Fundraising and programmatic community events, some evenings and weekends included.

• 36-48 hours+ of WEEKEND travel will be required for every Walk you oversee
• 5 Day Marfan Foundation Retreat (November)
• 1 Week (July) Marfan Foundation Conference
• Plus, travel for additional Foundation events and staff meetings.

Participate in virtual events and programs, which may be nights and weekends, as needed.

Other Duties:

The Marfan Foundation expects all employees to conform to the expectations outlined in the Employee Manual. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits:

The Marfan Foundation recognizes that financial rewards and great benefits are important aspects of an ideal job. That’s why we offer competitive financial compensation and benefits package. The Marfan Foundation’s benefit package includes:

• Work-Life balance
• Foundation covers EE Medical Insurance up to EPO platinum plan.
• Foundation covers the Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) up to $2,500 for those choosing the Silver Medical Insurance plan option
• Foundation covers EE Long-Term Disability/Life Insurance up to $50K
• Foundation covers EE Lifestyle Spending Account up to $800
• Offers Dental, Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA)

EEO Statement:

The Marfan Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, military and veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need. We are committed to developing and retaining the most talented people that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.