Director, Donor Engagement
Listed on 2026-01-12
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Management
Program / Project Manager, Operations Manager, General Management
Position Purpose
Reporting to the Chief Campaign Strategy & Communications Officer, the Director of Donor Engagement creates and delivers a dynamic donor engagement and stewardship program that strengthens relationships with individuals and organizations making or capable of making leadership gifts. This role oversees key functions including curated cultivation experiences, proposal development, gift acknowledgment, impact reporting, naming, and recognition. The Director leads a team while contributing directly to high-priority projects and works closely with development officers, hospital partners, and campaign teams to ensure donor experiences are personalized, meaningful, and aligned with organizational priorities.
Direct Reports
:
Stewardship Manager;
Donor Communications Manager;
Donor Engagement Specialist
Expectations for All Managers- Working closely with the Leadership Team:
Develop and Influence Riley Community Culture: As a manager, realize the importance of modeling and influencing Our Riley Community culture. Exhibit trust, innovation, and inclusion.
Lead the Way and Be Accountable: Manage staff in planning and organizing projects. Develop goals and accountabilities. Follow Foundation performance management practices and meet Human Resources deadlines. Model the way.
Hire the Best: Have up-to-date job descriptions for all direct reports. Follow Foundation hiring practices. Prepare and participate in new employee orientation.
Guide Your Staff: Set clear expectations and high standards of performance. Provide training, coaching, feedback, and corrective action when necessary.
Engage Your Staff: Be approachable to direct reports and others. Use forms of recognition to thank employees within your team and across the Foundation. Collaborate across the Foundation.
Create a Best Practice Operation: Stay up to date on best practices. Effectively allocate resources. Manage budget as necessary. Establish metrics to minimize costs and maximize impact.
Manager Training: Actively participate in all Manager Briefings and use the skills and behaviors identified.
Planning and Execution
In partnership with Foundation leaders, develop and lead comprehensive strategies and systems to support gold-standard cultivation, stewardship, and recognition of donors based on their giving levels, giving milestones, capacity, interests and behaviors. Strategies should encompass high-touch, tailored communications, personalized interactions with foundation and hospital leadership, compelling impact and endowment reporting, recognition, and other such activities.
Partner with development leaders and colleagues to customize and implement donor engagement plans for top donors and prospects to promote meaningful, regular involvement and strengthen relationships.
Provide leadership and establish quality standards for proposal development, ensuring giving opportunities align with hospital and foundation strategic priorities and receive necessary approvals.
Monitor and enhance processes to ensure all donors are thanked promptly, accurately, and authentically for their gifts.
Maintain a proactive pipeline of naming opportunities and collaborate on creative recognition concepts that inspire philanthropy in collaboration with foundation, hospital, and medical school leadership, while adhering to Riley Children’s Foundation, IU Health and Indiana University policies.
May maintain a select portfolio of leadership donors for stewardship, engaging through personalized, high-touch interactions, such as face-to-face visits and phone calls, on a periodic basis.
Analysis and Continuous Improvement
Ensure cultivation and stewardship activities, proposals, and other Donor Engagement functions are tracked in the donor database, and partner with the Fundraising Data Analytics team to analyze the effectiveness of these activities both short- and long-term.
Leverage analytics to identify patterns in donor engagement and recommend enhancements that improve ROI, create efficiencies, and deepen relationships.
Stay abreast of industry best practices and recommend amending processes for piloting new strategies so Riley Children’s…
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