Manager, Stewardship, Fund Raising

Smile Train is the world’s leading cleft-focused organization. Our vision is world where everyone has access to safe, high-quality comprehensive cleft care and is able to live a full and healthy life. We train and support doctors and other medical professionals to provide our patients with free, life-changing, comprehensive cleft treatment. This sustainable model has allowed us to support more than 2 million cleft surgeries in 95+ countries since our founding in 1999, and we’re still just getting started.

We are truly changing the world one smile at a time!

Make a Difference!

The Manager, Stewardship at Smile Train, will lead strategic donor engagement initiatives to strengthen relationships and drive long-term philanthropic support. This role is responsible for designing and implementing comprehensive stewardship strategies across all giving levels, creating impactful donor communications, and managing bi-annual impact reporting. The Manager will collaborate closely with Development, Communications, and Program teams to deliver personalized donor experiences, oversee data integrity in Salesforce, and analyze performance metrics to inform future strategies.

This full‑time, hybrid position based in New York City (in office 2x per week) requires strong project management skills, CRM proficiency, and a deep understanding of the donor lifecycle.

We are looking for someone who brings:

• Extensive experience in donor stewardship and development, ideally within a large nonprofit organization.
• A strategic understanding of the donor lifecycle and how stewardship drives retention, upgrades, and long-term engagement.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills, with the ability to manage complex projects and lead cross‑functional teams.
• Expertise in segmented donor communications, impact reporting, and personalized stewardship plans.
• Proficiency in CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and project management tools like Asana.
• A collaborative mindset, capable of working across Development, Communications, and Marketing to deliver high‑impact donor experiences.

No

20–25%

As the Stewardship Manager, you will serve as a strategic partner across the Development team, leading donor engagement initiatives that support Smile Train’s work and revenue goals. You will be responsible for designing and executing stewardship strategies that align with the donor lifecycle and enhance retention across all giving levels and revenue streams—including Major Gifts, Mid‑Level Giving, Planned Giving, and Corporate & Foundation partnerships.

• Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive stewardship strategies tailored to donor segments and giving levels.
• Collaborate with Development team leads to build personalized stewardship plans for high‑value donors, including major gift prospects and planned giving supporters.
• Create donor‑centric materials and experiences that celebrate philanthropy and deepen donor connection to Smile Train’s impact.

• Develop and manage the production of bi‑annual impact reports and customized donor communications.
• Partner with Communications and Direct Marketing teams to ensure consistent, targeted messaging across all high‑value audiences.
• Oversee the creation of cultivation content (i.e., donor letters, blogs, donor stories) that reflects Smile Train’s impact and values.

• Utilize Asana and Salesforce to manage stewardship workflows, timelines, and donor touchpoints.
• Serve as the primary liaison with the database team to ensure data integrity and accurate tracking of stewardship activities.
• Analyze performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of stewardship efforts and inform future strategy.

• Support donor cultivation events by managing pre‑ and post‑event communications, logistics, and onsite engagement.
• Coordinate with internal teams to deliver seamless donor experiences across virtual and in‑person events.

• Work closely with Major Gifts, Mid‑Level, Planned Giving, and…