Director of Donor Engagement

Operation Food Search•St Louis, MO

17h

About The Position

Operation Food Search is a hunger relief organization founded in 1981. It provides food, nutrition education, and innovative programs to reduce food insecurity and increase equitable access to food. The organization serves 200,000 people each month through 330 partners across 27 counties in Missouri and Illinois. Its work combines immediate food assistance and supportive services with long-term solutions and systemic change. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director of Donor Engagement leads key annual, legacy, and special-project fundraising efforts, with a particular focus on individual donors throughout the giving cycle. The role learns donors’ passions and motivations and creates a customized, personal approach to donor interactions. It has one direct report, a Donor Engagement Manager expected to be hired in mid-2027.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
5–7 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience.
Demonstrated success in donor cultivation, stewardship, and relationship-building activities.
Experience working specifically with individual donors and key volunteers.
Passion for Operation Food Search’s hunger relief mission.
Goal- and data-focused, energetic professional with a track record of building strong donor relationships.
Excellent communication skills and a drive to consistently exceed donor expectations.
Ability to develop strong working relationships across the organization, cultivate a collaborative environment, and enhance team effectiveness.
Strong computer skills with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
Knowledge of CRM systems such as Donor Perfect or Blackbaud.
Detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to multitask in a fast-paced nonprofit environment.
Willingness to travel occasionally for meetings, events, and conferences.
Flexibility to work occasional after-hours or weekend activities for special events.
Willingness to cover other Operation Food Search duties outside regular job responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Grow a portfolio of donors through identification, qualification, cultivation, and stewardship.
Develop donor strategies that account for both the organization’s longevity and donors’ immediate intent, integrating planned giving, endowment, and long-term stewardship into solicitation and cultivation.
Maintain comprehensive knowledge of Operation Food Search programs and funding priorities.
Record donor interactions, relationships, and other relevant information in the CRM.
Conduct or coordinate prospect research to create strategies for engaging individual donors.
Lead donor cultivation and stewardship events as needed.
Create donor affinity groups and engage those groups in the organization’s mission.
Lead engagement with third parties fundraising on behalf of Operation Food Search.
Partner with the Chief Development Officer to expand legacy giving through creative stewardship strategies, marketing, and analysis of resulting data.