Donor Engagement Specialist

Goodwill Industries of Sacramento Valley & Northern•Sacramento, CA

5d•$28 - $33•Hybrid

About The Position

The Donor Engagement Specialist builds and maintains external relationships that drive donations, partnerships, and awareness for Goodwill Industries of Sacramento Valley & Northern Nevada — working with businesses, civic groups, chambers of commerce, nonprofits, schools, and community leaders throughout the region. The ideal candidate is a natural connector - equally comfortable presenting at a chamber breakfast, organizing a neighborhood donation drive, working a corporate sponsor opportunity, and following up consistently with community partners. Under the direction of President and CEO, the Donor Engagement Specialist emphasizes the importance of involvement, and turns the results from various networking and relationship building events into actionable insights for the organization.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required. Equivalent combination of education and experience considered.
Minimum 3 years of experience in community engagement, business development, fundraising or donor relations, public relations, nonprofit outreach, business-to-business sales, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated track record of building external relationships that produce measurable outcomes (donations, partnerships, sponsorships, referrals, etc.).
Strong verbal communication and public speaking skills.
Strong written communication for follow-up, proposals, and reporting.
Highly organized and self-directed — able to manage a calendar, pipeline, and follow-up across many concurrent relationships with limited supervision.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel).
Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and willingness to travel throughout the service region. Position requires up to 50% local travel.

Nice To Haves

Experience with corporate giving, in-kind donations, or community fundraising.
Existing network within the Sacramento Valley and/or Northern Nevada business, civic, or nonprofit communities.
Public speaking and presentation experience.
Bilingual in English and Spanish.
Background in nonprofit work or public service.

Responsibilities

Build relationships with businesses, civic groups, faith communities, neighborhood associations, schools, and corporate partners to drive donations of goods to Goodwill retail stores and donation centers.
Organize and support community donation drives, corporate clean-out events, estate and downsizing partnerships, and seasonal donation campaigns.
Identify and cultivate corporate sponsors, in-kind donors, and community partners interested in supporting Goodwill financially or through goods donations.
Work with retail and donation center teams to coordinate logistics for community-driven donation events.
Track donation pipeline and partner conversion from first contact through completed donation.
Build relationships with schools, social service agencies, reentry programs, disability services, and other community organizations whose constituents could benefit from Goodwill’s programs.
Educate community partners about Goodwill’s services so they know how and when to refer community members to Mission Services.
Deliver presentations, tours, and information sessions to community groups, chambers of commerce, civic organizations, schools, and nonprofits.
Surface employer leads, sponsorship opportunities, and partnership prospects encountered through community engagement, and route them to the appropriate internal team (Mission Services for workforce/employer partnerships, Retail for donation logistics, Leadership for major opportunities).
Represent Goodwill at chamber events, nonprofit gatherings, civic meetings, networking functions, and community forums throughout the service region.
Serve on or attend community committees, boards, or working groups when aligned with Goodwill’s mission and priorities.
Maintain visibility in priority markets across Northern California and Northern Nevada; some evening and weekend events required.
Maintain accurate records in CRM or tracking system of community contacts, partner organizations, donation pipeline, referral partners, leads routed to internal teams, and outreach activity.
Provide monthly reports to leadership showing pipeline, partnerships secured, donations generated, referrals made, and events attended.
Manage outreach calendar and consistent follow-up across all active relationships.