Donor Relations Coordinator

LifeWise Academy•Hilliard, OH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

LifeWise is seeking a gospel-centered, dynamic, and organized Donor Relations Coordinator to join their team. This role is critical in the fundraising and donor stewardship process. The full-time position will operate out of their headquarters in Hilliard, Ohio. The ideal candidate is dependable, organized, and attentive to detail, processing gifts accurately, maintaining reliable donor records, and responding to donors and local chapters with professionalism, gratitude, and care. They handle sensitive financial and personal information with discretion and understand the importance of accuracy, timeliness, and consistent follow-through. The role requires clear communication and collaborative problem-solving skills, working effectively with donors, local chapter leaders, Finance, IT, and other internal teams. The candidate should be comfortable balancing routine responsibilities with urgent requests and periods of high donation volume, looking for ways to improve processes, strengthen donor service, and ensure every giver is appropriately acknowledged and appreciated. This position is seen as more than administrative work, as every gift processed and every donor served helps make it possible for more students to hear the gospel during the school day.

Requirements

A mature personal Christian faith consistent with the LifeWise Statement of Faith
3+ years in a ministry or other high interpersonal skills based position (required)
Proficient computer skills, including Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Comfortable with routinely shifting demands
High degree of attention to detail

Nice To Haves

3+ years of donor support or administrative assistant experience
Bachelor’s degree
Experience with using Salesforce

Responsibilities

Respond promptly and professionally to donor inquiries by phone and email.
Process gifts accurately and issue timely acknowledgments and annual giving statements.
Assist local chapters with donation entry, processing, corrections, and related questions.
Maintain accurate and complete donor records, preferences, and communication instructions in the donation management system.
Research and resolve donation discrepancies, duplicate records, returned payments, missing information, and processing errors.
Coordinate with Finance to reconcile donation records with deposits and accounting records.
Process recurring gifts, matching gifts, donor-advised fund gifts, stock gifts, and other nonstandard contributions.
Coordinate with other departments to support donor stewardship, engagement, appreciation, and recognition.
Produce routine donation reports and assist with donation-related analysis.
Support year-end giving activities and other periods of increased donation volume.
Ensure donation processing and acknowledgments comply with organizational policies and applicable charitable-giving requirements.
Identify recurring system or process issues and recommend practical improvements.
Document donation procedures and maintain current training materials.
Train and support staff and local chapter representatives involved in donation processing.
Protect confidential donor, financial, and organizational information.
Provide backup support for other donation-processing functions as needed.
Perform other administrative and donation-related duties as assigned.