Donor Relations Director

The Salvation Army Eastern Territory•Portland, ME

About The Position

The Donor Relations Director (DRD) is an integral leadership position within the Northern New England (NNE) Division’s Community Relations and Development (CRD) team and reports directly to the Divisional Director of Advancement. The DRD plays a critical role in advancing the Division’s major gift and philanthropic revenue efforts across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont by generating significant gift revenue in support of the Division’s strategic funding priorities. This leadership role is based within the Northern New England Divisional CRD office, a fast-paced, highly collaborative, and congenial environment that values teamwork, initiative, and shared accountability. The DRD provides strategic direction and hands-on execution across the Division’s major gift efforts while managing a high-end portfolio of major donors and prospects. Serving as the primary relationship manager between The Salvation Army and its major donors, the DRD identifies, cultivates, solicits, acknowledges, stewards, and upgrades donor relationships with a focus on long-term engagement and sustained philanthropic impact. The position requires frequent travel and regular participation in leadership and staff meetings at Divisional Headquarters in Portland, Maine. The role emphasizes long-term donor partnerships, including blended, complex, and planned giving strategies, in close coordination with the Director of Planned Giving and ongoing collaboration with The Salvation Army’s Territorial Community Relations and Development (TCRD) Team to ensure alignment with territorial fundraising strategies, donor engagement standards, and best practices. This collaboration ensures consistency, accountability, and strategic alignment across divisional and territorial fundraising efforts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; minimum of five years of successful nonprofit fundraising experience, preferably in major gifts.
Demonstrated success in generating major gift revenue and managing high-level donor portfolios.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate mission impact, funding priorities, and complex gift concepts.
Strong leadership presence with the ability to collaborate, influence, and guide internal and external stakeholders.
Proven ability to build and sustain positive relationships with diverse donors and partners.
High degree of initiative, professionalism, and comfort with complex problem solving.
Strong aptitude for direct donor engagement, including financial conversations and solicitation.
Ability to work independently and strategically in a fast-paced, complex environment.
Willingness and ability to travel regularly throughout the Northern New England Division.
Demonstrated ability to set, track, and achieve fundraising goals and deadlines.
Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel; experience with CRM systems, preferably Salesforce.
Collaborative, mission-driven team player committed to The Salvation Army’s values and purpose.
Commitment to and support of The Salvation Army’s mission.

Nice To Haves

CFRE or other relevant professional certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

Provides leadership in the development and execution of a comprehensive major gift strategy, working with the Divisional Director of Advancement and territorial partners to align fundraising efforts with the Northern New England Division’s strategic funding priorities.
Generates significant major gift revenue annually in support of divisional programs, initiatives, and long-term sustainability goals.
Manages a portfolio of approximately 125 major donors and prospects using a personalized, metrics-driven moves management strategy.
Establishes and achieves annual fundraising goals for individual donors and the overall major gifts program, providing regular progress updates and forecasts to the Divisional Director of Advancement.
Leads all one-to-one donor solicitations and ensures meaningful and timely gift acknowledgment and stewardship through in-person, virtual, and written engagement.
Coordinates with the Director of Planned Giving to identify, cultivate, and solicit blended, deferred, and complex gift arrangements that align donor interests with The Salvation Army’s mission.
Maintains a collaborative working relationship with The Salvation Army’s Territorial Community Relations and Development Team in West Nyack, New York, coordinating donor strategies, prospect assignments, stewardship approaches, and campaign initiatives.
Collaborates with divisional and territorial advancement colleagues to integrate major gifts with direct mail, digital, foundation, corporate, and planned giving strategies.
Partners with local corps officers, program directors, and fundraising staff to align donor interests with local ministry and funding priorities throughout the Division.
Keeps abreast of regional and national fundraising trends, philanthropic best practices, and IRS tax legislation related to charitable giving to inform donor engagement and fundraising strategy.
Contributes to divisional policies, strategies, and best practices that strengthen major gift fundraising, donor engagement, and team effectiveness.
Supports the cultivation and stewardship of new, pledge, campaign, and recurring donors as they progress through the donor pipeline.
Ensures accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions, strategies, and outcomes in Salesforce.
Aligns direct mail and digital engagement efforts with individualized major donor strategies to maximize donor retention and long-term impact.