Donor Relations Lead

The Humane League • Morristown, NJ

1d • $68,473 - $83,689 • Remote

About The Position

As Donor Relations Lead, you will be responsible for stewarding the relationships and gifts of approximately 1000 mid-level donors who give between $500-$2,499 a year. In this role, you will independently manage and execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for a portfolio generating approximately $1 million annually. You will build meaningful relationships with supporters through virtual and in-person meetings, personalized outreach, and thoughtful renewal engagement. Mid-level donors are a quickly growing and significant segment of The Humane League's donor pool, whose continued support is essential for THL's financial stability and donor diversification. This is a relationship-centered fundraising role focused on retention, donor experience, and long-term engagement.
This is a full-time, remote position reporting to the Sr. Associate Director of Donor Relations. This position is based in the United States. The successful candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.To the extent permitted by law, in order to enable collaboration with other global team members, you may be required to work occasional hours outside of 9am - 5pm, depending on your time zone. This position requires domestic and/or international travel, equivalent to 2 or more trips per year, including a staff retreat and donor outreach or fundraising events.
We will be holding a webinar on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 5:00pm PDT/6:00pm MDT/7:00pm CDT/8:00pm EDT for you to find out more about the role and ask any questions you may have. The webinar will be hosted by Jon Camp, Sr. Associate Director of Donor Relations and Emily Herrell, Sr. Donor Relations Specialist. If you’re interested in attending, please register here. The webinar will be recorded and available here by March 11th.

Requirements

• Experience: 2+ years of professional experience in fundraising, customer success, account management, sales, membership engagement or grassroots organizing. Direct mid-level fundraising experience is a plus but not required; transferable relationship management experience is highly valued.
• Mission Alignment: Dedicated to THL’s mission and values, with prior professional or volunteer experience contributing to animal protection, food system reform, or related social impact efforts preferred.
• Verbal and Written Communication: Excellent persuasive communication skills across both verbal and written formats. Demonstrated ability to express gratitude authentically, discuss financial contributions comfortably, and clearly communicate organizational campaigns and priorities.
• Collaboration and Interpersonal Skills: Exceptional interpersonal skills, including curiosity, appreciation, diplomacy, and persistence. Ability to build trust with donors, follow up consistently even when progress is slow, and ensure supporters feel valued and empowered.
• Organization: Excellent organizational skills, with a high level of attention to detail. Ability to independently prioritize and manage a large portfolio while meeting deadlines and maintaining accurate records.
• Leadership: Ability to guide and motivate others in support of team and organizational goals. Drives project success, assists with training efforts, and seeks out opportunities to take on leadership roles.
• Data Analysis: Ability to collect, organize, and analyze data, identifying trends and generating reports with minimal guidance. Leverages THL’s donor database to inform the development and execution of high-earning, data-driven fundraising strategies.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making: Ability to independently resolve problems and make decisions, demonstrating sound judgment and adherence to organizational policies. Provides recommendations and justifications for decisions, contributing to effective task and project management. Identifies recurring issues and suggests improvements.
• Initiative, Proactivity, and Adaptability: Takes on additional responsibilities independently, seeking out challenges and opportunities for growth. Ability to shift priorities effectively in response to changing circumstances and project requirements.
• Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated understanding of organizational strategy and policies, with the ability to recognize how individual tasks align with strategic objectives. Contributes to strategic discussions and develops and implements process enhancements in line with team and organizational goals.
• Financial Acumen: Manages routine budget tasks independently and contributes to the preparation and analysis of budget data. Ability to track expenses, prepare financial summaries, and ensure budget compliance.
• Global Perspective: Approaches fundraising with a comprehensive understanding of the global nature of the organization’s programs, ensuring that global aspects of the work are supported effectively. Ability to communicate effectively with donors across diverse cultures and backgrounds, fostering an inclusive donor experience.

Responsibilities

• With guidance from the Sr. Associate Director of Donor Relations, develop and execute medium- to high-touch cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for a network of approximately 1000 donors who make 3- to 4-figure gifts totaling $1,000,000 annually.
• Independently manage the day-to-day stewardship and renewal process for the mid-level portfolio, ensuring timely and personalized outreach so that each donor feels acknowledged and valued.
• Conduct virtual and in-person meetings with existing and prospective donors to cultivate support for The Humane League’s work.
• Consistently engage THL’s mid-level supporters by inviting them to virtual events, sharing quarterly reports, and soliciting feedback to strengthen long-term relationships.
• Regularly thank new donors through phone calls and written communication, ensuring all mid-level supporters receive prompt and meaningful acknowledgement. Follow up with donors who are lapsed or up for renewal to solicit their continued support through personalized renewal outreach.
• Execute retention strategies and provide data-informed insights to support maintenance or improvement of mid-level donor retention.
• Advance THL’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging by seeking a diverse range of donors to highlight in our publications, providing engagement opportunities to those who give to THL in smaller amounts, and exploring opportunities for THL to reach new communities in a respectful and collaborative manner.
• Support the strategy and promotion of fundraising and cultivation events, including quarterly virtual town halls and in-person donor receptions.
• Collaborate with other Development staff to qualify and upgrade mid-level giving prospects from our annual fund.
• Stay current on The Humane League’s programs and theory of change, as well as trends in the animal protection movement as a whole, to effectively articulate our mission and represent our work to supporters.
• Regularly and consistently maintain detailed donor files in THL’s donor database (EveryAction) and keep projects up to date in our project management system (Asana), ensuring accurate tracking of donor interactions, renewal timelines, and engagement activities.
• Stay current on philanthropic opportunities, including but not limited to legacy giving, foundation giving, leadership giving, and peer-to-peer giving, identifying opportunities to appropriately refer or upgrade donors when aligned with their interests.
• Leverage THL’s systems and software to support research, reporting, and strategy for the mid-level program. Assist with the creation and documentation of SOPs to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Support the development of expertise across the entire Donor Relations team by sharing learnings, providing guidance, and collaborating with colleagues on improved processes.
• In addition to the above essential job duties, other duties may be assigned as business needs arise. These may include non-essential, marginal job duties.

Benefits

• Employees enjoy full medical coverage, optional dental and vision packages, paid sick leave, a 401(k) retirement plan with matching, pet care & Rx discount plans, working from home, up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees, wellness benefits, paid holidays, flexible vacation time, professional development, and the supportive environment at The Humane League!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed