Donor Relations Manager

GRAND CANYON CONSERVANCY • ,

3d • Remote

About The Position

The Donor Relations Manager designs and runs Grand Canyon Conservancy’s donor stewardship program, ensuring donors are thanked, informed, and engaged in ways that deepen their connection to Grand Canyon National Park and encourage continued giving. This manager-level program role owns stewardship strategy and execution across donor segments, from first-time and annual donors to major and legacy donors. The manager works closely with Philanthropy Services, development colleagues, and Park partners, and serves as a strategic resource to the Philanthropy team by developing information, stories, tools, communications, recognition opportunities, and engagement resources.

The position gathers and synthesizes program information, project results, data, historical context, and stories from Grand Canyon Conservancy and Grand Canyon National Park, translating them into compelling donor-facing communications and activities that demonstrate impact. The manager develops creative ways for donors to engage with GCC, the Park, organizational and park leadership, program experts, and one another. The role advocates for the donor perspective and supports donor questions and needs.

This is a full-time, exempt, benefit-eligible remote position. The incumbent must live within a five-hour drive of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Travel is required for meetings at the South Rim and/or in Flagstaff, Arizona; GCC temporary housing and office space are provided for these trips, with advance notice for scheduling. The position reports to the Philanthropy Services Manager. The target hiring salary is $80,000 annually.

Requirements

• Three to five years of experience in nonprofit fundraising, with a proven track record of creating impactful donor-centric relationships and related communications. Academic achievement such as a bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D., or equivalent in related disciplines may be considered in lieu of or to supplement the stated professional experience.
• Proficiency with Raiser’s Edge NXT or a comparable fundraising CRM, generally achieved through two to three years of system experience, including the ability to query, extract, analyze, and interpret donor, giving, and engagement data.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including Teams, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.
• Ability to travel occasionally to Grand Canyon National Park or other required locations to support GCC donors and staff, with schedules determined with advance notice by management.
• Must reside no more than a five-hour drive from Grand Canyon for this remote-designated position.

Nice To Haves

• Interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish trust and connect effectively with donors, colleagues, organizational leaders, and partners.
• Writing, editing, storytelling, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex information, data, and program results into clear, compelling donor-centered communications.
• Experience in donor relations, stewardship, donor engagement, recognition, impact reporting, or related philanthropy programs.
• Donor orientation, creativity, and curiosity, with the ability to develop meaningful approaches to donor engagement, recognition, communications, and mission connection.
• Ability to develop effective communication standards, workflows, tools, and resources that support consistent, high-quality donor engagement.
• Project management and organizational skills, including the ability to anticipate needs, manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and produce high-quality work.
• Collaborative and resourceful approach, with the ability to work across departments and areas of expertise to gather information, develop resources, and advance shared goals.
• Judgment and commitment to the ethical handling, confidentiality, accuracy, and management of donor information.
• Ability to work effectively independently and collaboratively while contributing to a positive, inclusive culture of philanthropy and demonstrating GCC's Core Values.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple projects and priorities, anticipate needs, exercise sound judgment, and meet deadlines with limited supervision.
• Partner with Philanthropy leadership and relationship managers to develop and strengthen donor engagement and stewardship strategies, practices, tools, and resources.
• Develop and implement an annual stewardship plan with goals, donor segmentation, timelines, and measures of success.
• Create tiered stewardship pathways for first-time, recurring, mid-level, major, and planned-gift donors in collaboration with department leads.
• Manage acknowledgment and receipting standards, including timeliness, tone, and personalization.
• Coordinate donor recognition, including honor rolls, giving societies, and gift-specific recognition commitments.
• Gather information, data, project results, historical context, stories, and other content from GCC departments, National Park Service partners, program experts, and organizational resources.
• Synthesize complex or technical information into compelling donor-facing communications.
• Produce impact reports, project updates, and personalized donor communications in partnership with program and Marketing/Communications staff.
• Draft and coordinate stewardship letters, emails, and call scripts for leadership and board members.
• Ensure restricted and designated gifts, including endowments, are accompanied by accurate and timely reporting on how funds were used.
• Manage donor stewardship projects such as annual reports, public donor walls, plaques, and awards.
• Identify and develop opportunities for donors to connect with GCC, Grand Canyon National Park, staff, board members, and GCC and NPS leadership teams.
• Create meaningful donor experiences through mission experiences, educational opportunities, program experts, communications, events, and other interactions.
• Develop engagement and recognition opportunities that reflect donor preferences, giving history, relationship context, and philanthropic impact.
• Determine strategy and support execution for donor visits at Grand Canyon National Park and strategic campaign donor events at or outside the Park.
• Advocate for the donor perspective and help ensure organizational communications, engagement, events, recognition, and stewardship reflect what donors want to know, understand, and experience.
• Seek opportunities to distinguish the GCC donor experience through meaningful inclusion, exceptional communication, authentic relationships, and deeper connection to the Grand Canyon.
• Respond to donor questions and needs as they arise.
• Use Raiser's Edge to track stewardship actions, moves management, donor preferences, and recognition details, maintaining clean and consistent records.
• Build reports and dashboards on retention, upgrade, and engagement metrics to inform strategy.
• Contribute stewardship results to board-facing and leadership reporting.
• Partner with Philanthropy Services on gift processing, data quality, and process improvement.

Benefits

• Employer-sponsored health insurance options with free or low-cost premiums and HSA account contributions.
• Life, disability, and AD&D insurance policies at no charge.
• Eligibility to participate in retirement plans upon hire, with employer match and financial planning services.
• Paid time off, leaves, and sick time, including paid Canyon Experience Days.
• Discounted GCC-sponsored outdoor experiential classes.
• Temporary housing and office space provided for required trips to the South Rim and/or Flagstaff.

What This Job Offers

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