Philanthropy Specialist

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital • Grand Rapids, MI

10d

About The Position

The Philanthropy Specialist will manage a portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation donors to support Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s quality‑of‑life and community programs. Working closely with the Director of Philanthropy and Foundation staff, the role executes program-focused fundraising strategies that enhance patient and family experiences. The Specialist is responsible for overseeing the daily donor relations, support grant activities, and provide impactful stewardship across key areas such as quality‑of‑life initiatives, Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports, recreation therapy, child and family services, and community programs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, business, communications, healthcare administration, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 3–5 years of professional fundraising or nonprofit development experience, including grants or donor relationship management.
• Proven experience managing a donor portfolio, including identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual, corporate, and foundation donors.
• Experience conducting donor or prospect research and supporting proposal development or grant submissions.
• Strong verbal communication skills with ability to participate in public speaking events; ability to write clearly and persuasively.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work collaboratively across teams.
• Excellent computer skills including Word, Excel, Power Point and donor database systems
• Exceptional relationship-building skills with donors, volunteers, internal stakeholders, and community partners.
• Ability to work independently while thriving in a highly collaborative, cross-functional environment.
• High-energy, positive, “can-do” attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and attention to detail; high degree of initiative with an ability to work independently.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and thorough understanding of strategic development.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a healthcare, hospital, or complex mission-driven organization.
• Managing and researching grants and organizations that align with our mission.
• Experience supporting quality-of-life, patient experience, child and family services, or community-based programs.

Responsibilities

• Donor Portfolio Management & Fundraising Owns and manages an assigned portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation donors at the entry, and mid-gift level. Develops and implements donor strategies for identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship in alignment with program priorities. Conducts donor meetings, donor tours, prepares proposals, and supports solicitations independently and in collaboration with the Director. Maintains accountability for portfolio activity, donor engagement, and stewardship outcomes.
• Program Collaboration & Donor Engagement Collaborates with program and hospital teams to gather program information and translate funding needs into clear, donor-ready language and materials. Supports the development of donor relationships through coordinated outreach, stewardship, and engagement activities aligned with program priorities. Works closely with clinical and program staff to understand outcomes, impact, and storytelling opportunities.
• Donor Stewardship & Engagement Designs and executes stewardship plans for assigned donor portfolio that communicate impact, gratitude, and outcomes. Collaborates across the Foundation team to plan and deliver donor cultivation and stewardship experiences in support of programmatic fundraising and engagement. Coordinates donor recognition, thank-you communications, site visits, and program engagement opportunities. Maintains accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions and moves management activity in the donor database.
• Grants, Research, & Prospecting Support Manages relationships with foundation donors within assigned portfolio, in coordination with the Director. Conducts prospect and grant research and supports proposal development, reporting, and compliance in coordination with the Director and Foundation team. Gathers program data, outcomes, and narratives to support grant submissions and reports.
• Team Collaboration & Professional Development Works collaboratively with Foundation colleagues to support integrated fundraising, stewardship, and prospecting strategies. Participates in team meetings, planning sessions, and professional development opportunities. Demonstrates a commitment to learning program-based fundraising and growing into increased responsibility over time.
• Customer Service Responsibilities Demonstrate excellent customer service and standards of behaviors as well as encourages, coaches, and monitors the same in team members. This individual should consistently promote teamwork and direct communication with co-workers and deal discretely and sensitively with confidential information.
• Responsibilities in Quality Improvement Contribute by identifying problems and seeking solutions. Promote patient/family satisfaction where possible; participates in departmental efforts to monitor and report customer service.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level