Salary :
Activate JobCopilot
Special Olympics Maine / Development Manager / Portland, Maine
Special Olympics Maine gives people with intellectual disabilities the chance to find joy, confidence, and community through sports. With a new strategic plan, new CEO, and healthy income streams, SO Maine is in an exciting phase of growth.
At Special Olympics Maine, our work is guided by a strong set of core values that shape our culture and how we serve athletes and communities. Every team member is expected to model these values in daily interactions, decision-making, and program delivery: Respect & Trust, Collaboration & Teamwork, Professionalism, Culture of Positivity and Innovation & Growth
We are seeking a curious and motivated donor-focused and results-oriented Development Manager ready to take their career to the next level.
In this newly created full-time role, the Development Manager, reporting to the CEO, will build and implement engagement strategies for our extensive community of donors and fundraisers. With initial support from a fundraising consultant, the person in this role will engage a large pool of donors for the first time and grow charitable revenue through donor-centered cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation strategies. They will develop and manage a portfolio of major donors and corporate sponsors, strengthen engagement with fundraisers and their sponsors, partner closely with the CEO and Board on their fundraising efforts, and manage a contract grant writer.
This is a high-impact role for someone energized by authentic relationship-building, thoughtful storytelling, and building the structure that helps a mission-driven organization thrive.
What we offer:
- Competitive salary of $60-$75k based on experience
- Comprehensive benefits package including health care (with 100% of employee’s benefits covered), dental, 10+ paid holidays, 18 days of PTO, and earned time off for evening/weekend work.
- Professional development opportunities, and opportunity for professional growth as the organization grows
- Flexible work schedule, primarily 9am-4pm with occasional evening/weekend work to support statewide events, including overnight stays (minimum 3 nights) for Summer and Winter Games.
- Half days on Fridays during the summer
- A passionate, fun team and meaningful mission-driven work
What you bring:
- 3-5+ years of progressive experience in donor engagement, relationship management, and/or fundraising
- Genuine enthusiasm for connecting with people, with a heart-centered approach to fundraising, teamwork, and the mission and values of SO Maine.
- Demonstrated ability to build and execute donor-centric engagement strategies that deepen relationships and increase giving over time.
- Experience building a program or initiative from the ground up, with a track record of identifying opportunities and taking initiative.
- Outstanding written communication skills, including demonstrated experience in writing compelling donor communications.
- Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and with leadership, board members, and donors.
- Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and drive results.
- A teachable and curious approach to your work. Devoted to ongoing professional development and learning in the pursuit of excellence.
- Experience using CRM systems (Salesforce a plus) to manage portfolios, and Microsoft Office. Comfort using data to guide decisions.
- Availability for occasional evening and weekend work for events and fundraising activities.
How you will contribute:
Major Gifts/ Individual Giving
- Partner with the CEO to design and implement a donor-centric moves management system that strengthens cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors and corporate partners,
- Develop stewardship plans for a portfolio of major donors, including but not limited to: regular donor communications, development and delivery of impact reports, in-person cultivation, strategic use of SOME events, etc.
- Advise the CEO on strategies to increase engagement and giving with his portfolio.
- Serve as a key partner to the Board Development Committee, cultivating board members as fundraising ambassadors.
Individual Giving
- Write and send donor-facing communications to strengthen donors’ sense of connection and impact.
- Ensure timely, meaningful stewardship through acknowledgments, updates, recognition, and opportunities for deeper engagement.
- Support the Events Manager in the planning and execution of fundraising events, including but not limited to: event attendance and execution support, attending planning meetings to determine event strategy, and ensuring participants and sponsors are engaged.
- Represent SOME publicly at events and within the community.
Corporate and Foundation Relations
- Manage a contract grant writer, making sure they have the information they need to be successful.
- Engage corporate and foundation funders through outreach, updates, invitations to events, etc.
Systems and Data:
- Manage fundraising activity in the CRM (Salesforce) to ensure accurate and timely donor records, and for moves management tracking, with support from the incoming Systems Administrator.
- Use dashboards created by the Systems Administrator for tracking performance (donor retention, gift growth, etc.).
- Partner with finance to ensure accurate gift processing, receipting, and reconciliation.
Your email job alert is now active!
