Development Services Manager Job

Job Summary:
The Development Services Manager is responsible for managing and coordinating donor database operations, donor stewardship activities, and donor engagement events that support the Agency’s fundraising goals and strengthen relationships with donors and prospects. This position oversees gift administration, reporting, donor acknowledgement, stewardship activities, and event execution while ensuring integrity, accuracy, and effective use of fundraising systems and donor information.

Working collaboratively with Development, Finance, Marketing and Communications, Agency leadership, Board members, volunteers, and community partners, the Development Services Manager implements fundraising priorities through effective operational processes, donor engagement activities, and fundraising support services. The position serves as a key resource for fundraising administration, reporting, donor stewardship, and event management, helping to ensure an exceptional donor experience and supporting the Agency’s mission through effective systems and process management.

Essential Functions

Development Services

-Administer the Agency's donor database and fundraising systems, ensuring data integrity, security, accuracy, and usability.
-Oversee gift processing, pledge administration, constituent management, donor acknowledgements, and related development service activities.
-Manage database structure, including campaigns, appeals, codes, attributes, segmentation, imports, exports, and system integrations.
-Establish and maintain procedures, documentation, quality standards, and training resources that support consistent data management and gift processing practices.
-Conduct data audits, quality-control reviews, and routine maintenance activities to ensure reliable donor information and audit readiness.
-Provide system support, training, and guidance to staff while promoting effective use of fundraising technology and best practices.
-Develop and maintain donor queries, segmented mailing lists, dashboards, reports, campaign tracking tools, and data selections that support fundraising activities and decision-making.
-Monitor fundraising performance metrics; prepare recurring and ad hoc reports; support fundraising appeals and campaigns through donor segmentation, campaign tracking, and analysis; and collaborate with Finance and other departments to support reporting, reconciliation, and continuous process improvement.

Donor Stewardship & Engagement

-Coordinate donor stewardship, acknowledgment, recognition, and engagement activities that strengthen relationships and encourage continued philanthropic support.
-Ensure timely, accurate, and meaningful donor acknowledgements, recognition, and communications that enhance the donor experience.
-Maintain systems and records that track donor interactions, stewardship activities, cultivation efforts, donor commitments, and engagement outcomes.
-Support donor retention, reactivation, recurring giving, donor upgrade, annual giving, and other donor engagement initiatives.
-Prepare donor impact reports, stewardship updates, personalized communications, and other donor-facing materials.
-Coordinate donor meetings, tours, cultivation activities, stewardship touchpoints, and follow-up activities in partnership with development staff.
-Respond to donor inquiries and provide exceptional customer service to donors, volunteers, and community partners.
-Collaborate across departments to support consistent donor experience and effective implementation of donor engagement activities.

Donor Events & Special Engagement Initiatives

-Manage the planning, coordination, and execution of donor cultivation, stewardship, appreciation, acquisition, fundraising, and special campaign events.
-Oversee event logistics, budgets, timelines, vendor coordination, event registration, guest management, and event technology platforms.
-Coordinate invitation distribution, guest lists, attendee communications, registration processes, and event participation tracking.
-Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to develop and maintain event invitations, donor-facing materials, recognition displays, signage, stewardship collateral, and follow-up communications.
-Prepare event briefings, attendee reports, donor profiles, and related materials for development staff, Executive leadership, other agency leadership, and Board members.
-Coordinate speakers, sponsors, Board members, volunteers, corporate partners, and community stakeholders involved in Agency events.
-Provide onsite event management and support, including setup, registration, donor engagement, guest relations, troubleshooting, and post-event activities to ensure a positive donor and guest experience.
-Monitor event budgets, participation, engagement, and fundraising outcomes, and coordinate post-event stewardship, acknowledgment, and follow-up activities to maximize donor engagement and cultivation opportunities.

Education, Experience, and Skills Required

-High school diploma or High School Equivalency (HSE) required. Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, business administration, communications, marketing, public administration, or a related field preferred. 3-5 years’ experience in fundraising administration, donor/development services, donor stewardship, event management, or related work preferred. An additional 4-6 years’ experience in fund development may substitute for a bachelor's degree.
-Demonstrated ability to support fundraising initiatives through effective donor stewardship, constituent engagement, donor communications, and relationship management. Comfortable interacting with donors, volunteers, and community stakeholders in a professional and service-oriented manner.
-Knowledge of fundraising best practices, donor stewardship, and ethical storytelling. Experience supporting fundraising activities through donor database management, reporting, event coordination, gift administration, and donor engagement efforts. Exceptional verbal and written communication abilities, strong interpersonal, negotiation, and problem-solving, and organizational abilities, and the capacity to monitor work for quality.
-Ability to make appropriate decisions based on training and experience when faced with multiple options.
-Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to prioritize and plan work activities to use time efficiently. Ability to prioritize tasks and to respond to management direction and to use feedback to improve performance.
-Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as to successfully collaborate on a team. 
-Demonstrated proficiency with Office 365 and familiarity with databases; willingness to learn and apply new software and platforms as necessary for the work. Familiarity with Virtuous and/or Raiser’s Edge donor management software, or similar software, along with a commitment to maintaining the integrity of donor data.
-Passion and enthusiasm for the mission of Catholic Charities to care for the most vulnerable members of our community to transform their lives through dignity, hope, and love. 
-Valid driver’s license and at least state required minimum of automobile insurance, clear DMV driving record and ability to provide own transportation. Must be willing and able to travel between agency sites. 
-Must pass DOJ background clearance (fingerprinting) in accordance with the Diocese of Santa Rosa’s policies before starting employment.
-Bilingual English/Spanish preferred but not required.

For more than 70 years, Catholic Charities of Northwest California has served the most vulnerable members of our community. Whether through our homelessness and housing programs, immigration legal support, health and wellness, or senior services, we offer hope to our neighbors across Sonoma, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties. All are welcome here. We embrace staff from all backgrounds and walks of life, whose drive and commitment come from many unique sources. With our breadth of scope, Catholic Charities is unique positioned to address the root causes of the toughest issues California faces and through the process, change lives. We are at the forefront of change to bolster the systems that help our community thrive.