POSITION TITLE: Sr. Manager, Donor Prospecting and Stewardship
DEPARTMENT: Philanthropy and Donor Engagement
REPORTS TO: Chief of Philanthropy
TYPE: Full Time, Exempt
Salary: $71,567-$76,200
United Way of Greater Charlotte is boldly investing in what if. When Charlotte ranked last in the nation for economic mobility, United Way challenged ourselves and others to say what if every neighborhood has the resources it needs to break the cycle of poverty? And what if every person has equal access to opportunities? In response, United Way is going directly to where the needs are the greatest and is bringing new voices to the table to promote racial equity and ensure every neighborhood thrives. We believe that by challenging the what ifs and by moving together in hope, we can build thriving communities.
The Senior Manager, Donor Prospecting and Stewardship will be instrumental in deepening relationships with United Way of Greater Charlotte's most generous donors and prospects by aligning their philanthropic passions with UWGC's mission to drive community impact at scale.
Position Summary
The Senior Manager for Donor Prospecting and Stewardship is responsible for building and managing a strategic, data-driven approach to identifying, researching, and engaging high-net-worth (HNW) individuals, foundations, and corporate partners. Working closely with the Chief Philanthropy Officer, this position supports the organization's ability to grow major and transformational gifts through thoughtful prospect development and intentional, high-touch donor stewardship.
This role blends the analytical rigor of prospect research with the creativity and empathy needed to design meaningful donor experiences. The ideal candidate is deeply motivated by the opportunity to help donors see their role in creating a community free of barriers that hold children and families in poverty.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Prospecting and Research
- Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive prospect research strategy that identifies and qualifies HNW individuals and corporate leaders with the capacity and affinity to give at the major and leadership levels.
- Partner with the CPO to build and manage a forward-looking prospect pipeline aligned with United Way's community investment priorities.
- Prepare detailed donor profiles, research briefs, and giving capacity analyses to inform donor strategies and meeting preparation.
- Develop and maintain a moves management system that tracks cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities with accuracy and consistency.
- In collaboration with the Director of Philanthropy Data Strategy, produce monthly and quarterly reports that track pipeline health, engagement metrics, and major gift performance indicators.
Donor Stewardship and Engagement
- Design and implement personalized stewardship plans that meaningfully demonstrate donor impact and United Way's role as a trusted community convener.
- Develop and execute high-touch experiences for major donors and prospects, including, but not limited to, curated small gatherings, private briefings with community leaders, impact tours, and giving society events.
- Collaborate with the marketing team to produce customized stewardship materials, impact reports, and recognition communications.
- Oversee timely acknowledgment processes for major donors, ensuring gratitude and transparency at every stage of the donor journey.
- Partner with the financial operations team to ensure all gift records, reports, and donor data are accurate, current, and compliant.
Operational Excellence and Systems Management
- Serve as a key stakeholder in CRM management, ensuring data integrity and effective utilization of donor and prospect information.
- Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for prospect research, donor engagement, and stewardship activities.
- Support ongoing evaluation of donor engagement and stewardship efforts through analytics and feedback loops to continuously improve effectiveness.
Leadership and Collaboration
- Serve as a thought partner to the CDO in building UWGC's capacity for high-impact philanthropy.
- Contribute to the annual fundraising plan by aligning prospecting and stewardship strategies with organizational revenue goals.
- Collaborate across departments - including Community Impact, Workplace Philanthropy, and Marketing - to ensure donors experience seamless communication and consistent messaging.
- Model United Way's core values.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience. Advanced degree beneficial
- Experience: 7+ years of professional experience, fundraising, prospect research, donor relations, or advancement operations in a nonprofit, foundation, or higher education environment. Prior leadership and/or supervisory responsibilities beneficial
- Demonstrated success identifying and engaging major donors and developing personalized stewardship strategies.
- Advanced proficiency in CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser's Edge, or similar) and prospect research tools.
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
- Exceptional communication, writing, and presentation skills, with the ability to inspire confidence and trust among donors and colleagues.
- Commitment to advancing equity, opportunity, and community well-being in alignment with United Way's mission.
No calls, emails, or visits please. For immediate consideration, please formally apply online and provide a resume and cover letter.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned this job classification. They are not to be constructed as an all-inclusive list of all duties, skills, and responsibilities of people so assigned. United Way of Greater Charlotte will engage in an interactive process with employees requesting medical or religious accommodations.
The Agency's policy is to provide equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability or veteran status.
