Donor Engagement Specialist

Job Description

TITLE: Donor Engagement Specialist
CLASSIFICATION: Exempt; Full-time
DEPARTMENT(S): Mission Advancement
REPORTS TO: Development Director
LOCATION: Position reports to our office in Columbus, OH

SUMMARY
The Donor Engagement Specialist is responsible for engaging and advancing donors from first gift through qualification for Gift Officer caseloads. This role oversees strategies related to donor engagement, second gift conversion, recurring giving ("Pledgers"), donor communications for non-caseload donors, and reactivation of lapsed donors.

This position serves as a bridge between broad-based donor engagement and the Gift Officer team, ensuring donors remain connected, informed, and meaningfully engaged until they are ready for assignment to a Mid-Level Gift Officer (MLGO) or Major Gift Officer (MGO) caseload.

The Donor Engagement Specialist works collaboratively across the Development team to strengthen donor retention, improve donor movement, and support long-term revenue growth. This role also participates in shared Development team responsibilities, including serving on the donor phone team, creating donor giving pages, assisting with donor communication workflows, and supporting select administrative tasks such as mail opening and processing as needed.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Donor Conversion & Growth
• Refine and optimize the donor journey from first gift to second gift.
• Develop and improve follow-up sequences, communication timing, and donor touchpoints.
• Monitor donor engagement and identify opportunities to improve donor retention and conversion.
• Identify and address donor drop-off points within the engagement pipeline.
2. Recurring Giving ("Pledgers")
• Develop and maintain strategies to grow recurring giving participation.
• Increase number of pledgers, pledger retention, and pledger upgrade rates.
• Maintain engagement with pledgers until they qualify for Gift Officer caseload assignment.
3. Ongoing Donor Engagement (Pre-Caseload)
• Ensure all non-caseload donors remain meaningfully connected and engaged with the mission.
• Assist with developing and maintaining a consistent donor communication rhythm through email, digital channels, direct mail, timely donor updates, and breaking news bulletins.
• Work with the Development Director and external partners to coordinate donor communications and maintain regular communication schedules.
• Create donor communications (primarily email) and related messaging for non-caseload audiences.
• Build and schedule donor emails within Virtuous CRM.
• Route communications for review and approval, incorporate edits, and ensure timely deployment of donor communications.
• Review test communications prior to deployment, including confirming links, formatting, and functionality.
• Track donor communication engagement and related metrics.
• Create and maintain donor giving pages for appeals, emails, direct mail, social media, and other donor outreach efforts.
• Receive and respond to inbound donor calls and emails.
• Ensure donors feel heard, valued, and connected to Heartbeat International's mission and impact.
• Utilize volunteers, where appropriate, to support donor engagement efforts.
• Define and monitor indicators of donor stagnation, including reduced giving, engagement, or responsiveness.
• Proactively re-engage stagnant donors through targeted outreach, including personal calls when appropriate.
4. Reactivation of Lapsed Donors
• Develop and refine strategies for re-engaging inactive donors.
• Maintain tracking systems related to lapsed donor reactivation efforts.
• Return viable donors to active engagement pathways.
5. CRM & Administrative Support
• Assist with updates, maintenance, and organization within Virtuous CRM.
• Learn and utilize simple to moderately complex queries and segmentation processes within the CRM.
• Support donor data integrity through established procedures and documentation practices.
• Provide backup support for gift entry and administrative functions as needed.
• Assist with opening and processing incoming mail while maintaining donor confidentiality and proper handling procedures for donations.
• Support the preparation and distribution of invitations, donor materials, samples, and other Development mailings.
• Help ensure Development team workflows and recurring processes are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Serve as backup support for clerical and administrative responsibilities within the Development team as needed.

REQUIREMENTS
1. Job-related college degree or combination of education, training and/or applicable experience may be considered.
2. Experience with life-affirming organizations or pro-life movement preferred.
3. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
4. Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
5. Experience with donor communications, donor engagement, or fundraising strategy preferred.
6. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
7. Ability to collaborate effectively across departments.
8. Experience with CRM systems preferred, including Virtuous CRM.
9. Experience creating and deploying donor emails within Virtuous CRM or similar donor communication platforms preferred.
10. Experience with online donation and giving page platforms preferred, including Virtuous Raise (formerly RaiseDonors).
11. Ability to analyze donor behavior and engagement trends.
12. A willingness and desire to work as a team to serve affiliates and other HB constituencies, including other staff. A servant's heart with the ability to understand how all support tasks impact Heartbeat International's ministry of supporting life.
13. Ability and willingness to demonstrate commitment to and promote Heartbeat International mission, vision, core operational values, and core beliefs in the execution of position responsibilities.
14. A willingness to share the gospel of Jesus Christ by word and example to encourage affiliates, staff, and others and to contribute to an office environment conducive to supporting HB's Christian ministry of life.

About the Employer

Heartbeat International is the first network of pro-life pregnancy resource centers in the U.S. and the largest and most expansive in the world. Since 1971, Heartbeat has supported, strengthened and started pregnancy help organizations, including pregnancy medical clinics, pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, and adoption agencies all over the world. Currently, Heartbeat serves over 3,500 affiliate locations on all six inhabited continents to provide alternatives to abortion.

If you have a servant's heart and wish to walk alongside others who are dedicated to making abortion unwanted today, and unthinkable for future generations, Heartbeat International may be the right place for you.