Director, Donor Engagement

Note: This is a Full Time, Temporary (through December 31, 2029) position.

Title: Director, Donor Engagement (Temporary)

Location: Hybrid - San Francisco

Pay Information: $127,367 - $159,209

At a time when philanthropic support has never been more important to public media, KQED has launched a major campaign to ensure the sustainability, vitality, and independence of news, information, and storytelling. The Director of Donor Engagement will play an essential role in the relational lifecycle of KQED’s most significant supporters and design a program that provides best-in-class stewardship and donor relations. This position will drive a culture of impact at KQED, and will architect a holistic strategy for acknowledgement and recognition, stewardship reporting, engagement events, donor communications, and more. This position will also develop a comprehensive recognition program for donors to KQED’s campaign, including naming opportunities and other means of recognizing our supporters’ generosity. The Director of Donor Engagement will work very closely with KQED’s major and legacy giving teams, as well as the grants and midlevel giving teams and will report to the Director of Signal Society.

KQED envisions a public media organization with a culture that centers on human dignity, equity, and belonging. This will enable us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling. 

We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.

KQED Code of Ethics

The mission that drives us:

KQED provide citizens of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.

This role will work hybrid between working in KQED's newly renovated headquarters ( and working remotely. 

Essential Functions: 

Program Architecture

• Work in concert with Development team leaders to assess the engagement needs of each program, and develop a strategy to drive a cohesive donor journey, and provide meaningful stewardship across Midlevel-Major Giving-Legacy Giving-Grants- and the KQED Campaign.

• Oversee a naming and recognition program for Campaign donors.

• Develop strategy, calendar, and implementation of key donor communications, cultivation, and stewardship events, and,

• Collaborate with colleagues across Development team and org-wide to execute core functions such as stewardship reports, email newsletter production, events, etc.

Donor Communications & Stewardship

• Collaborate with the Creative team to create overviews that colorfully describe KQED priority initiatives and programs to inform donors about opportunities and inspire support.

• Ensure donors receive engaging, timely, personal acknowledgment of major and legacy gifts, including coordination of calls from KQED executive leadership and Board members, letters, videos, etc.

• Develop and maintain recognition guidelines to ensure consistency across gift levels and departments.

• Coordinate production of donor testimonials, naming, and other recognition opportunities with frontline fundraisers, creative, and operations teams.

• Construct a cohesive communications plan to update and engage KQED donors through impact reports, custom progress reports (including financials, stories, photos, metrics), and email newsletters. 

• Partner with program and finance teams to gather outcomes and translate them into accessible, impact-driven narratives.

• Partner with KQED’s Creative team to develop the Annual Report publication, articulating vision, impact, progress, milestones, and donor recognition.

• Partner with Donor Services to develop templates and workflows for acknowledgment and stewardship processes in CRM system.

Candidate qualifications:

• Five to seven years working on a development team within a nonprofit organization

• Understanding of the tenets of philanthropy and moves management cycle.

• Exceptional writing and communication skills with demonstrated work product.

• Ability to develop a creative and cohesive stewardship strategy for a continuum of donors, ranging from annual donors to legacy donors and major campaign donors. 

• Experience in strategic planning and execution of events.

• Strong oral, written, presentation and organizational skills.

• Ability to work effectively with volunteers.

• Self starter who is comfortable working independently and as part of a group/team.

• Willingness and ability to travel throughout the Bay Area.

• Excellent computer and software skills. 

Special Requirements: Valid CA drivers license and car, and ability to attend donor events on weekends and on evenings as needed.

This role is a hybrid work position, with three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) at KQED’s San Francisco office and two days work-from-home (with occasional exceptions).

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