Development & Communications Manager

We’re growing our Development efforts at the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky! ESNKY is seeking a Development & Communications Manager to join our Leadership Team and help shape the next phase of our fundraising and communications work. Position: Development & Communications Manager Reports to: Chief Executive Officer Employment status: Exempt full-time position The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky (ESNKY) provides Life Saving, Life Changing low-barrier shelter and services to adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Our vision is to provide community-based shelter as a personal pathway to hope, change, and autonomy. We are committed to providing holistic best-practice programs in a trauma-informed, harm-reduction environment. We trust, value and respect everyone who walks through our doors, always giving our guests a voice and choice in how, when and where they access services. Position Overview The Development & Communications Manager leads the implementation and day-to-day management of ESNKY's annual giving, grants, donor stewardship, events, and communications. As a member of the Leadership Team, this position contributes to organizational planning and decision-making while working closely with the Chief Executive Officer to grow philanthropic revenue, strengthen donor engagement, and help build ESNKY's development capacity to support the organization's continued growth. Annual Giving & Donor Stewardship Develop, implement, manage, and track ESNKY's annual fundraising plan and calendar, including two written appeals, digital giving campaigns, and other annual giving initiatives. Identify, cultivate, solicit, and retain individual and corporate donors and sponsors, including financial and in‑kind support. Develop and implement donor stewardship strategies for new, recurring, and long‑term donors. Coordinate donor recognition, and ongoing communications across print, digital, and social media platforms. Support the Chief Executive Officer and equip Board members in fundraising, donor outreach, stewardship, and community engagement, including maintaining and providing resources and tools that strengthen their roles as ESNKY ambassadors. Grants & Institutional Giving Manage the full grant lifecycle, including researching and identifying funding opportunities, preparing and submitting proposals, managing awarded grants, tracking requirements and deadlines, and coordinating required reports. Build and maintain relationships with foundation, corporate, and government grantors and serve as ESNKY's primary point of contact for grant‑related inquiries. Collaborate with program, operations, finance, and executive leadership to gather programmatic, financial, and outcome information needed for proposals and reports. Maintain accurate grant records, deadlines, reporting requirements, and supporting documentation within ESNKY's development systems. Events & Community Engagement Lead the planning, management, and execution of ESNKY's annual Homeless to Hopeful event, including serving as staff liaison to the event committee and coordinating committee communication, sponsorships, and event implementation. Coordinate ESNKY's participation in fundraising events and campaigns hosted by community and corporate partners. Represent ESNKY at fundraising events, community functions, speaking engagements, tours, and other opportunities that strengthen donor and community relationships Communications & Marketing Develop and manage donor and community communications that support ESNKY's fundraising strategy, mission, and organizational priorities. Manage the creation and production of digital and printed materials, including annual reports, newsletters, fundraising appeals, informational materials, promotional materials, and event collateral. Manage ESNKY's social media presence in support of donor engagement, fundraising, community awareness, and organizational storytelling. Coordinate organizational storytelling and the sharing of program impact, guest outcomes, donor impact, and other mission‑centered content while maintaining appropriate confidentiality and dignity. Maintain consistent organizational messaging and brand standards across development and communications materials. Coordinate website content related to fundraising, donor engagement, events, organizational information, and other assigned communications Development Operations & Collaboration Maintain and manage the annual development and communications calendar, including appeals, grants, events, donor stewardship, campaigns, reports, and communications. Lead implementation of assigned strategies and action items within ESNKY's Strategic Plan, with primary responsibility for initiatives related to Communications and Financial Stability, including tracking progress and reporting on outcomes. Maintain Little Green Light as ESNKY's shared development CRM, ensuring accurate donor, grant, campaign, stewardship, and activity records. Use development data to track fundraising activity, evaluate results, identify trends, and support planning and decision‑making. Collaborate with the Chief Executive Officer, staff, Board members, committees, and outside partners to advance ESNKY's fundraising and communications goals. Attend required ESNKY meetings and support Development & Communications committees as assigned. Perform other duties as assigned in support of ESNKY's mission and organizational priorities. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, nonprofit management, English, or a related field, or equivalent knowledge and experience. Three or more years of fundraising, development, communications, grant management, or related nonprofit experience. Demonstrated experience managing fundraising campaigns, donor communications, grants, and special events. Strong writing, editing, verbal communication, presentation, and relationship‑building skills. Strong project management, organizational, strategic planning, and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines. Experience with donor databases or CRM systems; experience with Little Green Light preferred. Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and familiarity with digital communications and social media platforms. Ability to exercise discretion and make independent decisions that align with ESNKY's mission, strategic plan, and organizational priorities. This is a hybrid, external‑facing position with flexibility to work remotely and in the office; approximately 40‑50% of time is spent in the community attending meetings and events, networking, and building relationships. Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed for events and community engagement. Must possess a valid driver's license and have regular access to a reliable personal vehicle for donor meetings, community engagements, events, and other work‑related travel throughout the region. Physical Requirements Must be able to lift 20+ lbs. Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, including sitting, standing, walking, bending, and occasional lifting associated with events and office operations. Salary and Benefits This is a full‑time exempt position with a salary of $72,000 per year. Benefits include paid time off for vacation and illness, a $3,000 annual Wellness Stipend, and cell phone reimbursement. Following successful completion of the 90‑day Introductory Period, additional benefits include employer‑paid Accident & Illness, Short‑Term Disability, Long‑Term Disability, and Life Insurance. Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky is an equal opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status under applicable law. Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of all applicable background checks and position‑specific eligibility requirements #J-18808-Ljbffr