Development Manager

Special Olympics Maine / Development Manager / Portland, Maine

Special Olympics Maine gives people with intellectual disabilities the chance to find joy, confidence, and community through sports. With a new strategic plan, new CEO, and healthy income streams, SO Maine is in an exciting phase of growth.

At Special Olympics Maine, our work is guided by a strong set of core values that shape our culture and how we serve athletes and communities. Every team member is expected to model these values in daily interactions, decision-making, and program delivery: Respect & Trust, Collaboration & Teamwork, Professionalism, Culture of Positivity and Innovation & Growth


We are seeking a curious and motivated donor-focused and results-oriented Development Manager ready to take their career to the next level.

In this newly created full-time role, the Development Manager, reporting to the CEO, will build and implement engagement strategies for our extensive community of donors and fundraisers. With initial support from a fundraising consultant, the person in this role will engage a large pool of donors for the first time and grow charitable revenue through donor-centered cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation strategies. They will develop and manage a portfolio of major donors and corporate sponsors, strengthen engagement with fundraisers and their sponsors, partner closely with the CEO and Board on their fundraising efforts, and manage a contract grant writer.

This is a high-impact role for someone energized by authentic relationship-building, thoughtful storytelling, and building the structure that helps a mission-driven organization thrive.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary of $60-$75k based on experience
• Comprehensive benefits package including health care (with 100% of employee's benefits covered), dental, 10+ paid holidays, 18 days of PTO, and earned time off for evening/weekend work.
• Professional development opportunities, and opportunity for professional growth as the organization grows
• Flexible work schedule, primarily 9am-4pm with occasional evening/weekend work to support statewide events, including overnight stays (minimum 3 nights) for Summer and Winter Games.
• Half days on Fridays during the summer
• A passionate, fun team and meaningful mission-driven work

What you bring:

• 3-5+ years of progressive experience in donor engagement, relationship management, and/or fundraising
• Genuine enthusiasm for connecting with people, with a heart-centered approach to fundraising, teamwork, and the mission and values of SO Maine.

• Demonstrated ability to build and execute donor-centric engagement strategies that deepen relationships and increase giving over time.
• Experience building a program or initiative from the ground up, with a track record of identifying opportunities and taking initiative.

• Outstanding written communication skills, including demonstrated experience in writing compelling donor communications.

• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and with leadership, board members, and donors.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and drive results.

• A teachable and curious approach to your work. Devoted to ongoing professional development and learning in the pursuit of excellence.
• Experience using CRM systems (Salesforce a plus) to manage portfolios, and Microsoft Office. Comfort using data to guide decisions.

• Availability for occasional evening and weekend work for events and fundraising activities.

How you will contribute:

Major Gifts/ Individual Giving

• Partner with the CEO to design and implement a donor-centric moves management system that strengthens cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donors and corporate partners,
• Develop stewardship plans for a portfolio of major donors, including but not limited to: regular donor communications, development and delivery of impact reports, in-person cultivation, strategic use of SOME events, etc.
• Advise the CEO on strategies to increase engagement and giving with his portfolio.

• Serve as a key partner to the Board Development Committee, cultivating board members as fundraising ambassadors.

Individual Giving

• Write and send donor-facing communications to strengthen donors' sense of connection and impact.
• Ensure timely, meaningful stewardship through acknowledgments, updates, recognition, and opportunities for deeper engagement.
• Support the Events Manager in the planning and execution of fundraising events, including but not limited to: event attendance and execution support, attending planning meetings to determine event strategy, and ensuring participants and sponsors are engaged.

• Represent SOME publicly at events and within the community.

Corporate and Foundation Relations

• Manage a contract grant writer, making sure they have the information they need to be successful.
• Engage corporate and foundation funders through outreach, updates, invitations to events, etc.

Systems and Data:

• Manage fundraising activity in the CRM (Salesforce) to ensure accurate and timely donor records, and for moves management tracking, with support from the incoming Systems Administrator.
• Use dashboards created by the Systems Administrator for tracking performance (donor retention, gift growth, etc.).
• Partner with finance to ensure accurate gift processing, receipting, and reconciliation.

Equal Opportunity Employer.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, familial status, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.


We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.