Position Summary
Food Lifeline is looking for a Donor Engagement Officer who loves connecting with people, building relationships, and helping supporters see the difference their generosity can make.
This role is focused on one of the most important moments in a donor's journey: helping people deepen their connection to Food Lifeline and grow their impact over time.
The Donor Engagement Officer manages a portfolio of approximately 150–200 individual donors and prospects, primarily those giving between $1,000 and $9,999 annually. Through personal outreach, meaningful conversations, thoughtful stewardship, and compelling opportunities to give, this position helps donors feel connected to Food Lifeline's mission to feed people experiencing hunger today while working to end hunger for tomorrow.
Rather than simply managing transactions or sending solicitations, this role is about getting to know donors—what motivates them, what they care about, and how they want to make a difference.
The Donor Engagement Officer will also identify donors with the interest and capacity to deepen their investment in Food Lifeline, creating a strong pipeline for future major giving.
As part of the Giving Team, this position contributes to Food Lifeline's overall philanthropic revenue goals while working closely with colleagues across fundraising, marketing and communications, programs, and other areas of the organization.
What You'll Do
Build Meaningful Donor Relationships
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 150–200 individual donors and prospective donors, primarily in the $1,000–$9,999 annual giving range.
• Build genuine relationships through personalized emails, phone calls, meetings, tours, events, and other meaningful interactions.
• Learn what motivates donors and connect their interests with opportunities to support Food Lifeline's mission.
• Develop individualized strategies to cultivate, solicit, steward, renew, and upgrade donors.
• Create opportunities for donors to deepen their engagement and increase their giving over time.
• Identify donors who may be ready for major gift engagement and partner with colleagues to ensure a thoughtful transition and continued relationship.
• Personally thank and steward donors so they understand the impact of their generosity and feel valued as partners in Food Lifeline's work.
Grow & Strengthen Mid-Level Giving
• Help develop and execute strategies to grow Food Lifeline's mid-level giving program.
• Identify opportunities to improve donor retention, increase giving, reactivate lapsed donors, and move donors into deeper levels of engagement.
• Use donor information, giving history, engagement, and other available insights to prioritize outreach and personalize donor strategies.
• Experiment with new approaches to donor engagement and evaluate what is most effective.
• Stay informed about trends and promising practices in donor engagement and mid-level fundraising.
• Partner with colleagues to create an intentional donor journey from annual giving through mid-level and, when appropriate, major giving.
Tell Food Lifeline's Story
• Create personalized and compelling donor communications, including emails, letters, proposals, impact updates, invitations, and solicitations.
• Translate Food Lifeline's programs, impact, and priorities into stories that help donors understand the difference their support makes.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications and program colleagues to ensure donor communications are accurate, engaging, and aligned with Food Lifeline's voice.
• Confidently represent Food Lifeline in donor conversations, tours, events, and other community interactions.
Support Campaigns & Donor Experiences
• Help engage and steward donors during key fundraising campaigns such as Giving Tuesday, GiveBIG, matching campaigns, and other annual fundraising efforts.
• Collaborate with colleagues on donor events, tours, special campaigns, and other engagement opportunities.
• Look for creative ways to bring donors closer to Food Lifeline's mission and the communities we serve.
Manage Your Portfolio & Results
• Develop and maintain an intentional engagement plan for donors and prospects in your portfolio.
• Track donor activity, next steps, opportunities, and outcomes in Food Lifeline's CRM.
• Maintain timely and accurate donor records in Raiser's Edge and follow team documentation practices.
• Monitor portfolio health, donor retention, upgrades, outreach, meetings, and other established performance measures.
• Use results and donor data to determine what's working, identify opportunities, and adjust strategies.
• Prepare activity and fundraising reports as needed.
• Contribute to shared Giving Team goals and support other duties and projects as assigned.
What Will Help You Succeed
We're looking for someone who is energized by people and relationships. You don't need to have followed one specific career path to be successful in this role.
You may be a strong candidate if you bring:
• A genuine interest in people and curiosity about what motivates them.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with donors, customers, members, clients, community partners, or other stakeholders.
• The ability to make people feel heard, valued, and connected to a larger purpose.
• Confidence initiating conversations and asking people to take action or deepen their involvement.
• Strong written communication and storytelling skills.
• The ability to personalize communication rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Strong organization and follow-through while managing many relationships at different stages.
• Comfort setting goals, tracking progress, and using data to determine where to focus your time.
• Sound judgment and discretion when working with confidential donor information and sensitive relationships.
• Initiative and the ability to work independently while also enjoying collaboration.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to test new approaches and learn from results.
• Commitment to Food Lifeline's mission and to representing the organization with warmth, professionalism, and respect.
Qualifications
Experience and skills can be developed in different ways. We encourage candidates to apply even if their background doesn't match every item below.
• Professional experience in fundraising, donor engagement, relationship management, nonprofit development, membership, community engagement, account management, customer success, or another relationship-focused field.
• Experience developing relationships and successfully moving people toward an action, commitment, purchase, investment, or increased level of engagement.
• Fundraising experience and experience securing four- or five-figure gifts are strongly preferred but not required for candidates with highly relevant transferable relationship-management experience.
• Experience managing multiple relationships, priorities, projects, or accounts simultaneously.
• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to organize work independently, meet deadlines, and consistently follow through.
• Comfort working with databases, CRM systems, or other tools used to document relationships and activity.
• Experience with Raiser's Edge, Blackbaud, or another fundraising CRM is helpful but not required.
• Comfort learning and using Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel.
Experience in hunger relief, food banking, or the nonprofit sector is welcomed but not required.
Work Environment & Expectations
• Full-time, hybrid position with three days per week onsite.
• Typical schedule is Monday through Friday during core business hours.
• Donor meetings, events, and organizational activities may occasionally require evening or weekend availability.
• The position includes regular computer and office-based work and may occasionally require lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Donor and community engagement may include local travel for meetings, tours, or events.
Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time, non-exempt position working approximately 40 hours per week. The typical schedule is Monday through Friday during core business hours, with occasional evening or weekend work associated with donor events or engagement activities.
Why This Role Matters
A donor's relationship with Food Lifeline can grow over many years. Someone who makes their first meaningful gift today may become one of the organization's most committed supporters in the future. The Donor Engagement Officer helps make that possible. By creating personal connections, listening to donors, sharing the impact of their generosity, and inviting them into deeper partnership, this role helps build the community of supporters Food Lifeline needs to feed our neighbors today and work toward ending hunger for tomorrow.
Compensation
The full salary range for this position is $90,00.00 to $115,000.00 hourly. Starting salary will be determined based on relevant experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. Most new hires should expect to start in the middle portion of the range, with opportunities for compensation growth as they gain experience and proficiency in the role.
Why Food Lifeline?
When you join Food Lifeline, you’re joining a team committed to collaboration, compassion, and our shared mission of ending hunger in Western Washington. We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, well-being, and growth, including:
100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employer-paid life and disability insurance
403(b) retirement plan with employer match
Generous paid time off, holidays, and personal days
Organization-wide time off from December 24 through January 1
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Professional development and learning opportunities
A collaborative, mission-driven workplace where your work directly helps nourish communities across Western Washington
Ready to Join Food Lifeline? Apply at foodlifeline.org
Please review the full job description and apply electronically. Complete applications should include a resume and cover letter. This position will remain open until filled.
Food Lifeline is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable workplace where people of all backgrounds, identities, experiences, and perspectives have the opportunity to contribute, grow, and thrive. We strongly encourage candidates with lived experience related to food insecurity, poverty, or the communities we serve to apply.
We are an equal opportunity employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, we encourage you to let us know.
Join us in working toward a future where everyone has access to the food they need to thrive.