Lighthouse of Collier is hiring: Fund Development & Public Relations Manager in

Fund Development & Public Relations Manager

Position Summary: This position is responsible for the following:

• Serve as Lighthouse of Collier’s primary ambassador in the community
• Personally plan & carry out all outreach activities, with support from staff as needed.
• Build strategic relationships with medical professionals, donors, elected officials, and community organizations.
• Promote awareness of Lighthouse of Collier’s services to blind and visually impaired individuals across Collier County.
• Deliver compelling presentations and host tours to engage key stakeholders.
• Create and manage communications that reflect the organization’s mission and impact.
• Ensure outreach efforts align with organizational goals.
• Develop and execute a multi-year fundraising plan to include major gifts, annual appeal, planned giving, special events and capital campaigns.
• This is a full-time exempt position requiring flexibility to work evening and weekend hours as needed for meetings and projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following, but are not limited to:

Community Outreach and Relationship Building

• Conduct one-on-one visits with local eye clinics and ophthalmologists to promote services and introduce online referral options.
• Initiate and cultivate relationships with local Family Foundations unfamiliar with Lighthouse of Collier.
• Establish and nurture relationships with local, state, residential and private foundations such as United Way, Community Foundations, and residential communities.
• Deliver presentations at senior living facilities, churches, and community organizations to introduce services and build trust.
• Meet with elected officials (federal, state, and local) to advocate for continued and future financial support.
• Coordinate and host facility tours for donors, medical professionals, senior living communities, and key stakeholders.
• Represent Lighthouse of Collier at local men’s and women’s clubs through speaking engagements.
• Organize activities and events to recruit new volunteers.
• Engage and mobilize lead volunteers to engage in effective solicitations and other fundraising activities.
• Update and implement a comprehensive, written, Annual Fund Development Plan to grow the current annual fundraising effort.
• Develop and lead organizational fundraising strategy.
• Manage a portfolio of high-net-worth donors and prospects, developing and implementing tailored cultivation, solicitation and stewardship plans.
• Continue to cultivate prospective donors and current supporters on a continuous basis using the donor’s preferred means of communication.
• Research new potential sources of grant money, including private foundations, in order to identify organizations with giving criteria that match FLLEC’s mission.
• Research and work with ED to apply to foundations for grant awards.
• Work with ED to manage all aspects of post-award grants to include reporting.
• Serve as the primary organizer for the LOC Fundraiser.
• Develop print and digital marketing collateral related to fundraising and public relations.
• Develop and distribute monthly newsletters that highlight client success stories, upcoming events, and organizational updates.
• Write and disseminate press releases to local media outlets to amplify visibility.
• Manage and grow Lighthouse of Collier’s social media presence across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram with engaging, mission-aligned content.
• Create Power Point presentations that reflect the mission, services, and need of the organization and share with LOC employees to use for outreach.
• Partner with program staff and leadership to ensure outreach messaging is aligned with service offerings and strategic goals.
• Coordinate with staff to support donor engagement and stewardship efforts.
• Work closely with instructors and clients to gather compelling stories that illustrate impact.

Reporting

Track engagement metrics across social media platforms, newsletters, and public events.

Maintain detailed records of outreach activities, including dates, contacts, outcomes, and follow-up actions.

Provide monthly summaries of outreach efforts to the Executive Director, highlighting progress, challenges, and opportunities.

Core Competencies

Mission Driven Outreach – Deep understanding of and commitment to LOC Mission with the ability to translate services into compelling messages that resonate with diverse audiences.

Public Speaking & Presentation – Comfortable delivering presentations in various settings, using visuals, stories, and data to engage and educate.

Empathy & Sensitivity – Sensitivity to the needs and experiences of individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

Relationship Building – Builds trust and rapport with medical professionals, donors, elected officials, and community partners.

Engagement – Maintains long-term relationships through consistent, respectful engagement.

Strategic Communication – Creates clear, persuasive messaging while adapting the tone and content for different audiences (e.g., clinical, faith, senior living) and using storytelling to inspire action.

Initiative & Accountability – Takes ownership of outreach activities from planning to execution, works independently while knowing when to seek collaboration with other team members.

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, or related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in public relations, outreach, grant writing or community engagement.
• Nonprofit experience strongly preferred.

Presentation, Marketing and Interpersonal Skills

• Exceptional verbal communication and public speaking abilities.
• Comfortable initiating one-on-one conversations and delivering presentations to diverse audiences.
• Skilled in building trust and rapport with medical professionals, donors, elected officials, and community members.
• Emotionally intelligent and mission-aligned, with a deep respect for the lived experiences of blind and visually impaired individuals.
• Ability to develop Marketing Materials for events, outreach and for general Clinic PR purposes.

Communication & Initiative

• Clear, concise, and compelling writing for newsletters, press releases, and social media.
• Ability to tailor messaging for different audiences, including medical professionals, donors, and community groups.
• Strong storytelling instincts to highlight client impact and organizational mission.
• Active listener who can translate feedback into action.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to connect program goals to donor interests.
• Comfortable handling time‑sensitive challenges, navigating unexpected issues, and maintaining composure and continuity under pressure.

Leadership Skills

• Self‑starter with strong initiative and follow‑through.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Capable of managing multiple outreach efforts simultaneously with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrates ownership and accountability for outcomes.
• Inspires collaboration and partnership across departments without formal authority.