California Trout is hiring: Donor Relations Manager in San Francisco

Donor Relations Manager – California Trout

Location: San Francisco (Hybrid). Reports To: Sr. Development Manager. Status: Full-Time, Exempt. Salary: $70,000 - $90,000.

Job Overview
California Trout seeks a detail-oriented, donor-centered professional to oversee stewardship operations, donor experience, and donor-facing logistics for key fundraising and engagement initiatives. The role ensures donors feel valued, informed, and confident in the impact of their support, while strengthening systems that drive donor retention and long-term loyalty.

Donor Stewardship and Acknowledgment

• Coordinate timely, accurate, and donor-appropriate acknowledgment of gifts across all individual giving levels.
• Ensure acknowledgments reflect donor intent, restrictions, recognition preferences, and giving history.
• Maintain stewardship standards and timelines, identifying and resolving gaps in coordination with the Annual Fund Manager and Sr. Development Manager.
• Support preparation and distribution of donor impact reports, updates, and stewardship communications in collaboration with development and communications staff.

Recurring Giving and Donor Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for donor support related to gifts, including recurring and non-recurring contributions.
• Assist donors with updates to payment information, gift frequency, designations, and recognition preferences.
• Ensure donor inquiries and requests are handled promptly, accurately, and with a high standard of care.
• Provide timely updates and insights related to donor questions, service trends, or potential friction points to the Annual Fund Manager.
• Maintain clear internal handoffs, while the Annual Fund Manager retains ownership of recurring giving strategy, donor acquisition, upgrades, and revenue growth initiatives.

Specialty Donor Engagement and Event Logistics

• Manage backend planning and donor-facing logistics for high-touch engagement experiences (fishing trips, field tours, donor briefings, invitation-only gatherings).
• Coordinate vendors, schedules, materials, confirmations, and run-of-show details.
• Attend select donor engagement experiences to provide stewardship and ensure alignment with CalTrout’s internal standards.
• Act as an on-site point of coordination for donor experience issues, troubleshooting logistics, and supporting staff and partners.
• Develop and maintain repeatable templates, timelines, and checklists for consistency and efficiency.
• Collaborate with development leadership to ensure events support stewardship and relationship-building goals while focusing on logistics rather than solicitation.

Gala Coordination and Donor Experience Support

• Serve as the primary internal liaison to CalTrout’s gala consulting team.
• Manage internal tracking and data entry related to the gala, including auction items, sponsorship commitments, donor recognition details, and auction platform administration.
• Partner with the development team on table assignments, seating strategies, and guest experience planning aligned with donor stewardship goals.
• Coordinate vendor and internal staff for donor-facing logistics (catering details, on-site materials), deferring event production leadership to external consultants.
• Ensure accuracy and consistency across donor records, sponsorship tracking, auction platforms, and recognition lists.

Data Integrity and Systems Coordination

• Maintain accurate donor and engagement records in the CRM, including stewardship actions, recognition preferences, and event participation.
• Track donor stewardship activities and engagement touchpoints to support reporting on retention and donor experience.
• Identify and communicate data or process issues that may impact donor experience or stewardship effectiveness.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Work closely with the Associate Director of Donor Engagement, Annual Fund Manager, Director of Development, and external consultants to align stewardship and donor experience efforts with broader fundraising strategies.
• Coordinate with communications and outreach teams to support donor-facing materials, recognition, and messaging consistency.
• Participate in development planning and coordination meetings to support department-wide goals.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Preferred bachelor’s degree (not required) or relevant experience in donor relations, fundraising operations, stewardship, events coordination, or nonprofit administration.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in donor relations, fundraising operations, stewardship, or donor-facing event coordination.
• Experience managing donor acknowledgments, stewardship workflows, or donor support functions.
• Familiarity with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and donor data management.
• Preferred experience coordinating donor-facing components of fundraising events, including auctions, sponsorship tracking, or seating management.

Skills

• Strong organizational and project management skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfort working collaboratively across teams and with external consultants.

Travel and Transportation Requirements

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and be able to travel throughout California as needed.
• Ability to travel occasionally, including overnight travel, and to attend donor events or site visits outside standard business hours.

Key Competencies

• Donor-Centered Focus – Commitment to delivering a thoughtful, respectful, and high-quality donor experience.
• Operational Excellence – Ability to manage and improve stewardship and donor engagement systems.
• Collaboration – Effectively partners across development, communications, and outreach teams.
• Problem-Solving – Anticipates challenges and proactively identifies solutions before donor experience is impacted.
• Mission-Driven Commitment – Genuine enthusiasm for CalTrout’s mission and the role of philanthropy in advancing conservation outcomes.

Benefits

Competitive compensation commensurate with experience; health benefits (medical, dental, and vision); retirement plan with matching; generous holidays; PTO benefits; and sabbatical leave.

Why Join CalTrout?

As the Donor Relations Manager, you'll help shape the future of California’s rivers, fisheries, and watersheds by leading groundbreaking conservation efforts, working alongside a dedicated team and innovative partners to achieve lasting environmental change.

Diversity Statement

CalTrout does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics. We strive to create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity—both in the workforce and in leadership.