Home

Employment

Thank you for your interest in employment with United Way of Central Arkansas.

The following job opportunity is available:

Development & Community Engagement Manager

Position Overview:

The Development & Community Engagement Manager partners with the Executive Director to grow philanthropic support for United Way of Central Arkansas through strategic fundraising, donor engagement, workplace campaigns, sponsorship development, and compelling communication. 

This position is responsible for cultivating meaningful relationships with donors, businesses, volunteers, and community partners while coordinating fundraising initiatives that expand United Way’s impact across Central Arkansas. The Development & Communications Manager also serves as a key ambassador for the organization, helping connect people with opportunities to invest in the community.

Reports To: Executive Director
Status: Full-time, Exempt

Key Responsibilities:

Development & Donor Engagement

  • Partner with the Executive Director to develop and implement annual fundraising strategies that support organizational goals.
  • Cultivate, solicit, steward, and retain individual, corporate, and foundation donors.
  • Support major donor and foundation cultivation alongside the Executive Director.
  • Maintain an active donor pipeline and intentional moves management process within MonkeyPod.
  • Identify and qualify new donor prospects while strengthening existing relationships.
  • Coordinate donor stewardship, recognition, and appreciation efforts.
  • Partner with the Executive Director to prepare donor proposals, sponsorship requests, and major gift materials.
  • Support recurring giving and other long-term fundraising initiatives. 

Workplace Campaigns & Sponsorships

  • Coordinate United Way's annual workplace campaign from planning through completion.
  • Recruit, train, and support workplace campaign coordinators.
  • Partner with local businesses to grow employee engagement and workplace giving.
  • Develop sponsorship opportunities and cultivate corporate partners for two signature fundraising events and quarterly engagement events.
  • Manage sponsor relationships, fulfillment, and recognition.
  • Assist with campaign volunteer recruitment and event logistics.

Communications & Storytelling

  • Develop and execute an annual communications calendar aligned with fundraising and organizational priorities.
  • Create newsletters, donor appeals, campaign materials, annual report content, impact stories, and stewardship communications.
  • Manage social media, website updates, and email marketing.
  • Gather stories, photos, and program outcomes that communicate community impact.
  • Ensure consistent branding and messaging across all communication platforms. 

Community Engagement

  • Represent United Way at community meetings, networking events, and partner functions.
  • Cultivate relationships with businesses, volunteers, nonprofit partners, and community leaders to expand engagement with United Way.
  • Support volunteer engagement and donor stewardship activities.
  • Serve as an ambassador for United Way throughout Central Arkansas. 

Data, Reporting & CRM Management

  • Maintain accurate donor records, prospect activity, and reporting within MonkeyPod.
  • Track fundraising progress, campaign metrics, and sponsorship activity.
  • Prepare development reports and dashboards for the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
  • Monitor fundraising performance and recommend opportunities for continuous improvement.

Organizational Leadership

  • Collaborate across the organization to support strategic initiatives and organizational priorities.
  • Contribute to special projects that strengthen United Way's mission and community impact.
  • Demonstrate flexibility and a collaborative approach in support of organizational needs.

Qualifications:

Required

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
  • Experience in fundraising, nonprofit development, sales, marketing, communications, or relationship management.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong interpersonal and relationship-building abilities.
  • Highly organized with exceptional project and time management skills.
  • Self-starter with the ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.

Preferred

  • Experience with donor databases or CRM software (MonkeyPod preferred).
  • Experience managing fundraising campaigns, sponsorships, or special events.
  • Knowledge of nonprofit fundraising best practices.
  • Experience with social media management, email marketing, and graphic design platforms such as Canva.

Success in This Role

The ideal candidate is:

  • A relationship builder who enjoys connecting people to purpose.
  • Confident and comfortable inviting others to invest in meaningful work.
  • Organized enough to manage multiple projects while keeping details on track.
  • A strong communicator and storyteller.
  • Curious, proactive, and always looking for opportunities to strengthen relationships.
  • Energized by helping others invest in building the kind of community we all want to see.

Year 1 Performance Goals:

Revenue

  • Strengthen donor retention while growing new donor acquisition.
  • Secure sponsorships for two signature events and quarterly engagement events.

Relationship Development

  • Maintain an active donor pipeline in MonkeyPod.
  • Conduct an average of five donor or prospect meetings each week.
  • Add 3–5 qualified prospects to the CRM each week.
  • Maintain timely documentation of all donor interactions and moves management activities.

Campaigns & Programs

  • Support the planning and successful execution of the annual workplace campaign.
  • Support the development and implementation of new fundraising initiatives that expand donor engagement.
  • Support growth in recurring giving and planned giving initiatives through donor cultivation and stewardship.

Communications

  • Publish a monthly donor or community newsletter.
  • Share at least one impact story or donor communication each week.
  • Maintain consistent communications across digital platforms.

Organizational Impact

  • Strengthen relationships with businesses, volunteers, nonprofit partners, and community leaders.
  • Represent United Way professionally throughout the community.
  • Contribute to a collaborative and mission-driven organizational culture.