Annual Campaign Manager

ABOUT THE BRIDGE

The Bridge Youth & Family Services provides services to support youth and families in creating emotional wellness, strong relationships, and successful futures. A behavioral health nonprofit based in Palatine, The Bridge serves youth from preschool through age 21 and their families across six townships in the northwest Chicago suburbs. Programs include trauma-focused therapy, ABA therapy, mentoring, case management, family stabilization, and kindergarten readiness initiatives.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Annual Campaign Manager is responsible for The Bridge’s individual giving program, from first gift through renewal and upgrade. The position leads donor acquisition, annual appeals, retention and reactivation, and stewardship; supports the Executive Director in managing major donor relationships; and oversees the integrity of donor data in DonorPerfect.

The Manager works closely with the Executive Director, the part-time database coordinator, marketing and communications staff, and the Advancement Committee of the Board of Directors.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Donor Acquisition

• Develop and execute an annual acquisition plan, including prospect list development, list rentals or exchanges, digital campaigns, and community and event-based outreach.
• Convert event attendees, program partners, volunteers, and board networks into first-time donors.
• Design welcome and onboarding sequences that move first-time donors to a second gift.
• Track cost per dollar raised, response rates, and first-year retention for all acquisition efforts.

Annual Campaign Planning and Execution

• Develop and manage the annual campaign calendar, including year-end and spring appeals, giving days, and a monthly giving program.
• Segment mailing and email lists and set ask amounts based on giving history, confirming ask calibration before each appeal is released.
• Coordinate with marketing and communications staff on appeal copy, design, email, and digital campaigns.
• Monitor results against revenue, retention, and response-rate goals and report monthly.

Donor Retention and Reactivation

• Conduct LYBUNT and SYBUNT reactivation efforts with tailored messaging and follow-up.
• Monitor donor retention and fundraising health metrics against recognized benchmarks.

Major Donor Relationship Support

• Support the Executive Director’s portfolio of major donors, including family and private foundation donors.
• Prepare donor briefings, research profiles, and meeting materials in advance of visits and solicitations.
• Maintain the major gifts pipeline in DonorPerfect, tracking next steps and solicitation timelines and identifying relationships that require attention.
• Draft proposals, gift acknowledgments, and personalized stewardship communications for the Executive Director’s review.
• Identify annual donors with upgrade or major gift potential and coordinate board members’ roles in introductions and follow-up.

Stewardship and Acknowledgment

• Ensure all gifts are acknowledged promptly and accurately, with stewardship appropriate to giving level.
• Develop donor touchpoints, including impact updates, thank-you calls, and program visits, that strengthen long-term donor relationships.

Data Integrity and Reporting

• Maintain data integrity for the development program. Establish and document DonorPerfect standards for gift coding, soft credits, linked household and foundation records, and contact activity logging.
• Direct the gift entry and record maintenance performed by the part-time database coordinator, review work for accuracy, and set priorities around campaign deadlines.
• Conduct regular data audits, including duplicate, flagged, and closed records, missing data, and ask-amount calibration, before each mailing and appeal.
• Reconcile gift records with finance monthly so that development and accounting figures agree.
• Prepare reports on acquisition, retention, campaign performance, and the major gifts pipeline for the Executive Director and the Advancement Committee.

Board and Volunteer Engagement

• Support the Advancement Committee with campaign materials, thank-you call lists, prospect identification, and peer-to-peer outreach.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Three to five years of fundraising experience with direct responsibility for annual giving, direct response, or donor acquisition.
• Demonstrated results growing a donor base through acquisition campaigns.
• Experience supporting major gift officers or executive leadership in donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Strong working knowledge of DonorPerfect or a comparable donor database, including segmentation, reporting, and data standards. Experience directing others’ data entry or auditing gift records is preferred.
• Strong writing skills for appeals, proposals, and donor communications.
• Close attention to detail and commitment to accurate, consistent donor data.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple campaigns and deadlines.
• Discretion and professionalism in handling confidential donor information.
• Commitment to The Bridge’s mission of supporting the mental and emotional health of youth and families.
• CFRE credentials or progress toward it is a plus.

Join us as an Annual Campaign Manager to make a lasting impact through innovative fundraising efforts! Your expertise will help shape the future of our organization while providing opportunities for professional growth in a vibrant nonprofit environment committed to positive change.

TO APPLY

Submit a resume and cover letter to todd@bridgeyouth.org by November 6, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The Bridge provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Pay: $56,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Palatine, IL 60067

Salary : $56,000 - $65,000