Donor Development Specialist
Indiana Legal Services See More Job Openings by This Employer
- Indianapolis, IN
September 19, 2025
Job Description
Other Expectations
COMPENSATION: Starting salary is $50,562 with a range up to a maximum of $67,324 depending on experience. ILS offers an excellent fringe benefits package including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, Rx), disability insurance, life insurance, a 401(k) plan, a flex benefit plan and generous vacation and sick leave. ILS will pay up to $2,500 in moving expenses if the successful applicant needs to move from another city to assume this position.
Indiana Legal Services, Inc.
Job Announcement
DONOR DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
AGENCY DESCRIPTION: Indiana Legal Services, Inc. (ILS) is a statewide, not-for-profit organization that provides free legal services to eligible clients in civil cases through eight branch offices. ILS is funded by the Legal Services Corporation, Indiana Civil Legal Aid Fund, United Ways, Area Agencies on Aging, and approximately 60 other funding sources.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: ILS is committed to being an equal opportunity employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any category protected by law.
LOCATION: This position is located in the Indianapolis Indiana Legal Services office location with opportunities for a hybrid work schedule.
POSITION: Full-Time Donor Development Specialist
START DATE: As soon as reasonably possible
JOB SUMMARY: Indiana Legal Services (ILS) seeks a strategic and collaborative Donor Development Specialist to grow and manage the organization’s individual and corporate donor programs. This position has primary responsibility for managing the day-to-day execution of donor strategies, including campaigns, stewardship, and prospect identification and cultivation, and plays a central role in coordinating and implementing development operations. The Donor Development Specialist reports to the Chief Development and Communications Officer (CDCO) and works in close partnership with development, program, and the senior leadership team. This is a full-time position (37.5 hours per week). This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Job Announcement
DONOR DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
AGENCY DESCRIPTION: Indiana Legal Services, Inc. (ILS) is a statewide, not-for-profit organization that provides free legal services to eligible clients in civil cases through eight branch offices. ILS is funded by the Legal Services Corporation, Indiana Civil Legal Aid Fund, United Ways, Area Agencies on Aging, and approximately 60 other funding sources.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: ILS is committed to being an equal opportunity employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any category protected by law.
LOCATION: This position is located in the Indianapolis Indiana Legal Services office location with opportunities for a hybrid work schedule.
POSITION: Full-Time Donor Development Specialist
START DATE: As soon as reasonably possible
JOB SUMMARY: Indiana Legal Services (ILS) seeks a strategic and collaborative Donor Development Specialist to grow and manage the organization’s individual and corporate donor programs. This position has primary responsibility for managing the day-to-day execution of donor strategies, including campaigns, stewardship, and prospect identification and cultivation, and plays a central role in coordinating and implementing development operations. The Donor Development Specialist reports to the Chief Development and Communications Officer (CDCO) and works in close partnership with development, program, and the senior leadership team. This is a full-time position (37.5 hours per week). This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Individual Donor Strategy and Stewardship: 30%
- Design and execute strategies for annual, mid-level, and major donor pipelines, with clear segmentation and moves management plans
- Lead donor retention and upgrade efforts, including LYBUNT analysis and targeted stewardship
- Identify and research new individual prospects, build and maintain a robust pipeline, and prepare briefing materials for the CDCO and Executive Director (ED)
- Support the Chief Development Officer and ED in major donor cultivation and stewardship (i.e., manage “up” to ensure that the CDCO and ED are engaged at the strategic level of prospective cultivation, donor stewardship, and major gift solicitations)
- Track and report on donor engagement and satisfaction to inform retention and upgrade strategies
- Build and implement a comprehensive stewardship calendar across donor levels and types
- Collaborate with the Donor Communications Specialist to inform donor communication strategies by providing insight on audience segmentation and messaging concepts to ensure alignment with engagement goals and fundraising priorities
- Partner with communications and program staff to ensure storytelling and messaging reflect mission impact and donor interests
- Personalize stewardship touchpoints and ensure timely thank-yous and acknowledgments
- Monitor donor feedback and giving patterns to continually refine stewardship and communication strategies
- Support the CDCO in engaging the board in individual and corporate fundraising efforts by preparing donor lists, briefing materials, and follow-up plans for board outreach to prospects and sponsors
Donor Development Operations and Systems: 30%
- Serve as project manager for all aspects of development operations related to individual and corporate giving
- Maintain CRM structure to support segmented donor management and accurate tracking
- Create and enforce data entry protocols, including documentation of procedures for the Executive Assistant and other staff users
- Coordinate with the Executive Assistant to ensure timely and accurate entry of gifts and donor information, regular reconciliation with finance, and production and mailing of thank-you letters and tax receipts
- Generate donor dashboards, campaign (solicitation) performance reports, retention analysis, and other reports (such as annual Donor Acquisition, LYBUNT/SYBUNT, etc. ) to support strategic decision-making
- Ensure compliance with donor acknowledgment policies, privacy requirements, and internal tracking expectations
- Identify and help implement tools or technology to improve donor tracking, reporting, and stewardship
Corporate Sponsorships and Partnerships: 30%
- Identify, cultivate, and solicit corporate donors and law firm sponsors
- Develop sponsorship materials and manage fulfillment of sponsor benefits
- Maintain regular contact and reporting for existing corporate partners
- Explore and support development of broader corporate partnerships, such as pro bono and employee giving opportunities
- Identify and research new corporate prospects, build and maintain a robust pipeline, and prepare briefing materials for the CDCO and ED
- Collaborate with Pro Bono Program staff on corporate partnerships strategy
Donor Events and Engagement: 10%
- Participate in all donor-related events including fundraising gatherings, stewardship receptions, and small cultivation events
- Track event performance metrics including ROI, donor participation, and post-event giving
Other Expectations
- Help foster a culture of philanthropy across the organization by modeling donor-centered practices and encouraging staff participation in stewardship
- Professionally represent ILS in communications with funders
- Undertake special projects and provide support to the development department,
- as assigned by the CDCO
- Participate in ongoing training and professional development
- Participate in regular team meetings and collaborate effectively with other members of the development team
COMPENSATION: Starting salary is $50,562 with a range up to a maximum of $67,324 depending on experience. ILS offers an excellent fringe benefits package including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, Rx), disability insurance, life insurance, a 401(k) plan, a flex benefit plan and generous vacation and sick leave. ILS will pay up to $2,500 in moving expenses if the successful applicant needs to move from another city to assume this position.
AI Career Tools
Quickly create a cover letter, get resume help, and more with our free AI tools!
