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Donor Relations Manager, Institutional Giving
Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Portland, ME, USA
USD 60k-65k / year
Posted on Dec 4, 2025
Job Type
Full-time
Description
Job Title: Donor Relations Manager, Institutional Giving
Supervisor: Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving
Pay Grade: 7
Salary Range: $60,000-65,000
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) develops and delivers collaborative solutions to global ocean challenges. We are dedicated to the resilience of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and the communities that depend on it. To learn more, visit gmri.org.
The Donor Relations Manager will be a member of GMRI’s Development Team, which plays a pivotal role in nurturing the philanthropic and community support needed to ensure the long-term success of the organization. Primary responsibilities will include: managing a portfolio of primarily corporate relationships; drafting, editing, proofreading, and assembling a variety of corporate and foundation requests; leading development and execution of corporate sponsor benefits; supporting data maintenance, resource maintenance, and filing related to corporate and foundation grants; supporting corporate and foundation strategies and communications; and prospect research.
This position requires an aptitude for high quality writing, meticulous attention to detail, and creative thinking and program delivery around corporate relationships and strategy. It requires an organized self-starter who can work independently and in close collaboration with other team members, and who can prioritize effectively when faced with multiple competing deadlines.
Responsibilities/Tasks:
- Manage and grow a portfolio of corporate sponsors and prospects, focusing on gifts up to $50,000.
- Secure $500,000 in corporate support annually, subject to adjustment by the Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving and Chief Development Officer.
- As needed, support proposals and other materials for foundation and individual donors.
- Lead the development of a formal corporate engagement and sponsorship program.
- Lead execution of corporate sponsorship benefits.
- Collaborate with others on the Development team, including the Marketing Manager and Marketing Coordinator, to advance a cohesive approach to brand partnerships and corporate giving.
- Collaborate with the Donor Engagement Coordinator and the Institutional Giving team to execute corporate engagement opportunities.
- Be responsible for the writing, revising, and assembly of proposals, concepts letters, and other correspondence that speak to the unique motivations of each potential funder.
- Support data maintenance and entry for the Institutional Giving Team to keep grant-related and corporate-giving information organized and easily accessible.
- Support maintenance of a library of common proposal attachments and work with Development team and Sponsored Projects Office to develop/maintain tools that answer commonly asked questions (e.g., lists of current funders, financial documents, etc.).
- Support the Institutional Giving team with prospect research and correspondence.
- Work with Development Team, program staff, and Finance Team to ensure timely reporting and stewardship communications for Development-initiated grants.
- Assist GMRI’s Development Team with the production of other written communications and special projects as requested.
General Responsibilities:
As part of GMRI’s Development team, the Donor Relations Manager will participate in bi-weekly staff meetings and will support GMRI’s commitment to growing our base of support and increasing public awareness about our institution and mission. The Donor Relations Manager will be expected to be flexible and assist with other tasks that may arise or attend donor events to support production and/or relationship-building, as necessary. The Donor Relations Manager will collaborate with others on the Development, Finance, and Sponsored Projects Office teams to ensure sharing of organizational standard documentation and processes, boilerplate language, and common grant attachments.
Requirements
Required Qualifications:
GMRI depends on the talent and dedication of the people who work here. For this position we seek to hire a bright, highly motivated individual with the following mix of skills and experiences:
- Demonstrated expertise with corporate giving programs, on either the corporate or non-profit side.
- Proven writing ability (3+ years in a professional setting, prior grant writing experience for a science or education organization a strong plus).
- Strong proofreading and editing skills.
- Experience managing competing deadlines and utilizing work management tools (familiarity with Asana is a plus).
- Strong computer skills, including word processing, spreadsheet, desktop publishing, data management software (Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge a plus) as well as internet-based research tools and techniques.
- Working knowledge of prospect research, experience developing prospect cultivation/solicitation strategies (familiarity with foundations a plus), or ability to apply other research skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work easily and communicate effectively with a wide range of people, including corporate staff, foundation program staff, board leadership, fundraising volunteers, and colleagues.
- Self-starter with excellent organization skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage priorities and accomplish multiple tasks in a demanding environment with limited resources and staff support.
- Team player with sense of humor, flexibility, and stamina to accomplish an ambitious vision in a rapidly evolving institution.
- Commitment to advancing and practicing a culture of accountability and integrity.
Other Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience developing and delivering sponsor recognition and benefits.
- Familiarity with local and regional corporations.
- Understanding of the marine, scientific, and/or educational communities/marketspaces.
Diversity and Inclusion:
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) has a long-standing policy and commitment to providing equal access and equal employment opportunities in all terms, conditions, processes, and benefits of employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, family status, veteran status, or any other classification protected by law. GMRI's employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, family status, veteran status, or any other classification protected by law.
Applicants and employees are encouraged to voluntarily provide certain status data to assist GMRI in fulfilling various reporting requirements of the federal government. This self-identification is completely voluntary, will be kept confidential and separate from your application data, and used only to meet certain state or federal reporting requirements. Providing or declining to provide this information will not result in adverse action of any kind.
Salary and Benefits:
Gulf of Maine Research Institute offers a competitive salary and benefits package.
Application Instructions:
All applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the successful candidate has been selected. The deadline to submit applications is December 24th, 2025.