Donor Relations Manager

Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Gulf of Maine Research Institute

Portland, ME, USA

USD 65k-73k / year

Posted on May 15, 2026
Job Type
Full-time
Description

Job Title: Donor Relations Manager

Supervisor: Annual Giving and Donor Engagement Manager

Starting Salary Range: $65,000-$73,000

Overview:

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 (DRM) creates and implements plans to cultivate donors capable of making major and/or deferred gifts. They conduct meetings with donors and prospects to cultivate relationships and gifts. The DRM provides ongoing opportunities for contact with new and current donors.

The Donor Relations Manager is responsible for the identification, qualification, cultivation and solicitation of major and planned gift prospects through meetings, trips, events, and other activities. Working closely with the Chief Development Officer, the DRM will solicit gifts for annual support and move prospects capable of making gifts of higher amounts into the prospect pool for management by senior fundraising staff and integration into the managed relationship process. They will work on a variety of activities, including providing complex organization and financial program information to prospects and coordinating correspondence and acknowledgments. They use GMRI’s database, Raiser’s Edge, to update donor information, produce reports, conduct analysis, and track and cultivate donors. The DRM understands the influencing factors on donors and the types of assets that may be used for the donor’s giving; applies knowledge to interactions with donors and gift asks and maintains records of such.

Responsibilities/Tasks:

  • Persuasively convey the mission of GMRI to diverse groups who are important to the organization’s overall prosperity.
  • Responsible for an annual fundraising goal of $500,000 or more, along with a goal for bequest notifications.
  • Act independently and in the supervisor’s stead as needed, exercise independent judgment to identify and solve problems.
  • Decisions may have program-wide impact and may bind the organization financially or legally.
  • Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information.
  • Ensure that programmatic commitments, GMRI policies and procedures, financial standards, and legal requirements are met and managed for compliance.
  • Financial responsibilities include meeting fundraising objectives, assisting with the development of a budget, and negotiating and contracting with vendors.
  • Manage a portfolio of 125-175 individual donors with the capacity to make a gift up to $50,000 once the portfolio is developed and be responsible for 125 – 175 visits and 375-525 moves annually.
  • Manage and implement multiple projects, including managing budget, setting deadlines and ensuring accountability.
  • May manage or participate in complex or sensitive negotiations.
  • Travel frequently, work long and flexible hours as needed.
Requirements

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of related experience or an equivalent combination.
  • Experience building relationships with donors, volunteers, and staff.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage and track multiple prospects and donors.
  • Experience working with cross-functional teams.
  • Experience, coursework, or other training in fundraising principles and practices.
  • Major gift and direct fundraising experience.

Other Preferred Qualifications:

  • Ability to determine an individual’s interests, capacity and potential for helping GMRI meet its goals, and act appropriately to tie those interests with GMRI’s work.
  • Ability to educate and inform prospective and existing donors about appropriate giving vehicles.
  • Ability to implement and manage fundraising plans, including individualized cultivation, solicitation, and recognition plans.
  • Demonstrated experience using listening, diplomacy, and tact to build strong relationships and motivate donors and volunteers.
  • Excellent relationship management skills and the ability to work with various stakeholders (both internal and external) at all organizational levels.
  • Knowledge of current trends in charitable giving in the areas of capital campaigns, major gifts, and planned giving.
  • Strong negotiating and organizational skills.
  • Working knowledge of the basics of charitable gift planning.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a broader team.
  • Strong analytical, planning/time-management, and organizational skills.
  • Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
  • Sensitivity, discretion, understanding, and experience working with confidential information.
  • Strong work ethic and impeccable attention to detail.
  • A commitment to working in a diverse and inclusive work environment.
  • Advanced level of proficiency in Microsoft software (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Asana, and Slack.

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 June 12, 2026.

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