Donor Relations Officer, Mid-Level Giving

WHO WE ARE:
Serving the country’s fourth-largest media market, KERA reaches more than 5 million people monthly through KERA TV, KERA News, KXT, WRR and The Denton Record-Chronicle. For more than 65 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a destination for community engagement and lifelong learning.

As we seek to recognize and reflect our audience and communities, we encourage applicants from all backgrounds and points of view to consider employment opportunities at KERA.


POSITION SUMMARY:
The Donor Relations Officer (DRO) manages and grows a portfolio of mid-level donors, typically in the $1,000–$4,999 range, with a focus on deepening relationships, increasing giving, and qualifying donors for major gifts.

This role serves as a critical bridge between membership and major gifts, applying a scaled relationship management approach to a large portfolio. DROs prioritize donors based on engagement and capacity, delivering personalized outreach where it matters most while maintaining broader programmatic communication across the portfolio.

The DRO is responsible for advancing donors through the pipeline—either toward higher levels of giving and major gift qualification or back into programmatic streams when appropriate.

This position is classified as FLSA exempt, is not eligible for overtime and reports to the VP, Philanthropic Giving.


WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Portfolio Management & Donor Strategy 

• Manage a large portfolio of mid-level donors and prioritize 150–200 active donors at any given time for deeper, personalized engagement  
• Develop and execute individualized engagement strategies for top-tier donors within the portfolio  

Donor Engagement & Relationship Building 

• Conduct discovery calls, meetings, and personalized outreach to understand donor interests, motivations, and capacity  
• Execute 12–24 annual touchpoints per active donor, with increasing personalization based on giving level  
• Build meaningful relationships that lead to increased giving and long-term engagement  

Qualification & Pipeline Movement 

• Assess and track donor signals, including giving trends, responsiveness, and event participation  
• Qualify donors for movement into:  

o    Higher levels of engagement and givingo    Major gifts portfolios

o    Lower-touch, programmatic stewardship when appropriate  

Revenue Growth & Upgrades 

• Drive increases in average gift size across the portfolio 
• Actively solicit gifts and upgrades, particularly toward the $2,500+ and $5,000+ levels  
• Partner with leadership and major gifts team on donors nearing qualification thresholds  

Moves Management & Planning 

• Maintain clear and consistent documentation of donor interactions and next steps in the CRM  
• Develop monthly and quarterly plans for outreach, engagement, and solicitation
• Ensure disciplined moves management practices across the portfolio  

Collaboration & Events 

• Partner with stewardship, membership, and major gifts teams to coordinate donor experiences  
• Participate in and support donor events as a tool for engagement and qualification  
• Collaborate with data and analytics staff to refine portfolio strategy                                                

What Success Looks Like in This Role: 

• Growth in average gift size across the portfolio  
• Increased number of donors reaching $2,500+ and $5,000+ giving levels  
• Strong pipeline of qualified donors moving into major gifts  
• Effective portfolio management, with clear prioritization and movement of donors 
  
  

As a KERA employee:    

• Work in a manner that is consistent with KERA’s mission, vision and values; and maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures 
• Participate in fundraising activities as needed and assigned
• Perform additional duties as assigned 

This list of job duties is not exhaustive and is subject to regular reviews and updates  


WHAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL:
We believe a strong organization includes employees from a range of backgrounds, with different skills, experiences, and passions. If you don't meet every job qualification but have some of these skills and think you’re the right person for the job, we'd like to hear from you. Please apply and tell us more about yourself.

• 4–6+ years of experience in fundraising, donor relations, or sales
• Experience managing donor or client portfolios with a focus on relationship-building and revenue growth
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and rapport
• Ability to balance personalized engagement with scaled portfolio management
• Data-informed and strategic in prioritizing time and outreach
• Experience with CRM systems and moves management practices  

BONUS IF YOU BRING:

• Passion for public media

SALARY RANGE
$75,000 - $85,000 annually, depending on experience


BENEFITS

• Generous vacation (3 weeks), sick (8 days), personal time (2 days) and holidays (11)
• Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance
• KERA-paid short and long-term disability, basic life insurance and AD&D insurance
• Flexible scheduling and hybrid work environment
• 401k plan with KERA-contribution after 6 months
• Robust employee assistance program available to the employee and all members of their household
• Strong company culture focused on connection, belonging and professional growth
  
  

LOCATION:
We expect that this position will work out of our Dallas office at least 50% of the time. (Equivalent to 20 hours per week)

Time in office requirements are subject to change based on the needs of KERA and/or the position.


HOW TO APPLY:

• Complete the application on KERA’s employment page.
• Add an optional cover letter indicating why you’re excited about joining the KERA team.
  
  

APPLICATION TIMELINE:
We generally close roles 2-4 weeks after posting. The hiring process may continue for several weeks after the closing of the role depending on the number of applicants.


KERA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
KERA believes that diversity is important to our success. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.