WESTERVILLE AREA RESOURCE MINISTRY JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Director of Development and Communications
DEPARTMENT: Development and Communications
DATE: May 6, 2025
REPORTS TO: Executive Director
FLSA STATUS: Exempt
Primary Objective:
The Director of Development and Communications is a senior leader at WARM, responsible for planning, executing, and overseeing a comprehensive annual giving and donor engagement strategy that supports our mission of serving families, seniors, and children facing food insecurity. The Director manages all fundraising initiatives related to individual giving, institutional partnerships, donor communications, and philanthropic storytelling. The Director also provides strategic oversight of the Communications Team to ensure compelling, brand-aligned messaging across all platforms that elevates WARM’s visibility, inspires giving, and celebrates impact. The Communications Team will relay the WARM story through powerful, heart-centered communication strategies.
This position is ideal for a strategic, energetic, mission-driven fundraiser with hands-on experience in annual giving campaigns, donor engagement, and content-driven communication strategies.
Nature and Scope:
Reporting to the Executive Director and serving on the Leadership Team, this role collaborates with WARM staff, Board members, church and community leaders, local businesses, and philanthropic institutions. The Director oversees all fundraising operations, philanthropic giving, and communications strategies while utilizing key donor database systems, including DonorPerfect and DonorSearch.
This is a full-time salaried position, working 40 hours per week, with some evening and weekend commitments for event coordination. Hours may fluctuate based on event schedules and planning timelines. The Director will manage a team of three or more employees, interns and/or volunteers.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Annual Giving Strategy and Execution (40%)
• Design and lead WARM’s annual giving strategy including multi-channel donor campaigns, monthly giving programs, and community drives.
• Create and implement long-term revenue diversification strategies, including planned giving, endowments, and recurring giving programs.
• Identify, personally cultivate and solicit new philanthropic opportunities from individuals, local churches, foundations, corporations, and grant funding.
• Lead the execution of all fundraising appeals, including direct mail, email, online giving, Giving Tuesday, Hunger Action Month, and seasonal campaigns.
• Oversee segmentation and donor engagement strategies across all giving levels—entrylevel, mid-tier, and recurring donors.
• Monitor and report on fundraising performance, campaign ROI, donor retention, and donor acquisition using DonorPerfect and DonorSearch.
• Track donor activity, analyze giving trends, and identify prospective supporters.
• Plan and execute fundraising events, third-party drives, and donor campaigns that highlight WARM’s impact in the community.
• Manage the development program budget and collaborate with the Executive Director to plan and set the annual fundraising budget for each fiscal year.
• Ensure timely stewardship including thank-you letters, gift receipts, and impact updates.
• Manage relationships with outside vendors (mailing, printing, digital platforms) and supervise in-house campaign execution.
2. Donor and Community Engagement (30%)
• Cultivate and steward relationships with individual donors, foundation partners, churches, and corporate sponsors.
• Coordinate donor meetings, recognition events, pantry tours, and other stewardship opportunities to connect funders with WARM’s mission.
• Support Board and Leadership Team members in major donor engagement and solicitation strategies by equipping Board and Leadership Team members with talking points, fundraising materials, and coaching to become effective advocates and fundraisers.
• Lead WARM’s sponsorship program and engage local businesses and civic organizations in giving and volunteerism.
• Maintain a portfolio of leadership-level annual donors and personally solicit gifts as needed.
• Work with WARM’s Board of Directors to deepen relationships, collaborate with the Board’s Development Engagement Committee, attend Board Meetings to provide fundraising updates, and solicit and facilitate individual and corporate donations from Board Members.
• Work with the Database coordinator to generate regular fundraising performance reports and donor dashboards for leadership, the Board, and key stakeholders.
• Lead data strategy to ensure CRM system integrity, accurate segmentation, and effective use of donor analytics in alignment with WARM’s program data and mission priorities.
3. Communications (30%)
• Supervise the Communications Team and guide the development of compelling storytelling content, branding, and messaging, ensuring WARM’s brand voice is consistently reflected.
• Lead and manage all aspects of WARM’s communications strategy, ensuring consistency across digital, print, and in-person messaging.
• Develop donor-facing materials including newsletters, annual reports, videos, web content, and social media stories that highlight WARM’s community impact.
• Oversee the design and content of all communications, including newsletters, email campaigns, social media, press releases, and fundraising appeals.
• Lead the production and distribution of emotionally resonant video storytelling pieces for use on social media, website, and donor presentations.
• Serve as spokesperson for media opportunities and manage relationships with local press.
• Lead the development of compelling proposals, stewardship reports, and grant submissions tailored to individual donors.
• Ensure the department develops powerful stories of impact through written and videobased storytelling that illustrate WARM’s mission and client success.
Team Leadership
• Supervise 3-4 staff members across development and communications functions.
• Provide mentorship, training, and performance management to ensure successful team outcomes.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and communications with client services, volunteer, and employment development teams to align fundraising with program impact.
Required Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, fundraising, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years (prefer 5+ years) of experience in nonprofit development and communications.
• Demonstrated success building an annual giving program, and securing grants, philanthropic and major gifts, and corporate sponsorships.
• Strong writing, public speaking, listening, and visual storytelling skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines with creativity and excellence.
• Experience with/managing relational databases.
• Experience producing and distributing video content via social and web platforms.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and digital communication tools (e.g., Canva, Constant Contact).
• Committed to WARM’s Mission, Vision, Values and Faith Statement.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Proficiency with DonorPerfect and DonorSearch systems.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Networking in the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Central Ohio chapter.
• Experience working with food pantries or faith-based nonprofit organizations.
• Past experience overseeing a development and/or communications team.
Work Environment & Physical Demands:
• Combination of office-based, warehouse, and on-site duties with occasional off-site donor visits and event participation.
• Evening and weekend hours required during peak fundraising events, community activities and donor engagement opportunities.
• Ability to lift up to 35 pounds for event or drive setup.
• Daily use of computer systems, donor management software, and visual storytelling tools.
Equal Opportunity Statement
WARM is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who share our mission to serve others with dignity, compassion, and neighborly love.
Benefits:
As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for the following benefits:
• Dental Insurance: Provided under WARM’s group PPO through Principal
• Vision Insurance: Coverage through Principal
• Group Term Life Insurance – Employee: Term Life Insurance
• Group Term Life Insurance – Employee: Accidental Death & Disability
Eligible to participate in WARM’s Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) plan, as detailed in the plan’s guidelines.
Eligible for Paid Time Off (PTO), accrued in accordance with WARM’s PTO policy.
Important Instruction for Applicants:
Please send your resume and cover letter no later than Tuesday, May 20, 2025 to:
Ben Jay
Executive Director
WARM 150 Heatherdown Drive
Westerville, Ohio 43081
OR via email at ben@warmwesterville.org
No phone calls.
We welcome all applicants to showcase how their experience, skills, and passion align with this role. If you have a background in event planning, fundraising, volunteer management or community relations, highlight those strengths. We also encourage individuals early in their careers, career changers, and those with relevant skills to apply. If you are detail-oriented, highly organized, and eager to contribute to a mission-driven organization, this is a great opportunity to grow in a meaningful career. Show us your enthusiasm, problem-solving mindset, and ability to support a fast-paced nonprofit—your unique qualities matter!
