Application Guide
How to Apply for Manager, Donor Relations
at Family Equality
🏢 About Family Equality
Family Equality is a leading national organization dedicated to advancing legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families through advocacy, education, and community building. What makes this organization unique is its specific focus on family structures within the LGBTQ+ movement, working at the intersection of LGBTQ+ rights and family law/policy. Someone might want to work here to contribute directly to meaningful social change while being part of a mission-driven team that values both professional expertise and personal commitment to equality.
About This Role
As Manager, Donor Relations at Family Equality, you'll be responsible for creating and executing a comprehensive donor stewardship program that maintains and deepens relationships with supporters of LGBTQ+ family equality. This role is impactful because you'll directly contribute to sustainable funding for advocacy and education programs by ensuring donors feel valued and connected to the organization's mission. You'll serve as a key operational partner to the Development team, managing contracts and supporting high-level fundraising activities with the Board and Development Committee.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve reviewing donor activity in Salesforce to identify stewardship opportunities, drafting personalized communications for major donors, and coordinating with program staff to gather impact stories for donor reports. You could be administering partnership agreements, preparing materials for the Development Committee meeting, and collaborating with events staff to plan donor engagement opportunities around upcoming programs.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Family Equality Is Looking For
- Has 3-5 years of development experience with specific expertise in donor stewardship, relationship management, or CRM administration (Salesforce experience is particularly valuable)
- Demonstrates exceptional written communication skills with samples of both creative donor communications and precise business/contract writing
- Shows genuine passion for LGBTQ+ equality and family issues, with understanding of how donor relations supports movement-building work
- Is process-oriented and systems-minded, with experience improving development operations and a comfort with Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and database management
📝 Tips for Applying to Family Equality
Highlight specific experience with Salesforce or similar CRM systems in your resume, including any customizations or reporting you've developed for donor tracking
Include concrete examples of donor stewardship programs you've created or managed, quantifying results like donor retention rates or increased giving where possible
Demonstrate your understanding of LGBTQ+ family issues by referencing Family Equality's specific programs or campaigns in your application materials
Showcase both creative writing (like donor communications) and technical writing (like contract administration) samples or descriptions in your portfolio
Emphasize your experience working with boards, committees, or high-level volunteers, as this role specifically supports the Development Committee and Board fundraising
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your specific experience developing and managing donor stewardship programs, including how you've tailored approaches to different donor segments", "Your proficiency with CRM systems, particularly any Salesforce experience and how you've used data to inform donor engagement strategies", "Your understanding of Family Equality's mission and how donor relations supports their advocacy and education work for LGBTQ+ families", "Examples of how you've supported senior leadership or board members in fundraising activities, demonstrating discretion and professionalism"]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Family Equality's current campaigns and policy priorities, particularly those related to family recognition, adoption, and parental rights
- → The organization's recent annual reports and donor recognition materials to understand their current stewardship approach
- → Key staff members in the Development department and their backgrounds (via LinkedIn or organizational bios)
- → Recent news about LGBTQ+ family issues and how Family Equality has positioned itself in the movement landscape
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting generic application materials that don't reference Family Equality's specific mission or demonstrate knowledge of LGBTQ+ family issues
- Failing to provide specific examples of donor stewardship program management or CRM experience (particularly with Salesforce)
- Overemphasizing transactional fundraising skills without demonstrating relationship-building and stewardship capabilities
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Family Equality!