Donor Relations Coordinator

The Donor Relations Coordinator provides high-quality donation and event management, relationship-building, and administrative support to the WonderLab Development Department in a timely, accurate, and professional manner. This position assists and supports The Director of Philanthropy in a multitude of fundraising activities, including individual and household annual giving, special events, corporate and foundation gifts, and grants, to meet the department’s goals and objectives. The Donor Relations Coordinator supports the Development Team on all appeals, solicitations, and stewardship ensuring messaging is consistent with WonderLab’s mission.

Status: Full time (40 hours per week), “flex-time” hourly (Fair Labor Standards Act category: “non-exempt”). This position is primarily on-site with option for remote work.

Reports to: Director of Philanthropy, Leslie Kutsenkow

Key Responsibilities

Development Administration

• Assists Director of Philanthropy in all campaigns, appeals, events, and donor stewardship. 
• Perform daily administrative tasks (filing, scanning, mail, scheduling).
• Organize development files and reports in Google Drive.
• Assist with grant identification, coordination, submission, and reporting.
• Develop creative briefs and clean reports for appeals and donor cultivation.
• Support the preparation of donor reports, including content for annual reports and campaign updates.
• Help generate and implement new fundraising ideas and support a culture of philanthropy.
• Assist in planning and executing direct mail, email, and online appeals, including list pulls, segmentation, merge files, and tracking of responses.
• Maintain a positive, professional presence with staff, Board, donors, and the community.
• Assist Director of Philanthropy in campaign & communications support, including social media, digital and print content.

Donation Management

• Maintain accurate and complete donor records in the CRM, including contact information, biographical details, giving history, and donor reports.
• Update donor information and preferences, including monitoring public records to maintain accurate internal documentation.
• Process all gifts (cash, checks, online, pledges, stock, in-kind), ensuring timely entry, coding, and reconciliation with Business Administration.
• Ensure timely recognition, invoicing, and personalized thank‑you letters/receipts.
• Track donor benefits and support annual appeals and corporate sponsorships.
• Conduct basic research on individual, corporate, and foundation prospects to inform strategies and solicitation plans.
• Maintain development department procedures, documentation, and gift processing policies.

Special Events

• Help plan and execute fundraising events (gala, receptions, adults‑only events).
• Manage auction item acquisition, tracking, promotion, and display ($12,000+ annually).
• Coordinate event committees, meetings, vendors, and venues.
• Maintain accurate event data (donors, attendees, sponsors, sales, donations).
• Prepare event‑related materials for web and print.

Additional Responsibilities*

• Attend cross-functional staff meetings, department meetings, Development Committee, Science Night Out Committee, and occasional board meetings.
• Occasionally support museum floor operations (1–2 shifts per month after probationary period).
• Representing WonderLab at external events.

*As capacity allows and based on organizational needs

Required Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong planning, organizational, and time management skills, with close attention to detail and accuracy.
• Four-year college or university degree, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Ability to work independently in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks, manage workflow, and handle multiple activities simultaneously.
• Friendly, professional, and positive attitude.
• Self-motivated with strong reliability, adaptability, and work ethic.
• High proficiency with computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Google Workspace.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with a small, cross-functional team.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings or weekends for events.
• Basic design experience using templates in tools such as Canva or Adobe Creative Suite.

Preferred Qualifications (Optional but Helpful)

• Experience working in a museum, educational, cultural, nonprofit, or other mission-driven organization.
• Familiarity with Blackbaud Altru or a similar constituent management database.
• Familiarity with Airtable or similar data management systems.
• Familiarity with OneCause or similar event management systems.
• Photography and/or video production experience.
• Strong interest in, and/or background with, fundraising and special events.
• Ability to remain in the position for a minimum of two years.
• Strong knowledge of, and connection to, the Bloomington community.