Donor Care Coordinator (Development & Fundraising Coordinator)

Emberlight: Center for Conscious Living & Dying

Swannanoa, NC 28778, USA

Published: 6/14/2022

Job Description

Now Hiring:

Donor Care Coordinator

Reports to: Development Director

Status: Part time employee, hourly, up to 32 hrs/week with seasonal flexibility

Location: Hybrid. Remote, with at least one day per week on the Emberlight campus in Swannanoa, NC preferred

Area of service: Donors, community supporters, events, and the development team

About Emberlight

At Emberlight, we believe dying is a human passage, one that deserves to be met in a loving way, with presence, care, and community. Emberlight began with a simple question from Ethan Sisser, a young man in his final days: does dying have to be a solitary experience? Today we are the only Omega Home in North Carolina, offering non-medical, community-supported deathcare at no cost to people in their final weeks and months of life. What we learn at the bedside flows outward through our education, trainings, and community programs, part of a growing movement to change how we care for one another at life's most meaningful thresholds.

Our Vision: We Imagine a World Where Every One Awakens to the Power of Love and Service.

Our Mission: Every Day We Practice Ways to Embrace Death and Support One Another With Loving Presence.

Position Summary

The Donor Care Coordinator is the warm front door for Emberlight's community of supporters. Every gift that arrives, from a first donation to a memorial gift in honor of a resident, passes through this role. It is received, recorded with care, and answered with gratitude that feels personal rather than transactional.

This is a detail-rich administrative role with a relational heart. The Coordinator keeps our donor records accurate in Salesforce, processes gifts, supports month-end reconciliation, and tends a high-volume inbox. They also help tell the story of how each gift becomes care, education, and community. Working closely with the Development Director and the Executive Director, the Coordinator supports newsletters, social media, campaigns, grant reporting, and events on our Swannanoa campus.

We are seeking someone who finds real satisfaction in a clean database and a well-organized week, and who also comes alive in conversation with people. Fundraising experience is welcome but not required. A background in sales, marketing, or high-volume administration, paired with genuine warmth, will serve this role well. For someone with strong Salesforce or AI skills, there is room for this role to grow.

Core Responsibilities

Donor Stewardship and Front Door (~20%)

Tend the giving inbox and donor inquiries, answering simple requests and routing others to the Development Director.
Send timely acknowledgments and tribute notifications following Emberlight's Donation Acknowledgement Protocols.
Prepare major gift thank-you letters for the Executive Director's signature.
Prepare and send end-of-year giving statements.
Notice and flag rising and major donors for the Executive Director.

Gift Processing, Records, and Reconciliation (~20%)

Record all gifts in Salesforce and Zeffy, including checks, in-kind gifts, pledges, and tribute, restricted, and Pay It Forward gifts.
Process checks during on-campus days and maintain the deposit record.
Complete monthly reconciliation and closing tasks in QuickBooks with Emberlight's finance team by the 5th of each month.
Sweep giving platforms monthly for gifts and fundraisers to record and thank.
Maintain database accuracy, build reports, and keep fundraising trackers current.

Communications and Campaigns (~20%)

Build and send Mailchimp newsletters, including the event newsletter.
Schedule and post social media content.
Build support materials for membership, end-of-year, and smaller campaigns in partnership with the Development Director.
Help shape the narrative that connects each gift to the work it makes possible.

Events Support (~20%)

Prep and promote events, including listings, registrations, and event newsletters.
Support the full event lifecycle with the Events and Hospitality team, from planning through event day to wrap-up.
Support event days on campus.
Document event income and reconcile registrations and payouts.
Follow up after events on effectiveness and impact, including attendance, income, and attendee feedback.
Help develop virtual events and livestream options.
Events work may grow during seasons when gift processing is lighter.

On Demand Development Support (~10%)

Research prospective funders, pull data, and support grant reporting.
Maintain a grants calendar of deadlines and reporting due dates.
Gather stories, photos, and program data for grant applications and reports.
Pull donor histories and giving summaries before meetings with the Development Director or Executive Director.
Build appeal mailing lists and mail merges, and prepare printed mailings.
Draft first versions of appeal letters, impact stories, and web copy for review.
Keep development webpages and Zeffy donation forms current.
Prepare materials for legacy giving and membership.
Track and deliver sponsor benefits, such as event signage, program listings, and social thank-yous.
Coordinate donor recognition for in-kind and event sponsors.
Keep development supplies stocked, including stamps, letterhead, envelopes, and thank-you cards.
Coordinate donor visits and tours with Operations.

Team Rhythm and On-Campus Administration (~10%)

Hold a regular check-in with the Development Director and communicate clearly about current focus and priorities.
Handle mail, checks, and in-kind gifts during on-campus days.

Ideal Skills and Traits for This Role

Skills and Competencies

Administrative excellence: Organized, efficient, and fast and accurate at typing and data entry.
Attention to detail: A sharp eye for accuracy and a genuine enjoyment of data entry and processing.
Inbox management: Able to manage a high-volume inbox with warmth and speed.
Time management: Strong self-prioritization, with clear communication about what they are focused on, able to work remotely and effectively.
Systems thinking: Organizes information actively, builds useful reports, and sees what matters most.
Relational presence: Warm and friendly. Enjoys talking with people and builds connection rather than completing transactions.
Comfort with death and dying: Comfort with, or fluency in, conversations about death and dying. Deathcare experience is not required.
Mission alignment: Embraces Emberlight's mission and vision, and is excited to support a growing nonprofit.
Technology skills: Salesforce desirable; experience with other CRMs and with building and managing a database also welcome. Other technology tools include Zeffy, Claude, Mailchimp, social media platforms, Slack, and Google Docs and Drive. Must be comfortable and fluent working with AI.
Relevant background: Experience in sales, marketing, or fundraising and development is a strong plus.

Logistics Fit

Hybrid role. On campus in Swannanoa at least one day per week, likely a fixed weekday, with more during event periods. Work from home possible remainder of the time.
Local candidates strongly preferred. We are open to conversations with remote candidates who might need to adjust the on-campus time.
Provides own computer.
Available for a 1 to 3 year commitment, with some irregular hours for events, including evenings and weekends.
Willing to complete a criminal background check.

Compensation

$20-$25 per hour.
Up to 32 hours per week, with seasonal flexibility. Hours are heaviest September through December.

Working at Emberlight

We approach our work with curiosity, creativity, and courage, building on what is already strong, trying new things, and growing together as we go. Human skills are a living practice here. We give and receive feedback with care, practice conscious leadership, and communicate wholeheartedly, even when it is hard.

We are a small nonprofit with a big heart, rooted on beautiful land in Swannanoa among gardens, a labyrinth, and the mountains, where ritual and simple acts of tending are woven into how we care for residents, families, and one another.

Since opening our doors to residents three years ago, Emberlight has grown into more than a home for the dying. We have become a teaching home, a gathering place, and a community learning together how to meet death with love and live consciously. We are moving from a start-up community project into an established, sustainable organization, one built to hold this work for generations. We are calling in people with big hearts who can also bring structure, steadiness, and support to this vision for the long term.

To Apply

Attach your resume as a pdf.
Attach a one-page cover letter sharing why this position in particular calls to you, and how your personal mission statement aligns with Emberlight's vision and mission.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.