ABOUT PROJECT SUN

Project SUN is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the children's behavioral health system of care in the greater Kankakee and Iroquois County region through a coordinated network of services and supports that address the needs of the whole child.

We help parents and guardians learn what to do if their child struggles with emotions, behaviors, or mental health concerns. Using a collaborative approach, we connect families with other parents who have lived experience — building the skills and resources needed to actively participate in care planning and delivery, and educating families on children's behavioral health and wellness topics. Our team works to elevate community knowledge about mental, emotional, and behavioral health issues and advocates for policies and resources to expand these services for children and their families across the greater Kankakee and Iroquois County region.

Project SUN is in an active organizational growth phase. This is an exciting — and important — moment to join our team!

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a high-energy, detail-oriented go-getter to help us build and launch a formal fundraising program from the ground up. This is a startup role — which means you'll have real ownership, real variety, and a direct hand in shaping how Project SUN grows its base of support.

We have a list of community supporters and past donors, though many relationships are warm rather than active — most contact has been limited to e-newsletter communication. Part of this role is re-engaging those connections thoughtfully while cultivating new relationships with individuals, businesses, and community partners.

At 25 hours per week, you won't do everything at once — and that's by design. This role is built to start with the highest-impact work and grow from there. The right candidate will be comfortable setting priorities, working independently, and building toward a full program over time.

This position is designed to grow. As Project SUN's fundraising program matures, this role is intended to expand into a full-time position with opportunities for organizational advancement.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Donor Engagement Coordinator will build and coordinate Project SUN's donor-focused fundraising programs — cultivating relationships with individual donors, business and corporate sponsors, and community supporters from the earliest stages of our development program. This role will establish the systems, communications, and stewardship practices that help donors feel valued, informed, and inspired to give and keep giving.

The ideal candidate is warm, organized, and detail-oriented — someone who is confident writing donor-facing messages, comfortable interfacing with supporters and the public, and energized by the challenge of building something new.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The work below describes the full scope of this role over time. In the first months, priority focus will be on building donor records, re-engaging warm supporters, and establishing gift acknowledgement systems.

Donor Cultivation, Stewardship & Individual Giving

● Audit existing donor and supporter records; identify warm contacts and develop a prioritized re-engagement plan — moving relationships from newsletter-only to genuine two-way connection.

● Build and lead ongoing donor cultivation: identify prospects, initiate contact, and steward relationships through the giving cycle with timely thank-yous, acknowledgements, and meaningful touchpoints.

● Help design and launch Project SUN's first individual giving campaigns — annual appeal, giving day participation, and a monthly giving option — and track results for leadership.

● Support donor retention through a new-donor welcome series, renewal outreach, and lapsed donor reactivation strategies.

Sponsorship & Community Support

● Identify and cultivate prospective corporate and business donors; help develop Project SUN's first formal business giving program with sponsorship tiers and benefits.

● Build and manage a sponsor pipeline; deliver sponsor benefits, coordinate stewardship, and support renewal outreach.

● Represent Project SUN professionally with business and community partners.

Systems, Data, Collaboration & Mission Alignment

● Set up and maintain clean, accurate donor records in Bloomerang — building initial record structures, tagging, segmentation, and gift acknowledgement workflows from the ground up.

● Work with program staff to gather impact stories for donor communications — always with appropriate consent and ethical storytelling practices.

● Engage and support board members in friend-raising and fundraising; build simple tools and low-barrier entry points for board involvement.

● Coordinate with communications and finance staff to align donor messaging and ensure accurate gift documentation and reconciliation.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

● 1-3 years of experience in donor relations, fundraising, nonprofit operations, or a relationship-centered role — or equivalent transferable experience.

● Strong and compelling written communication skills: thank-yous, donor updates, campaign emails, and stewardship content.

● Excellent organizational skills and follow-through; comfortable managing multiple priorities independently.

● Comfort with donor databases/CRMs or a demonstrated ability to learn quickly (Bloomerang experience a plus).

● Professional, warm interpersonal style and ability to represent Project SUN with donors, partners, and community members.

● A self-starter mindset — comfortable with ambiguity and energized by building programs, not just maintaining them.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

● Experience with donor segmentation, stewardship planning, and donor retention strategies.

● Familiarity with gift processing and acknowledgement compliance.

● Experience supporting fundraising events or donor cultivation gatherings.

● Experience launching or building new programs in a startup or growth-phase nonprofit.

● Parent or primary caregiver of a child, youth, or young adult who has experienced significant social, emotional, behavioral, developmental, or mental health needs and received services from one or more child-serving systems (e.g., mental/behavioral health, special education, child welfare, juvenile justice, developmental disabilities).

● Spanish or other language skills a plus.

SUCCESS MEASURES - FIRST 90 DAYS

This is a program-launch role at 25 hours per week. Success in the first 90 days is about building the foundation — not finishing the building.

Donor records audited, organized, and segmented in Bloomerang; basic reporting tools in place.

● Re-engagement outreach underway for warm and lapsed supporters; initial conversations initiated with priority contacts.

● Gift acknowledgement workflow established, tested, and ready for active use.

● Stewardship calendar drafted with key touchpoints and outreach moments mapped for the year ahead.

● First individual giving campaign in development or launched.

● Strong working relationship established with the Executive Director and key staff; clear communication rhythms in place.

Additional program-building milestones — business giving program, board engagement tools, story-collection process — are expected to develop through the first six months as capacity allows.

WORK CONDITIONS AND COMPENSATION

Status: Part Time

Hours: 25 hours/week; negotiable

Compensation: $24-26 (commensurate with experience)

Location: Remote/Onsite Hybrid (Kankakee and Iroquois County Region)

Schedule: Some evening and weekend availability may be needed around events, meetings, or campaign peaks

REPORTS TO

Executive Director, with collaboration from the Board and Development Committee as the fundraising program grows.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and a short relevant writing sample (a thank-you letter, donor email, or similar) to: admin@projectsunkankakee.org.

Application Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through June 12, 2026. Early applications are encouraged.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Project SUN is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse experiences and perspectives and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our staff and the children, youth, and families of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.

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