Community Engagement Advisor

Since 1983, the Catholic Community Foundation has been a key resource in the Catholic community to foster an environment of philanthropy and selfless giving. The Foundation provides tools and resources for individuals and organizations to understand planned giving, complex giving vehicles and providing administrative support. With assets under management of $125M, and nearly $70M of planned gifts, the Foundation is poised to help create a vibrant and sustainable Catholic community. The Foundation’s focus is on cultivating meaningful and deep relationships within the community by assisting donors in growing in their understanding of everything as a gift from God and responding in gratitude by generously sharing their gifts with others.

Position Information:

The Community Engagement Advisor plays a pivotal role in advancing the mission and vision of the Catholic Community Foundation by building meaningful relationships and opening doors within parishes, schools, and nonprofit organizations. This position’s primary focus is on educating and engaging these community institutions in the Foundation’s mission, programs, and financial tools. The secondary focus is fostering a network of professional advisors who can collaborate with the Foundation and introduce individuals to its philanthropic opportunities.

Primary Outcomes:

• Engage and expand relationships within parishes, schools, nonprofits, and individuals integrating them into the Foundation’s programs and financial offerings.
• Develop a referral network of aligned professionals to create mutually beneficial relationships with the Foundation and its mission.

Essential Job Functions

• Primary: Engage parishes, schools, nonprofits, and individuals by introducing them to the Foundation’s programs, offerings, and events:

• Parishes: Establish endowment drives, host educational seminars, develop and execute hybrid campaigns, increase marketing opportunities, and support the creation of savings and endowment funds.
• Schools: Drive endowment initiatives, grow scholarship applications, and support the creation of savings and endowment funds.
• Nonprofits: Promote participation in Shop for a Cause, increase engagement in the granting program, and support the creation of savings and endowment funds.
• Individuals: Building attendance at events, introductions to members of the development team for planned giving or engagement in financial tools.

• Secondary: Cultivate and maintain professional relationships within the advisor community by:

• Educating Advisors about the Foundation’s financial gifts and how they can share these opportunities within their network and business.
• Providing stewardship resources that support their engagement with clients on charitable giving.
• Building cross-functional connections between aligned professionals.
• Manage approximately 30 key relationships, including major gift and planned giving donors, professional advisors, and nonprofit partners, moving each forward in their stewardship journey.
• Conduct proactive prospect identification, cultivation, and outreach to enhance participation in major Foundation initiatives and programs.
• Track and monitor prospect histories through CRM management, ensuring appropriate outreach, follow-ups, and recognition efforts for engaged donors and organizations.
• Support Foundation events by securing sponsorships, hosts, attendance, and personally participating in engagements.
• Develop and implement a structured engagement program for professionals, ensuring meaningful interactions and opportunities for collaboration.
• Work occasional evenings and weekends to represent the Foundation at community events, present at seminars, and participate in outreach activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Self-starter that is passionate about the Faith, and is eager to be successful
• High interpersonal skills with the ability to work independently and the ability to work part of a team.
• Strong networking skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in a diverse community.
• Excellent oral and written communication, computer, documentation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, manage time effectively, and make sound decisions in a deadline-driven, detail-oriented environment.
• Ability to effectively utilize Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
• Demonstrated experience in a position that required exceptional written, speaking, and listening skills.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience/training
• Must have at least 3 years of experience in major donor and gift solicitation.
• Must be able to effectively and accurately make known the Catholic Church’s teachings through the varied ministry activities expected of this position.
• Must be a personal witness to the Catholic faith and religion by living both one’s professional and personal life in accordance with the doctrines and moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, as embodied in the various documents of the Roman Catholic Church, including, without limitation, the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church.

Other Duties

• Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice
• Physical capabilities, including the ability to: push, pull, lift, and carry items up to 30 pounds; sit, stand, bend, stoop, climb stairs, talk, hear, grasp, reach and perform repetitive fingers, hands, and wrists motions.
• Work in an office setting and various venues according to event or activity.
• Vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.