Associate Director of Individual Giving and Donor Relations
Central Seminary (Located in the Kansas City metro area since 1901) · Overland Park, KS
FULL-TIME
Posted Sep 30, 2026
Job Description
About Us
Central is a multicultural, multilingual seminary with students learning with us from 35 states and 9 countries. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to creating an inclusive learning environment where students from varied ethnic, geographical, and theological backgrounds can pursue postsecondary seminary education that is accessible, affordable, and relevant.
While our administrative building is in Overland Park, Kansas, the seminary has 8 additional sites in 5 other states and 1 other country. In the fall of 2026, Central enrolled 405 students in certificate, diploma, master, and doctoral level programs, which are currently offered in English, Kachin, and Korean.
In recent years, our seminary has been on the leading edge of providing theological education that is inclusive of technological proficiency, and currently most course offerings are provided virtually.
About the Role
Central Seminary is seeking an Associate Director of Individual Giving and Donor Relations to strengthen relationships with Central’s growing community of donors and help individuals deepen their engagement and investment in Central’s mission. Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, the Associate Director will lead Central’s annual giving, mid-level giving, monthly giving, and donor stewardship efforts, while helping identify and cultivate donors with the potential for deeper philanthropic engagement.
The Associate Director will combine strong writing, relationship building, and project management skills to develop compelling fundraising and stewardship communications that inspire donors to give and stay connected to Central’s mission. This individual will lead annual fundraising campaigns, manage donor communication, and identify and develop stories that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy.
Working closely with the Senior Director of Development, Development Operations Manager, and Senior Director of Brand Advancement and Alumni Engagement, the Associate Director will help ensure that donor communications and engagement strategies are coordinated, compelling, and aligned with Central’s broader messaging and fundraising priorities.
The Associate Director can expect their work to include:
Individual Giving
• Leading the strategy and execution of Central’s annual giving program, including strategies to acquire, renew, retain, and upgrade donors
• Developing and implementing integrated fundraising campaigns across direct mail, email, social media, and other channels in collaboration with Central’s development and communications teams
• Managing a portfolio of mid-level donors, building relationships that deepen their engagement and increase their philanthropic support over time
• Leading Central’s monthly giving program, including strategies to acquire, retain, steward, and upgrade recurring donors
• Using donor data and giving patterns to identify opportunities to deepen engagement, including identifying donors with major gift potential and partnering with the Senior Director of Development to transition those relationships into the major gift program
Donor Relations and Stewardship
• Developing and implementing donor stewardship strategies and experiences that demonstrate the impact of giving, strengthen relationships, and encourage continued support
• Serving as a primary point of contact for individual donors and responding to donor questions and requests in a timely and thoughtful manner
• Partnering with the Development Operations Manager to ensure stewardship activities and donor touchpoints are implemented consistently and effectively
Development Communications
• Developing compelling donor-focused content for fundraising campaigns, stewardship, proposals, email, social media, web, print, and other development needs
• Managing Central’s donor communications calendar to ensure timely, coordinated fundraising and stewardship communications throughout the year
• Identifying and developing stories that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy and connect donors with Central’s mission
• Collaborating with the Senior Director of Development and Senior Director of Brand Advancement and Alumni Engagement to ensure development communications advance fundraising priorities while aligning with Central’s broader messaging and brand
• Reviewing fundraising-related website content and the online giving experience and recommending updates that strengthen donor engagement and giving
Prospect Development and Planned Giving Support
• Conducting prospect research on current and prospective individual donors to identify capacity, interests, connections, and opportunities for deeper engagement
• Partnering with the Senior Director of Development to identify and qualify prospective major and planned giving donors, develop cultivation strategies, and prepare donor research to support relationship building by the Senior Director, President, and other Central leaders
• Supporting Central’s planned giving program by incorporating planned giving opportunities into appropriate donor communications and helping identify prospective planned giving donors
About You
To be successful in this role, you need to be:
• A warm and engaging relationship builder who genuinely enjoys connecting with people and learning their stories
• An exceptional writer and communicator who can translate Central’s mission and impact into compelling donor-focused messages
• A skilled project manager who can manage multiple priorities and deadlines while maintaining strong attention to detail
• A thoughtful and creative fundraiser who looks for opportunities to deepen donor engagement and improve the donor experience
• An inclusive and empathetic professional who works effectively in multicultural and multilingual environments
• A collaborative team member who takes initiative, follows through, and works effectively across departments
You need to have:
• 3-5 years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with demonstrated experience in individual giving, annual giving, donor relations, and/or development communications
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing successful fundraising campaigns across print and digital channels
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to create compelling donor-focused fundraising and stewardship communications
• Experience building relationships with donors or other external constituents; experience managing a donor portfolio preferred
• Experience using a fundraising CRM and donor data to inform outreach, segmentation, and fundraising strategy; Bloomerang experience is a plus
• Bachelor’s degree; theological education is a plus
About Location, Compensation, and Benefits
• In-person three-to-four days a week in Overland Park, Kansas office
• Health, group life, and dental insurance
• Retirement contributions
• Paid time off
• Professional development provided
• The salary for this role is $70,000-$80,000
To Apply:
Interested applicants should submit the following to apply@cbts.edu with “Associate Director of Individual Giving and Donor Relations” in the subject line.
• Resume and cover letter
Central is a multicultural, multilingual seminary with students learning with us from 35 states and 9 countries. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to creating an inclusive learning environment where students from varied ethnic, geographical, and theological backgrounds can pursue postsecondary seminary education that is accessible, affordable, and relevant.
While our administrative building is in Overland Park, Kansas, the seminary has 8 additional sites in 5 other states and 1 other country. In the fall of 2026, Central enrolled 405 students in certificate, diploma, master, and doctoral level programs, which are currently offered in English, Kachin, and Korean.
In recent years, our seminary has been on the leading edge of providing theological education that is inclusive of technological proficiency, and currently most course offerings are provided virtually.
About the Role
Central Seminary is seeking an Associate Director of Individual Giving and Donor Relations to strengthen relationships with Central’s growing community of donors and help individuals deepen their engagement and investment in Central’s mission. Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, the Associate Director will lead Central’s annual giving, mid-level giving, monthly giving, and donor stewardship efforts, while helping identify and cultivate donors with the potential for deeper philanthropic engagement.
The Associate Director will combine strong writing, relationship building, and project management skills to develop compelling fundraising and stewardship communications that inspire donors to give and stay connected to Central’s mission. This individual will lead annual fundraising campaigns, manage donor communication, and identify and develop stories that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy.
Working closely with the Senior Director of Development, Development Operations Manager, and Senior Director of Brand Advancement and Alumni Engagement, the Associate Director will help ensure that donor communications and engagement strategies are coordinated, compelling, and aligned with Central’s broader messaging and fundraising priorities.
The Associate Director can expect their work to include:
Individual Giving
• Leading the strategy and execution of Central’s annual giving program, including strategies to acquire, renew, retain, and upgrade donors
• Developing and implementing integrated fundraising campaigns across direct mail, email, social media, and other channels in collaboration with Central’s development and communications teams
• Managing a portfolio of mid-level donors, building relationships that deepen their engagement and increase their philanthropic support over time
• Leading Central’s monthly giving program, including strategies to acquire, retain, steward, and upgrade recurring donors
• Using donor data and giving patterns to identify opportunities to deepen engagement, including identifying donors with major gift potential and partnering with the Senior Director of Development to transition those relationships into the major gift program
Donor Relations and Stewardship
• Developing and implementing donor stewardship strategies and experiences that demonstrate the impact of giving, strengthen relationships, and encourage continued support
• Serving as a primary point of contact for individual donors and responding to donor questions and requests in a timely and thoughtful manner
• Partnering with the Development Operations Manager to ensure stewardship activities and donor touchpoints are implemented consistently and effectively
Development Communications
• Developing compelling donor-focused content for fundraising campaigns, stewardship, proposals, email, social media, web, print, and other development needs
• Managing Central’s donor communications calendar to ensure timely, coordinated fundraising and stewardship communications throughout the year
• Identifying and developing stories that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy and connect donors with Central’s mission
• Collaborating with the Senior Director of Development and Senior Director of Brand Advancement and Alumni Engagement to ensure development communications advance fundraising priorities while aligning with Central’s broader messaging and brand
• Reviewing fundraising-related website content and the online giving experience and recommending updates that strengthen donor engagement and giving
Prospect Development and Planned Giving Support
• Conducting prospect research on current and prospective individual donors to identify capacity, interests, connections, and opportunities for deeper engagement
• Partnering with the Senior Director of Development to identify and qualify prospective major and planned giving donors, develop cultivation strategies, and prepare donor research to support relationship building by the Senior Director, President, and other Central leaders
• Supporting Central’s planned giving program by incorporating planned giving opportunities into appropriate donor communications and helping identify prospective planned giving donors
About You
To be successful in this role, you need to be:
• A warm and engaging relationship builder who genuinely enjoys connecting with people and learning their stories
• An exceptional writer and communicator who can translate Central’s mission and impact into compelling donor-focused messages
• A skilled project manager who can manage multiple priorities and deadlines while maintaining strong attention to detail
• A thoughtful and creative fundraiser who looks for opportunities to deepen donor engagement and improve the donor experience
• An inclusive and empathetic professional who works effectively in multicultural and multilingual environments
• A collaborative team member who takes initiative, follows through, and works effectively across departments
You need to have:
• 3-5 years of nonprofit fundraising experience, with demonstrated experience in individual giving, annual giving, donor relations, and/or development communications
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing successful fundraising campaigns across print and digital channels
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to create compelling donor-focused fundraising and stewardship communications
• Experience building relationships with donors or other external constituents; experience managing a donor portfolio preferred
• Experience using a fundraising CRM and donor data to inform outreach, segmentation, and fundraising strategy; Bloomerang experience is a plus
• Bachelor’s degree; theological education is a plus
About Location, Compensation, and Benefits
• In-person three-to-four days a week in Overland Park, Kansas office
• Health, group life, and dental insurance
• Retirement contributions
• Paid time off
• Professional development provided
• The salary for this role is $70,000-$80,000
To Apply:
Interested applicants should submit the following to apply@cbts.edu with “Associate Director of Individual Giving and Donor Relations” in the subject line.
• Resume and cover letter
Benefits
- Paid time off
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
Additional Details
- City
- Overland Park
- State
- Kansas
- Country
- US
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