Senior Manager, Foundation Operations & Donor Engagement

Senior Manager, Foundation Operations & Donor Engagement

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Foundation Operations & Donor Engagement serves as a central operational and relationship hub for the USA Triathlon Foundation. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer (CDO), this role ensures the effective coordination and execution of Foundation priorities across donor engagement, stewardship, development operations, events, volunteer programs, communications, and board support.

This is a highly collaborative role that partners closely with frontline fundraisers, Foundation leadership, and cross-functional teams. Rather than managing fundraising portfolios, this position strengthens the systems, processes, and donor experiences that enable effective fundraising, stewardship, and long-term relationship building.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, and service-oriented, with strong judgment and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. This individual operates at the intersection of operations and relationships, supporting donor engagement, CRM systems, events, communications, and cross-team coordination.

A passion for triathlon, endurance sport, and the Olympic and Paralympic movement is strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Foundation Operations & Organizational Coordination (30%)

Serve as the operational lead coordinating Foundation priorities, ensuring efficient execution across teams and departments.

• Coordinate day-to-day Foundation operations, workflows, and cross-functional initiatives

• Partner with CDO and leadership to translate priorities into timelines, deliverables, and execution plans

• Manage project tracking, internal communications, team initiatives, and operational systems

• Coordinate and help run projects across Marketing & Communications, Finance, High Performance, Events, and other external partners

• Support monthly budgeting, expense tracking, reconciliation, and operational reporting

• Maintain SOPs, documentation, and internal planning tools

• Support special projects and organizational initiatives as needed

Donor Engagement & Stewardship Support (25%)

Strengthen the donor experience through stewardship coordination and partnership with frontline fundraising staff.

• Coordinate donor stewardship activities including acknowledgments, pledge reminders, recognition, CEO notes, and impact updates

• Support gift processing workflows, pledge tracking, and donor follow-through

• Partner with fundraisers on moves management support, donor preparation, follow-up, and engagement coordination

• Maintain stewardship tracking systems and donor records

• Support donor journeys connecting supporters to athletes, programs, and impact

• Assist with giving societies, recognition programs, and donor inquiries

• Support donor retention through consistent, high-quality follow-up

Events, Hospitality & Volunteer Coordination (20%)

Lead coordination and execution of Foundation events, donor experiences, and volunteer programs.

• Manage planning and logistics for donor events, hospitality, endurance camps, race-week activations, and other Foundation experiences

• Oversee timelines, vendors, budgets, staffing, registration, and run-of-show development

• Support on-site execution including setup, breakdown, and live coordination

• Coordinate donor hospitality tied to races, Olympic/Paralympic events, and Foundation activations

• Recruit, coordinate, and support volunteers and USAT Foundation Ambassadors

• Manage volunteer communications, scheduling, training, and recognition

• Support athlete engagement opportunities within donor programming

CRM & Development Operations (10%)

Maintain data integrity and support core development operations and reporting functions.

• Serve as operational lead for CRM (Salesforce) data accuracy and donor records

• Coordinate gift processing, pledge tracking, acknowledgments, and reporting workflows

• Support segmentation, mailing lists, event data, and stewardship reporting

• Partner with fundraisers on moves management tracking and weekly reporting

• Generate dashboards and reports for fundraising, stewardship, events, and leadership

• Collaborate with Finance on reconciliation and reporting accuracy

• Support ongoing CRM and workflow improvements

Communications & Storytelling Support (10%)

Support donor-facing communications that enhance engagement and stewardship.

• Develop donor-centered content highlighting impact, athletes, and programs in partnership with marketing and communications

• Gather stories from athletes, donors, volunteers, and other key stakeholders

• Support creation of presentations, donor reports, and board materials

• Ensure consistency in messaging, branding, and donor communications

• Coordinate communications for events, campaigns, and stewardship initiatives

Board & Leadership Support (5%)

Provide coordination support for Foundation leadership and Board of Trustees.

• Support board meeting logistics, materials, scheduling, booking hotel blocks, and communications

• Assist with presentations, reports, and documentation

• Track action items and follow-ups

• Support trustee engagement and stewardship activities

• Facilitate communication between trustees and Foundation leadership

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in nonprofit management, business, communications, sports management, hospitality, or related field.

Experience

• 4-6+ years of experience in nonprofit development, donor relations, foundation operations, or related fields

• Experience supporting donor stewardship and engagement programs

• Hands-on experience with gift processing, pledges, acknowledgments, or donor administration

• Experience partnering with frontline fundraisers (moves management support preferred)

• Experience coordinating events, hospitality programs, or volunteer engagement

• Experience with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred)

• Experience supporting boards or executive leadership preferred

• Sports, Olympic/Paralympic, or mission-driven nonprofit experience strongly preferred

Skills & Attributes

• Strong organizational and project management skills

• Highly collaborative and service-oriented

• Excellent attention to detail and follow-through

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills

• Comfortable engaging donors, trustees, athletes, and volunteers

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

• Analytical mindset and comfort using data for decision-making

• High level of professionalism, discretion, and judgment

• Passion for mission-driven work and sport

Technical Skills

• Salesforce or comparable CRM systems

• Microsoft Office / Google Workspace

• Event tools (e.g., Cvent, Eventbrite)

• Email marketing and communications platforms

• Basic budgeting and reconciliation tools

Additional Requirements

• Based in Colorado Springs, CO or nearby region

• Willingness to travel for events and programs, including evenings and weekends

• Ability to lift and move event materials up to 40lbs

• Ability to stand for extended periods during events