Stewardship Director

At Advocates for Life Skills & Opportunity (ALSO), we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live a life filled with choice, dignity, independence, and belonging.

Since 1997, ALSO has partnered with children and adults experiencing intellectual and developmental disabilities to build meaningful lives in their homes, workplaces, and communities. Through residential, supported living, employment, and community-based services, we help people pursue their goals, strengthen relationships, and fully participate in the life of their community.

The Stewardship Director position is an opportunity to build and lead a new function focused on philanthropy, marketing, brand strategy, community engagement, and external affairs. You will serve as a key member of the leadership team, helping increase awareness, strengthen partnerships, grow philanthropic support, and elevate the voices of the people we support. If you're a relationship-builder, storyteller, strategist, and community connector who wants to make a lasting impact, we'd love to meet you.

Why Join ALSO?

This is a rare opportunity to build something from the ground up.

As our Director of Development & External Affairs, you will work directly with the CEO, Board of Directors, community leaders, donors, and partners to shape how ALSO is known throughout Oregon.

Your work will help create opportunities for people experiencing disabilities through:

• Employment and career pathways
• Assistive technology and innovation
• Accessible and stable housing
• Community inclusion and life enrichment opportunities
• Workforce development and support
• Sustainable services for future generations

What You'll Do

Lead Fundraising & Development Strategy

• Develop and execute annual fundraising and stewardship strategies aligned with organizational goals.
• Grow individual giving, corporate sponsorships, grants, foundations, and major donor relationships.
• Build and manage a sustainable donor pipeline from identification and cultivation through solicitation and stewardship.
• Establish fundraising goals, monitor progress, and provide strategic recommendations to leadership and the Board.
• Diversify funding sources to support long-term organizational sustainability.

Own ALSO's Brand Strategy & Marketing

• Serve as the steward of the ALSO brand across all external communications and public-facing initiatives.
• Develop and implement marketing strategies that increase awareness, engagement, and community support.
• Ensure consistency in messaging, storytelling, visual identity, and brand standards.
• Oversee development-related communications including newsletters, campaigns, social media, website content, and promotional materials.
• Strengthen ALSO's visibility and reputation as a leader in disability inclusion and community-based services.

Tell Stories That Inspire Action

• Lead organization-wide storytelling efforts that center dignity, autonomy, choice, and inclusion.
• Elevate the voices and lived experiences of people who choose services from ALSO.
• Collaborate with program leaders to highlight meaningful outcomes and community impact.
• Create compelling donor and community engagement campaigns that inspire action and investment.

Build Community Partnerships

• Serve as a visible ambassador for ALSO throughout Oregon communities.
• Develop relationships with businesses, foundations, civic organizations, government agencies, and community partners.
• Represent ALSO at community events, networking opportunities, speaking engagements, and fundraising activities.
• Identify opportunities to expand awareness, advocacy, recruitment visibility, and philanthropic support.

Lead Events & Community Engagement

• Plan and execute fundraising events, donor appreciation gatherings, sponsorship opportunities, and community engagement initiatives.
• Create meaningful experiences that strengthen relationships and deepen community connection to ALSO's mission.
• Manage event logistics, budgets, communications, sponsorship fulfillment, and post-event stewardship.

Help Build the Future

• Partner closely with the CEO, Executive Team, and Board of Directors.
• Help establish systems, processes, and strategies that create long-term sustainability.
• Build the foundation for a future Development & External Affairs Department focused on fundraising, branding, communications, and community engagement.

What We're Looking For

We know great candidates come from many backgrounds.

You may have experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, marketing, communications, public relations, business development, community engagement, sales, or relationship management.

We're looking for someone who:

• Builds authentic relationships with ease.
• Communicates with confidence and professionalism.
• Thinks strategically while remaining highly action-oriented.
• Enjoys networking and connecting people to a mission.
• Can inspire others to invest in meaningful work.
• Is comfortable serving as a public-facing leader and brand ambassador.
• Believes in inclusion, dignity, and community.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of progressive leadership experience in fundraising, development, marketing, communications, or community engagement.
• Experience managing donor, sponsor, or partner relationships.
• Experience leading fundraising campaigns, events, or strategic community initiatives.
• Strong written communication, storytelling, and presentation skills.
• Experience with donor databases, CRM systems, fundraising software, or marketing platforms.
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel locally for meetings and events.

ALSO Values

Everything we do is guided by our values:

Trust. Teamwork. Innovation. Dignity. Respect. Accountability. Humility.

These aren't just words on a wall. They shape how we support people, work together, and show up in our communities every day.