Position & Ideal Candidate Overview:

The Donor Relations Manager and grant support position is part of the leadership team supporting the financial health of the organization. A dynamic, creative, and organized fundraising leader, you will help a mission-driven nonprofit thrive and grow. This position will play a critical role in the fundraising and donor stewardship for Table to Table. We are looking for an outstanding communicator and a community-minded individual who is passionate and enthusiastic about conveying our mission to inspire financial support from organizations and individuals. The ideal candidate is organized, self-motivated, and has a great attitude to contribute to the positive strengths-based culture at T2T. The right candidate is patient and persistent with a successful track record in sales or marketing. As this is a public-facing role, we’re looking for a “people person” who is tactful and enjoys interacting with those of diverse ages, abilities, and backgrounds. If you have these qualifications and want to put your time and energy toward feeding thousands of people in our community, this is the job for you!

The Donor Relations Manager will be responsible for managing and cultivating relationships with current and prospective donors in the areas of major gifts and corporate sponsorships with the goal of increasing fundraising revenue and donor engagement and retention. Tactics include implementing an expanded program for donor engagement, cultivation, recognition, and stewardship through supporting increased personalized communication with past, current and prospective donors, from both household and business sectors through personal visits and communications.

Their role in grant researching and writing coincides with corporate donor development and will play a crucial role in identifying new funding opportunities and crafting compelling grant proposals to secure financial support for our organization’s programs and initiatives. This position requires a proactive individual with excellent research, writing, and organizational skills who can effectively communicate our mission and goals to potential funders.

Employment Status and Work Hours: (Part-time position)

~20 hours per week, one day per week in office during a time that aligns with organization needs. Flexible work from home options for other work hours. This position travels within Johnson County for donor engagement activities.

Pay & Benefits: $28 – $34 an hour commensurate to experience 

Benefit package includes sick leave, employer retirement contribution once eligibility requirements have been met. 

Position Goals and Metrics:

The role of the position has these four primary objectives:

• Increase income from household donors and secure sponsorships/business support.
• Develop and implement a donor relations plan to increase donor retention and identify next steps in moves management
• Complete and submit corporate partner grant applications by deadlines. Track, document, and complete deliverables including reporting as needed.
• Manage ongoing donor cultivation strategies

Revenue goals for the position align with the strategic plan and will be revised annually to align with the capacity and cost of the position.

Desired Education and Experience

• A passion for Table to Table’s mission to bridge the gap between abundance and hunger to increase food equity and reduce environmental harm by collecting and redistributing surplus food through partners to people who can use it..
• Five years of fundraising or sales experience with knowledge of fundraising principles and best practices preferred.
• Experience in grant research and proposal writing, preferably in a nonprofit setting.
• Previous experience with nonprofits, fundraising, development and special events is preferred.
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional project management, organizational and time management skills, with an ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, seeing projects to completion on deadline.
• Must be able to write clear, high-level, accurate and compelling copy for solicitation material, communications with donors, etc.
• Creativity as well as analytical ability to maximize program outcomes and track for strategic and process improvements.
• High ethical standards, discretion, and confidentiality in working with donor information.
• Knowledge of the local business community is preferred
• Ability to work well within a diverse team and across departments.

Necessary Skills and Requirements

• Valid driver’s license and good driving record.
• Excellent public speaking, presentation, and writing skills for the purpose of recruiting volunteers, fundraising, and promoting Table to Table’s mission. Ability to connect with others and forge strong relationships.

Review the complete Donor Relations Manager Job Description 2025

To apply, email a resume and cover letter to hr@table2table.org

Join our team! Iowa Community Corps AmeriCorps Position at Table to Table

Position Summary:

The Local Foods Recovery Coordinator will support seasonal programs that include gleaning, garden recovery, and produce distribution. They will lead and assist in harvesting excess produce from farms and gardens, strengthening relationships with local donors, and organizing pop-up free produce stands with partner agencies. They will also help pilot initiatives to recover food from semi trucks, culturally specific grocery stores, and prepared food providers.

T2T serves as the hub for 60% of the food distributed by Johnson County’s hunger relief network. The best candidate is an energetic team player with strong communication skills who enjoys interacting with people of diverse ages and backgrounds.

AmeriCorps Service Term Options: 

The service term for this position is June through August  – 10 weeks, 33 hours per week.

Work Hours: 

At least threedays Monday-Friday from 8am until noon or 3:30pm with some flexibility. 

An evening a week 3-7:30pm for Free Produce Stands. Other days and times as needed and agreed upon. May include weekend Free Produce Stands, gleaning & volunteer events, farmer’s markets, or outreach events with partner organizations.

About AmeriCorps and Iowa Community Corps:

AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism in the United States. It’s an opportunity for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and their country through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. AmeriCorps members address critical needs such as literacy, health, housing, technology, the environment, economic development, and many other fields. It is a chance to apply your skills and energy toward helping others and strengthening the organizations that make a positive difference in Americans’ lives.

Read more about the Iowa Community Corps program. 

Financial Information, Benefits, & Additional Information:

Minimum Time (300 service hours, est. 33 hours/week over 10 weeks):
Living Allowance: $3,945
Education Award: $1,565.08

Supervision Given By: Table to Table Distribution Coordinator

Qualifications & Competencies:

• Enthusiastic advocate for food rescue, hunger relief, and food waste reduction. 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, maintaining energy through often repetitive tasks. Ability to switch gears quickly and manage multiple tasks concurrently. 
• Ability to work autonomously and perform well under pressure. Detail-oriented & resourceful.
• Functional knowledge and ability to use Microsoft Office and Google Suite.

Licenses & Qualifications:

• Required: Must be able to regularly and repeatedly lift and move 20-40 lbs.
• Preferred but not required: Over 21 with a valid driver’s license for a minimum of 4 years and good driving record (must be insurable under organization liability insurance); willing to drive large vehicles.
• Must be able to use technology including computers, printers, phones, vehicle and refrigeration units, and other equipment. Functional knowledge of computer systems.

Essential Functions:

Local Produce Program Implementation

• Harvest excess produce from farms and gardens 
• Collect excess produce from markets and produce auctions
• Recruit and communicate with farmer- and gardener-donors to increase local food donations
• Recruit and schedule volunteers, including communication of location and time for activities 
• Lead volunteers in gleaning activities 
• Demonstrate best practices for food handling safety 
• Motivate and build up the local farmer- and gardener-donor network through recognition events and outreach 
• Connect with other gleaners in Iowa and build or rebuild gleaning communications and networks
• Track data and evaluate trends around gleaning efforts 

Food Distribution through Free Produce Stands 

• Deliver harvested and prepared produce to local partners in the Johnson County hunger relief network including food pantries & overnight shelters
• Facilitate produce pop-up stands (Free Produce Stands) in neighborhoods & community locations to deliver free produce to food insecure individuals 
• Lead volunteers in setup and tear down of produce stands 

Volunteer & Program Operations Duties

• Recruit and schedule volunteers as needed for gleaning, Free Produce Stands, and food rescue operations 
• Utilize communications tools and create materials to increase public awareness of programs, services & opportunities
• Participate in food rescue program by picking up donations from local partners and delivering/unloading donations at distribution sites 
• Record volunteer feedback and pass on pertinent information that impacts planning and management of food rescue program 
• Unload and organize food received and work with staff to determine the appropriate distribution of food donations
• Track data and evaluate trends: Perform food rescue program data entry & assist with volunteer record keeping through Salesforce

Typical challenges this position will face:

• Frequent interruptions, especially during hours with heaviest volunteer activity
• Last-minute volunteer & logistics scheduling conflicts
• Needing to make sound, quick decisions based upon available information

Work Environment:

• Work is in-person in both an office and warehouse/transportation environment

Interested in learning more? 

Submit a resume and cover letter to Nicki Ross at hr@table2table.org

Table to Table’s Mission Statement:

Table to Table bridges the gap between abundance and hunger. Our mission is to increase food equity and reduce environmental harm by collecting and redistributing surplus food through partners to people who can use it. 

 

Marquis Heard joined the Table to Table team for a 2023 Summer term as our Produce Stand Coordinator and loved it so much that he chose to stay on for a full 11 month Green Iowa service term, completing a total of 14 months of service with us. He used expertly crafted media relations to significantly raise the profile of T2T’s environmental work and dedicated much of his time to developing and refining our Overages, Shortages, and Damages (OSD) program that focuses on rescuing food from rejected truckloads in the area.

Marquis took the time to reflect on his experiences at Table to Table upon completing his final service term.

I began my first AmeriCorps service term with Table to Table in June 2023. During my three month summer term, I was T2T’s Free Produce Stand Coordinator and was responsible for scheduling and leading over 30 free produce stands hosted in Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty. To me, the most memorable aspect of T2T’s free produce stands was the level of community engagement that existed at them. At each stand, it was great to see people connect around produce and share recipes and dishes with each other. It was also nice to see folks stop by the stand and not only take produce for their family, but for neighbors, friends, and others. I feel as if there’s real connection in sharing food with those around you, and that connection goes much deeper than just nutrition. Before I knew it, an entire summer had passed and I had assisted in distributing over 23,000 lbs of produce through the free produce stands. My term was wrapping up around September, and the last thing I wanted to do was move on from Table to Table right as I truly understood a lot of the intricacies that went into T2T and its mission. Fortunately for me, an 11 month Green Iowa AmeriCorps position was available and offered to me which I gladly accepted.

As a Green Iowa AmeriCorps member, my role switched from coordinating free produce stands to wrapping up the gleaning season, and also assisting with developing Table to Table’s OS&D program. Gleaning is the act of harvesting produce that is excess, and may go to waste in the fields otherwise. Table to Table has a strong connection with over 20 local farms and gardens, and these growers contact T2T when there’s produce for the Gleaning Coordinator to arrange to harvest. It was great to see the other side of T2T’s local produce recovery program, to go from distributing the produce at the stands to harvesting and collecting it felt like a well rounded experience for me. I was also able to gain knowledge on how some of the fruits and vegetables I eat everyday are grown, which is something I didn’t take the time to consider prior to my service term. Additionally, I enjoyed forming relationships with all of the local growers, and to see their excitement and passion for growing food, and the amazing volunteers I met on gleans. Table to Table’s local produce recovery is so special because it provides a home for excess produce that growers put so much time and effort into, and that home is directly in the communities it’s grown in. 

As mentioned earlier, I also assisted in developing T2T’s growing OS&D program. Similar to local produce recovery, the Overages, Shortages, and Damages (OS&D) program finds a home for food that gets rejected within the trucking/transportation industry. These rejections can happen for many reasons, the truck brought too much of a product, the wrong product, or a pallet in the shipment was partially damaged so the whole load was rejected. Assisting in developing this program was a really unique experience since I was given the opportunity to start at almost square one, and was able to see the thoughts and considerations that go into creating a new food rescue program. I really appreciated the time and consideration that the OS&D team, and the T2T staff as a whole, put into explaining to me the broader aspects of how decisions within a program are made. Through OS&D initiatives, I assisted T2T in accepting 40,000 lbs of potatoes from a farm in Canada, 30,000 lbs of Rice-A-Roni from a local trucking company, and 16 other rejected loads from semi truck drivers. Overall, the program collected over 82,000 lbs of food that would have ended up in a landfill otherwise. 

I’m now wrapping up my 14th month serving at Table to Table, and would sign up for another term in a heartbeat if I were able to. In my time at Table to Table, I feel as if I’ve gained countless lifelong experiences, both professionally and personally. T2T truly invests in their AmeriCorps members. Food rescue is ever changing, unpredictable, and sometimes hectic, yet staff still take the time to give even the three month members the best experience possible. It was more than a pleasure to be a part of the T2T team.

We are so thankful for the immeasurable impact Marquis had at T2T during his time with us!