Business Development Manager

Description

OUR CORE PURPOSE:

As an expression of God’s love in Southwest Florida, we are growing to ensure that no one experiencing hunger, homelessness or addiction is alone or without a pathway for their journey from crisis to contributor. Together with our partners and participants, we cultivate communities where people are progressively seen, accepted, challenged, and supported.

GENERAL SUMMARY

The Business Development Manager is responsible for identifying, securing, and growing strategic partnerships with local businesses to increase financial support, employee engagement, and community involvement. This role serves as a key relationship builder between St. Matthew’s House and the business community, aligning corporate partnerships with our mission to serve individuals experiencing hunger, homelessness, and addiction. The position collaborates closely with development, outreach, and program teams to drive sponsorships, corporate giving initiatives, and employee volunteer programs. St. Matthew’s House is a faith-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization that exists to transform lives in a compassionate and disciplined environment.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Development & Partnership Growth

• Identify, pursue, and secure new business partnerships, sponsorships, and revenue opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with business owners, executives, HR leaders, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) teams.
• Develop tailored engagement strategies to grow long-term corporate partnerships.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for business partners throughout the lifecycle of engagement.

Messaging & Materials

• Collaborate with the marketing and development teams to tailor messaging and materials for various industries and corporate audiences, including event and volunteer engagement.
• Ensure business partners receive customized communications aligned with their goals while remaining consistent with the organization’s voice.
• Support marketing and communications efforts by developing partner-facing content, campaign language, impact updates, and recognition materials that promote engagement and strengthen community awareness.
• Write, design, and manage email marketing campaigns and segmented sequences to cultivate, engage, and steward corporate prospects and segmented partners applying CRM-integrated automation across distinct audience segments.
• Analyze email performance (open, click, and conversion metrics) to refine outreach strategy and improve partner response over time.

Giving & Employee Engagement

• Lead initiatives to increase corporate giving, including sponsorships, employee giving campaigns, and matching gift programs.
• Partner with the Volunteer Experience team to coordinate corporate volunteer days and service initiatives.
• Orchestrate in-kind donation drives with high-performing and high-producing partners, including food, hygiene items, and other mission-critical supplies, from planning and promotion through collection, delivery, and acknowledgment.
• Track contributions and engagement metrics to measure impact and inform future strategies.

Strategic Collaboration

• Work with the Director of Institutional Giving to identify high-impact business prospects and build long-term engagement plans.
• Coordinate internally to align business development efforts with broader fundraising and community impact goals.
• Manage CRM tracking of business contacts, proposals, sponsorships, and engagement history.

Event Participation

• Represent St. Matthew’s House at networking and fundraising events.
• Support event coordination, particularly when business partners are sponsors or participants.
• Promote corporate participation in annual campaigns, drives, and seasonal initiatives.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor's degree in business or other closely related field, or higher.

Experience:

Minimum 3+ years of experience in business development, corporate partnerships, fundraising, or relationship management.

Proven ability to identify and secure new business opportunities.

Strong understanding of business operations and corporate engagement strategies.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a focus on relationship-building and follow-through.

Core Competencies

• Business Development & Sales Acumen
• Strategic Thinking
• Relationship Management
• Initiative and Accountability
• Corporate Communication
• Marketing & Communications
• Collaboration and Coordination
• Professional Discretion 
• Email marketing and marketing automation campaign design, segmentation, A/B testing, and performance analytics
• Proficiency with CRM and email/marketing platforms (e.g., Virtuous).
• Ensures brand integrity by producing partner-facing materials that align with St. Matthew's House’s visual identity, voice, and messaging standards

Working Conditions:

Evening and weekend work required during peak donation seasons and fundraising campaigns.

Local travel required across St. Matthew’s House service areas, using a personal vehicle when necessary. A personal auto insurance limits of at least 100/300/100 carried throughout employment period.

Travel:

Some travel is required for this role. This role is required to maintain primary auto insurance at minimum liability limits of $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury, $100,000 property damage or $300,000 combined single limit. Must be an approved St. Matthew’s House driver.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to facilitate meaningful engagement opportunities for business partners.
• Alignment with the organization’s mission and values.
• Familiarity with local business networks is highly desirable.
• Experience with CRM or donor management systems is a plus.