Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship

Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship

Job Description

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Reporting: Associate Vice President for Advancement

Summary and Scope of Position:

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Advancement, the Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship leads the College's efforts to cultivate meaningful and enduring relationships with major and principal gift donors through strategic stewardship, recognition, impact reporting and engagement initiatives. The Director develops and executes a comprehensive donor relations program that demonstrates the impact of philanthropy, accelerates philanthropic engagement, and strengthens donor retention, while supporting the College's major and principal gift fundraising efforts and strategic fundraising priorities, including APEX and the Ursinus Fund.

Specific Responsibilities:

Major and Principal Gift Donor Relations & Stewardship

• Serve as a strategic partner to frontline fundraisers and Advancement leadership in the development and execution of donor engagement, stewardship, and recognition strategies that advance principal and major gift opportunities.
• Coordinate customized stewardship materials, including annual impact reports, lifetime stewardship reports, donor histories, campaign updates, and other donor-centered communications.
• Develop and coordinate thoughtful strategies for the acknowledgment, announcement, celebration, and recognition of major and principal gifts in partnership with Advancement leadership and campus stakeholders.
• Maintain stewardship plans and engagement strategies for selected permanently stewarded donors, institutional partners, and other high-priority constituents.
• Upon request, prepare highly personalized executive correspondence, including meeting follow-up letters, congratulations, condolences, milestone acknowledgments, and other strategic communications.
• Develop donor briefings, visit preparation materials, talking points, and follow-up strategies that support executive engagement efforts.
• Accompany campus leaders and frontline fundraisers on selected local and regional donor visits and engagement opportunities to support relationship-building, stewardship, and advancement of institutional priorities.
• Coordinate meaningful interactions between donors and students, faculty, coaches, administrators, and program leaders in support of stewardship, engagement, and fundraising objectives.
• Collaborate with Advancement and campus partners to facilitate signage and donor recognition events.

Impact Reporting

• Lead the development and execution of the College's stewardship reporting program for endowed funds, major gifts, principal gifts, and selected current-use funds.
• Establish annual reporting schedules and ensure the timely delivery of stewardship reports and related communications.
• Collaborate with campus partners to collect, synthesize, and communicate compelling stories of donor impact.
• Develop customized donor communications that demonstrate outcomes, reinforce donor intent, and connect philanthropic support to institutional priorities.

Program Administration

• Maintain systems and processes that support stewardship planning, donor recognition, reporting schedules, and engagement tracking.
• Maintain accurate documentation of stewardship plans, donor engagement activities, recognition commitments, and related communications within institutional systems.
• Partner with Advancement Services colleagues to ensure stewardship activities are documented appropriately and reflected in institutional records.
• Maintain awareness of campus naming opportunities and collaborate with Advancement and campus partners to ensure appropriate donor recognition associated with named spaces, programs, and endowments.
• Evaluate stewardship efforts and recommend enhancements that strengthen donor relationships and support fundraising success.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in donor relations, stewardship, advancement communications, constituent engagement, fundraising, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated understanding of major and principal gift fundraising and donor stewardship best practices.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience drafting executive-level correspondence and donor-facing communications.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior leaders, trustees, donors, faculty, staff, students, and campus partners.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across a complex organization and engage diverse stakeholders in support of institutional goals.
• Exceptional customer service orientation and commitment to providing a high-quality donor experience.
• Demonstrated ability to research, synthesize, and communicate complex information and financial data for donor, executive, and institutional audiences.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines with exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working with donor and stewardship databases and CRM systems, preferably Raiser's Edge.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; experience with Adobe Creative Suite or similar design tools preferred.
• Commitment to professionalism, discretion, confidentiality, and donor-centered service.

Work Environment:

• Ability to sit for extended periods while performing computer-based work.
• Ability to occasionally lift and transport materials weighing up to 15 pounds.
• Ability to travel locally and regionally and attend evening and weekend events, meetings, donor visits, and engagement activities as needed.

Departmental Accountabilities:

• Works collaboratively with colleagues and team members in the Advancement Office and throughout the College. Participates in Advancement Office meetings and other key College staff meetings.
• Provides support to office leadership, as needed, for priority projects.
• Possesses knowledge and experience with computer programs that support the Advancement Department including Microsoft Office programs and Raiser’s Edge.

Other Duties:

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position and are not an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Job responsibilities and activities may be modified or changed at any time with or without notice. Job descriptions are audited periodically by the Ursinus Human Resources department to ensure they are up-to-date and reflect the essential responsibilities and duties of the job.

Ursinus EOO Statement:

Ursinus is an EEO employer. Ursinus College does not discriminate on grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, creed, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, disability, or other classification protected by applicable law in the administration of any of its educational programs or activities or with respect to employment.