Assistant Director of Donor Relations

Kenyon College is seeking applications for an Assistant Director of Donor Relations in the Advancement division. This is a full time position with benefits.

About Us:  Join our Team

Kenyon College, one of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges, is a small school where academic excellence and a strong sense of community go hand in hand. Kenyon’s beautiful hilltop campus is located in Gambier, OH, 45 miles northeast of Columbus, OH. 

The Advancement division is a high-performing and committed team focused on engaging alumni and parents and raising philanthropic support for Kenyon. We offer excellent work-life balance through a flexible work environment with regular hybrid work possibilities. Professional development is valued: we continually learn new skills, seek to grow in our understanding of the world around us, and explore new strategies and technologies.

About the Position: Do Work that Matters

The Assistant Director of Donor Relations works as part of the Donor Relations team to strengthen the bonds between the College and its supporters by sharing and celebrating the impact of donations. The Assistant Director is an essential partner in both developing strategy and messages and in carrying out the work. The successful candidate will be a motivated, organized, creative individual, who thrives in a positive, collaborative environment and can lead technical innovation within the donor relations team.

Essential Responsibilities:  

• Manage the acknowledgement of significant gifts by the president and vice president through preparing thank you letters and coordinating the process.  
• Share the impact of donations to financial aid scholarships, internships, and summer research, by communicating with students, collecting video messages and letters; tracking responses, and ensuring timely delivery to donors.
• Assist in communicating the impact of professorships and programs by collecting and sharing messages from faculty and administrators. 
• Collaborate and strategize with colleagues to develop effective and meaningful stewardship plans for donor groups, such as Marriott Park members, Third Century Founders, and annual fund donor groups.
• Work closely with the advancement communications team to create customized donor stewardship messaging through videos, email, and print.
• Assist in managing financial information about endowment income and expenditures campuswide, including notifying departments and offices across campus about income available to spend and ensuring donor intent for expenditures.
• Assist in organizing donor events, including a regular dinner for donors, students and faculty to meet in a memorable and meaningful way, as well as other key celebrations. Assists with other advancement events as needed.
• Organize donor meetings with students, faculty and others, whether in person or remote. 
• Manage donor recognition through signage for named spaces and building projects.
• Assists with drafting and sharing gift agreements.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Success Factors

• Strong organizational skills, a comfort with managing multiple priorities and deadlines, and attention to detail.
• Comfort with changing technology and ability to take the lead in developing and managing new processes. Ability to streamline existing workflows as appropriate, incorporating technological advances.
• A strategic focus that supports the alignment of day-to-day work with overarching goals.
• Have a willing and giving attitude with a caring and thoughtful mindset
• Able to develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with colleagues as part of a team, and also work independently with minimal supervision.
• Eager to take initiative, exhibit resourcefulness, enjoy problem-solving.
• Ability to understand and execute complex procedures, involving multiple people.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Proficient in Excel and Google suite. 

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office environment, with the option of a hybrid in-person / remote schedule.
• Work is Monday through Friday, with occasional evening and weekend work required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and three years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
• Excellent writing, editing, and project management skills.
• Experience w