Senior Associate Director of Donor Communications

Position Title:

Senior Associate Director of Donor Communications

Position Type:

Regular

Hiring Range:

$96,600-$115,200.00 commensurate with experience.

Pay Frequency:

Annual

OVERVIEW

University Relations builds Santa Clara University’s excellence and character by strengthening relations with alumni, parents, and friends of the University, raising public awareness, and increasing private philanthropy, which supports the University’s growth and reputation.

The Office of Donor Relations and Communications within University Relations helps nurture lasting relationships between the University and those who support the institution with private gifts.  Donor Relations and Communications develops content for frontline fundraisers that inspires philanthropic investment, and is an active advocate for donor interests. The team fosters the relationship between the University and its donors through proposal writing, gift acceptance and management, acknowledgement, recognition, donor/volunteer engagement, and reporting.

POSITION PURPOSE

Santa Clara University is seeking a talented and experienced Sr. Associate Director of Donor Communications to develop communications that support fundraising and campaign goals. This individual will manage the Assistant Director of Donor Communications. This team will deliver:

• Proposals and cases to support philanthropic investment

• Internal and external communications assistance to the CFR team

• Content for UMC storytelling and Alumni Relations teams

• Appeals and stewardship collateral for the Annual Fund gift acknowledgments and executive communications (for UR VP and president’s office as needed)

• Select donor stewardship pieces

Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations and Communications, this position requires a thoughtful, proactive, and motivated professional with a proven track record in storytelling and persuasive writing, employee management and training, as well as project management, preferably in a development setting. The Sr. Associate Director will be responsible for managing and prioritizing a pipeline of writing requests from a team of major, parent, principal, and gift planning officers, and telling the story of SCU to engage philanthropic prospects and donors.

The successful candidate will be a donor-centric writer-editor, with expertise in strategic communications and an ability to leverage print and digital content platforms.  He/She will gather the facts needed to create compelling and customized donor content and train/encourage/inspire staff to create sophisticated donor collateral.

This position is eligible for a flexible work schedule: hybrid - work from the office and home.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Functional Area

• Manages the Assistant Director of Donor Communications.

• Responsible for proposals and cases for support for gift prospects of $100k+, Annual Fund appeals and stewardship, donor stories and profiles, CFR internal/external communications support, donor stewardship reports for select major/principal donors, and the timely production of presidential and UR VP gift acknowledgements and general correspondence.

• Works closely with the Director of Donor Relations and Communications to set department goals and strategies to achieve and evaluate them.

• Performs independent research and/or conducts interviews with subject matter experts on campus to inform content under tight deadlines.

• Utilizes basic design skills/technology and outside contractors as needed to present visually compelling formats for proposals and cases for support.

• Mentors and provides resources to cross-train donor communications staff and creates guidelines and instruction manuals as needed.

• Responsible for determining cost-effective outside resources and training to ensure professional development and expand editorial skills (especially donor features and appeal writing) of staff.

• Manages the flow and priority of all writing requests.

• Incorporates feedback and manages reviews by various internal and external clients.

• Delivers drafts and final products on time.

• Ensures tone and style are consistent with SCU brand and style guidelines, and collaborates with University Marketing and Communications as needed.

• Ensures editorial quality, accuracy and consistency of all materials produced.

• Participates as an active member of the Office of Development, sharing information and collaborating with colleagues in a respectful and professional manner; contribu