Associate Director, Donor Relations, Reporting

Department

ARD Donor Relations

About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

The Donor Relations team manages and promotes best practices in donor stewardship to enhance relationships with and increase the engagement of the University's alumni, donors, and friends.

Job Summary

The role develops and implements programs with senior leadership and colleagues to lead a comprehensive University-wide donor relations program that enriches the relationship between donors and the University. Plans, organizes, and leads the donor program to recognize, steward, and cultivate individuals in meaningful ways and at different giving levels.

Responsibilities

• Oversees stewardship programs with senior leadership and other colleagues to engage, steward, and create universal, meaningful experiences for donors across the University at all giving levels.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with colleagues across the University. Closely partners on stewardship projects to convey donor impact.
• Becomes proficient in the University’s relationship database by maintaining thorough and timely records and utilizing the data to efficiently produce large-scale stewardship communications.
• Develops and manages communication strategies for donor and volunteer stewardship and engagement.
• Serves as representative and voice of donor, participating in the planning and execution of events and experiences that are donor-centric, strategic, advances overall fundraising goals that are consistent and coordinated across the University.
• Engages with donors remotely and at visits, meetings, and events for the University as needed.
• Educates and trains colleagues on policies and best practices through a variety of communication tools and vehicles including written information, meetings, presentations, and staff training.
• Acts as a key partner and strategist for naming opportunities and donor recognition events such as building dedications.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Guides the creation of University-wide standards on appropriate ways to recognize and steward donors. Uses deep understanding in donor programs to develop policies and quality control guidelines for donor relations programs.
• Has a deep understanding within the areas of recognition, stewardship, acknowledgement, and proposal writing. Sets activity goals and develops the annual operating budget for donor related programs.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Coursework in project management, marketing, communications, or non-profit management.

Experience:

• A minimum of five years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations or similar professional work.
• Familiarity with higher education advancement.
• Managing complex projects.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, including the University's Donor Relationship Management System, Microsoft Windows computer environment, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
• Working knowledge of fundraising, contact management or other database software.
• Analyze, manipulate, and apply data from Excel.

Preferred Competencies

• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, kindness, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a t