Sr Dir, Donor Relations and Stewardship / Development Officer III/S

Working/Functional Title

Sr Dir, Donor Relations and Stewardship

Position Summary

BASIC FUNCTION AND RESPONSIBILITY

University Advancement seeks an experienced and creative leader for the position of Senior Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship. As an integral part of University Advancement, the Senior Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship works to foster lasting relationships between the University and its benefactors, promoting positive attitudes toward giving among current and prospective donors.

This position is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of a high performing, comprehensive, campus-wide donor relations program, in collaboration with Advancement Engagement team leadership and University Advancement Senior Leadership. The position will focus on executing a comprehensive donor relations program designed to increase donor satisfaction and retention to drive fundraising growth; creating and maintaining a positive and professional relationship between the university and its donors, alumni, and constituents; collaborating with various UA units to determine effective gift stewardship strategies; and elevating the overall giving experience.

The Senior Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship manages a staff of professionals with responsibilities in acknowledgments, impact and scholarship reporting, donor recognition, and principal gift donor engagement. This position provides recommendations to Advancement and University leadership on stewardship and donor relations to develop strategic direction, determine priorities, and initiate and monitor the performance of efforts consistent with those priorities. The Senior Director will provide data-informed recommendations to leadership and fundraisers in donor recognition and experiences, develop collaborative reporting approaches with fundraising teams, and work to ensure all donors experience gratitude and understand the impact of their giving. This position has responsibility for conceptualizing and overseeing execution of initiatives that reach principal gift prospects and helps to elevate MSU’s reputation among potential and existing donors.

 

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Drives Donor Relations and Stewardship Strategies for University Advancement:

• Develop strategies to improve the donor experience, increase retention, and promote giving to MSU.
• Conceptualize and implement a quantitative and qualitative measurement system to evaluate the effectiveness and success of all donor relations programs, utilizing the data to improve standards, increase donor retention, and further the success of fundraising goals.
• Collect and utilize qualitative and quantitative inputs from a wide range of collaborators across campus to inform and develop highly customized engagement plans for principal and major gift donors.
• Provide leadership to gift stewardship and donor recognition initiatives for all donors, with an emphasis on effective management of existing recognition societies and the implementation of behavior-based donor programs.
• Collaborate with UA Marketing and Communications to identify and activate areas of integrated opportunities to tell donor impact stories and emotionally connect donors.
• Lead the development and execution of strategic donor recognition and impact events, in collaboration with the UA Events Team and other departments as necessary to ensure success.
• Develop annual departmental goals, objectives, key performance metrics, and associated budget which support the progression of the UA mission.
• Build and strengthen a network for donor relations and stewardship practitioners throughout central UA, colleges and units at MSU. Communicate a vision for the team that aligns with and affirms the overarching goals of the Advancement Engagement team and University Advancement, and provide resources, education, and support to help achieve it.
• Maintain working knowledge of industry best practices and standards to promote departmental longevity and divisional efficacy.

Donor Experience:

• Design, implement, and direct a comprehensive, integrated, and donor-centric donor relations and stewardship plan to build trust and fulfillment through strategic and meaningful contact, experiences, and outstanding hospitality and service.
• Work closely and collaboratively with the senior fundraisers to provide resources, direction, and operations support for their donor relations and stewardship coordinators to create and implement short-term and long-term strategies in alignment with overarching UA donor relations and stewardship programs, plans, and goals.
• In partnership with the principal gift team, develop and execute thoughtful and highly customized strategies for engaging pri