Assistant Director of Donor Relations

Harvey Mudd College•Claremont, CA

4d•$70,304 - $80,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations, the Assistant Director of Donor Relations plays a critical role in executing the College's vision for a world-class donor experience. This position is responsible for the day to day operational excellence of donor recognition, fund compliance, and personalized engagement. The Assistant Director works in close coordination with Advancement Services, Prospect Development, Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Alumni and Parent Relations, Communications, and the Office of the President. The ideal candidate is data-informed and balances high-level administrative precision with the creativity needed to make Harvey Mudd College donors feel uniquely valued.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
At least three years of experience in advancement, donor relations, or a related high-touch customer relations field.
Extraordinary organizational skills and a "zero-mistake" mindset for donor records and correspondence.
Competence in a variety of software programs, with a specific ability to master CRM systems and fund-management tools like FundMiner.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interact confidently with high-profile donors, faculty, and campus leadership.
High level of discretion and personal integrity when handling confidential donor information and financial data.
Ability to work independently and make sound decisions with minimal supervision, including the willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends for donor-facing events.

Responsibilities

Manage the daily stewardship operations of the Advancement Office, ensuring donors receive timely and accurate acknowledgment of their philanthropy.
Draft and coordinate personalized acknowledgment correspondence for leadership donors, trustees, honorary and memorial gifts, endowed fund donors, and other key constituents, ensuring communications reflect the donor's relationship with the College and align with institutional stewardship standards.
Partner with Advancement Services to oversee pledge reminder communications and related donor correspondence, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and donor-centered messaging.
Maintain established service standards for gift acknowledgments and stewardship communications, supporting the College's commitment to prompt and personalized donor recognition.
Coordinate stewardship-related student engagement opportunities and donor events, working collaboratively with students, faculty, and campus partners to create meaningful donor experiences.
Serve as the lead for stewardship-related fund management activities, ensuring donor-funded scholarships, professorships, prizes, programs, and other restricted funds are accurately tracked and stewarded.
Monitor faculty appointments, endowed chair assignments, scholarship utilization, and program activity to identify stewardship gaps, vacancies, unspent funds, or other situations requiring donor communication or administrative follow-up.
Maintain stewardship dashboards and reporting tools that provide visibility into fund activity, stewardship obligations, and compliance-related concerns.
Partner with the Director to develop donor communications regarding faculty transitions, program changes, fund reallocations, or other stewardship-sensitive situations.
Serve as the primary FundMiner administrator, maintaining accurate fund criteria, faculty assignments, student recipient data, stewardship schedules, and reporting information.
Coordinate annual scholarship, professorship, prize, and endowed fund reporting efforts by gathering financial information, impact data, student stories, faculty updates, and other stewardship content.
Work collaboratively with Business Affairs, Financial Aid, Academic Affairs, and Advancement Services to ensure donor intent is honored and stewardship records remain accurate and complete.
Manage the operational aspects of donor recognition programs, naming opportunities, and stewardship commitments across the College.
Maintain inventories and records related to donor recognition installations, plaques, named spaces, endowed positions, and other recognition assets, ensuring accuracy and consistency with donor agreements.
Coordinate stewardship activities and communications for giving societies, including the Legacy Society, Parent and Family Circle, and other recognition groups.
Administer specialized stewardship workflows associated with planned giving commitments, memorial gifts, honorary gifts, and legacy donor recognition.
Support the development and implementation of stewardship materials, welcome packages, membership communications, certificates, and other donor recognition collateral.
Partner with the Director and Advancement Communications to develop compelling stewardship materials that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy on students, faculty, research, and institutional priorities.
Coordinate the collection of stories, testimonials, photographs, financial data, and program outcomes used in donor reports and stewardship communications.
Assist in maintaining stewardship-related web content, digital recognition platforms, donor-facing materials, and other communication channels that support donor engagement.
Support the production of customized stewardship materials and impact reports for major, principal, and campaign donors.
Maintain stewardship data, dashboards, and tracking systems that support donor engagement, reporting obligations, compliance monitoring, and stewardship planning.
Generate stewardship metrics and operational reports for Advancement leadership, identifying trends, upcoming obligations, and areas requiring attention.
Support ongoing stewardship process improvement efforts by documenting workflows, maintaining procedures, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and donor experience.
Assist in monitoring stewardship commitments associated with endowed funds, naming opportunities, campaign gifts, and restricted funds to ensure timely fulfillment of donor obligations.
Serve as a key operational partner in the implementation and optimization of stewardship technologies, reporting platforms, and donor relations systems.
Assist with budget tracking, reconciliation, and reporting for donor relations programs, stewardship initiatives, recognition activities, and related events.
Maintain stewardship calendars, reporting schedules, and project timelines to ensure timely completion of donor-facing deliverables.
Support special projects, campaign stewardship initiatives, donor recognition efforts, and other assignments as requested by the Director.
Represent the Office of College Advancement with professionalism and discretion while interacting with donors, trustees, faculty, students, and campus partners.
As a key campus leader and leader within OCA, support OCA's objective to cultivate and sustain a robust culture of philanthropy that reflects belief and confidence in HMC’s leadership and mission.
Reinforce that every gift supports people and programs across campus, inspiring shared pride and a collective commitment to the College’s future.
Promote a sense of hospitality, giving and generosity, ensuring that individuals understand the vital role of philanthropy in contributing to the College’s success.
Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with key offices and partners across campus, including the President’s Office, the Dean of Faculty Office, Admission, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Financial Affairs, academic departments and centers, and Career Services, to coordinate and amplify engagement opportunities.