Assistant Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations
About The Position
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Office of Philanthropy seeks a Stewardship Officer to lead donor relations, recognition programs, and strategic stewardship initiatives that strengthen long-term philanthropic engagement. This role ensures that UMB delivers a best-in-class donor experience aligned with national CASE standards and institutional priorities. This position reports to the Principal Gift Officer of the University of Maryland Baltimore Central Philanthropy. The Stewardship Officer manages donor communications, reporting, and recognition activities, while coordinating special events, place-based initiatives, and gift focused collaboration with University System of Maryland (USM) institutions. The position requires strong judgment, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to manage high visibility projects. The role also plays a key part in supporting principal gift strategy by identifying, researching, and tracking high-capacity prospects whose engagement may advance UMB’s top philanthropic priorities. The Stewardship Officer also supports stewardship and reporting activities associated with the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), a State of Maryland matching program that leverages private philanthropic support to establish endowed research positions and advance scientific and technical research excellence across Maryland higher education institutions.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Five (5) years progressively building a background in the various philanthropic functions, including at least two (2) years in donor data maintenance, donor support or stewardship, gift administration, or advancement services.
- One (1) year of experience providing work coordination, training, or supervision of others.
- Knowledge of donor relations, stewardship strategy, and CASE standards.
- Strong writing, editing, and communication skills.
- Experience planning and executing complex special events.
- Understanding of place-based philanthropy and community engaged donor strategies.
- Ability to collaborate across USM institutions and navigate system level policies.
- Proficiency with CRM systems and donor databases.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with senior leadership and donors.
- Ability to manage multiple projects with accuracy and attention to detail.
- Commitment to confidentiality and ethical information handling.
- Ability to analyze donor data, synthesize research findings, and identify indicators of principal level philanthropic potential.
- Familiarity with prospect research tools, wealth screening platforms, and data driven fundraising practices.
- Ability to gather, synthesize, and communicate research, academic, and programmatic outcomes for donor stewardship and impact reporting purposes, including support for endowed research programs and MEIF-funded initiatives.
Nice To Haves
- Higher education or nonprofit experience.
- Experience working with principal-gift donors ($1M+).
Responsibilities
- Lead UMB’s high-level donor stewardship and recognition programs, ensuring alignment with national best practices.
- Develop and implement stewardship plans for principal gift donors, endowed funds, and major philanthropic partners.
- Plan and execute high-profile donor stewardship and recognition events.
- Support stewardship components of place-based philanthropic initiatives that emphasize UMB’s impact on Baltimore and Maryland.
- Collaborate with other institutions in the University System of Maryland (USM) and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) on shared stewardship strategies and multi-institution donor recognition.
- Produce donor communications, including impact reports, acknowledgments, and donor stories.
- Maintain stewardship policies, naming guidelines, and compliance with State of Maryland and USM standards.
- Track donor engagement metrics and prepare reports to inform fundraising strategy.
- Partner with development officers, leadership, and communications teams to ensure consistent donor centered messaging.
- Conduct proactive research to identify emerging principal gift prospects, including analysis of giving patterns, engagement indicators, and capacity data.
- Prepare briefing materials, donor profiles, and strategic insights to support the Principal Gift Officer’s cultivation and solicitation activities.
- Monitor stewardship interactions for principal level donors to surface opportunities for deeper engagement or strategic intervention.
- Coordinate stewardship, reporting, recognition, and donor communications for Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF)-supported endowed professorships, research chairs, and related research initiatives.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Retirement program (pension or optional retirement plan/ORP)
- Generous PAID leave package
- Over 4 weeks of vacation accrued each year
- 15 paid holidays
- 3 personal leave
- Unlimited accrual of sick time
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Professional learning and development programs
- Tuition remission for employees and their dependents at any University System of Maryland school
- Flexible work schedules
- Teleworking options (if applicable per job)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
