Director, Donor Relations & Stewardship

University of Denver•Denver, CO

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Denver (DU) is a private university and the oldest independent university in the Rocky Mountain region, serving approximately 11,000 students. DU is classified as an R1: Doctoral University. The Denver Difference campaign is DU's most ambitious campaign yet, aiming to redefine the university experience and prepare students for success. DU Advancement is building an enterprise that mirrors the institution's excellence and innovation, encompassing alumni engagement, development, operations, and communications. The Donor Relations and Stewardship team is central to DU's philanthropic mission, designing and delivering meaningful experiences to deepen donor engagement and foster lasting relationships. They implement creative stewardship strategies to ensure donors feel connected to DU and confident in their impact. The team works closely with advancement colleagues and campus leaders to uphold high standards, recognize generosity, strengthen trust, and sustain philanthropic commitment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
At least seven years of progressive professional experience.
A minimum of five years of donor, constituent, or member relations experience.
Two or more years of leadership or supervisory experience.
Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and implementation.
Proven ability to proactively prioritize work and effectively manage resources in a dynamic environment.
Demonstrated ability to lead, take action, create solutions, implement plans, analyze results and iterate for maximum positive effect.
Advanced comprehension of financial reports including endowment reporting and familiarity with CRM systems.
Track record of success in creating and executing donor relations and stewardship activities that escalate engagement; ability to develop, plan and implement short- and long-term goals based on program needs.
Demonstrated success in managing and motivating a team.
Passion for innovation and creative thinking; drive to deliver tangible results.
Superior interpersonal skills for developing and maintaining relationships.
Strong communications skills.
Ability to manage time and meet deadlines.
Flexible, highly organized and detail oriented.
Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, with expert proficiency in Excel.
Demonstrated experience working with relational databases and enterprise information systems.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of leadership or supervisory experience
Program and event management experience in a higher education environment or similarly complex, mission-driven organization.
Experience leading initiatives that advance engagement, stewardship, or relationship-based outcomes.
Demonstrated ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution across multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

Serves as the University's subject matter expert on donor relations and stewardship, establishing policies, standards, and best practices that advance a culture of philanthropy and donor-centered engagement across the institution.
Develop strategies to improve the donor experience, increase retention, and promote future giving.
Lead and deliver a comprehensive and donor-centric donor relations and stewardship program for the entire University of Denver donor population through programming that thoughtfully appreciates the University’s philanthropic community and ensures their gifts are stewarded timely and appropriately.
Develop standards for recognition and donor stewardship and provide guidance to campus on best-practices.
Foster a University-wide culture of donor relations and stewardship and work collaboratively with campus partners to craft and execute effective donor relations and stewardship programming.
Provide strategic direction, guidance and accountability for donor recognition, acknowledgements, correspondence and other activities that engage donors and advance philanthropic commitment.
Proactively support gift officers in design and execution of annual and multi-year stewardship plans and impact reports for donors and top prospects.
Oversee annual stewardship reporting, including endowment reports and other stewardship-related financial reports on an annual basis.
Provide comprehensive leadership of the Donor Relations and Stewardship team within DU Advancement, supporting day-to-day functionality and facilitating recruitment, hiring, training, mentoring, evaluation, and professional development of the team (4-6 FTEs).
Effectively manage the Donor Relations and Stewardship operating budget, including monitoring transactions and assisting in budget modeling and forecasting processes.
Represent Donor Relations and Stewardship in Advancement-wide and University-wide settings, ensuring the highest standards of donor care are taken.
Set and lead the strategic use of donor relations and stewardship events to deepen constituent engagement with the University.
Provide vision and strategy for approximately 10–12 high-impact donor events annually, ensuring each event is intentionally designed to strengthen relationships, reinforce institutional priorities, and advance long-term donor engagement and philanthropic outcomes.
Responsibilities include developing strategic invitation and audience segmentation approaches, shaping program content and messaging aligned with fundraising objectives, and leveraging event participation to build, sustain, and deepen relationships before and after each engagement.
Serve as an active and collaborative partner to all advancement partners and other campus colleagues, to foster strategic, effective, and collaborative advancement practices.
Model “One DU” leadership.