Director of Donor Relations

Grinnell College•Grinnell, IA

About The Position

The Director of Donor Relations designs, implements, and directs an integrated donor relations and stewardship program that promotes meaningful interaction, connection, and recognition for donors at all levels. The role leads a multi-year plan to strengthen donor engagement, communicate the impact of philanthropy, and advance institutional priorities, including personalized strategies for the College’s most generous donors. The Director leads a collaborative donor relations team and helps build an engaged culture of philanthropy across campus. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Relations, the position works closely with the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, other DAR assistant vice presidents, gift officers, the President’s Office, the Dean’s Office, and academic and administrative department leaders. Grinnell College is a private liberal arts institution that values diversity, equity, inclusion, intellectual freedom, and social responsibility. The College seeks candidates who can advance these values and belonging within its community and the communities it engages.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in a related field.
7–10 years of relevant professional experience in donor relations, stewardship, advancement, fundraising, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing donor engagement and stewardship programs, including personalized strategies, impact reporting, and donor recognition.
Experience supervising staff and/or managing complex projects and collaborating with senior leaders and colleagues across an organization.
Strong strategic planning, project management, and organizational skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
Excellent writing, editing, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to translate financial and program information into clear, compelling donor communications.
Sound judgment, discretion, and attention to detail when handling confidential donor, financial, and recipient information.
Ability to build effective relationships with donors, colleagues, institutional leaders, faculty, staff, and volunteers.
Ability to interpret gift agreements and fund information, coordinate with appropriate campus partners, and uphold donor intent and established College guidelines.
Proficiency with common office applications, reporting tools, and donor database systems; ability to use data and feedback to assess and improve programs.
Commitment to inclusive engagement and ability to work effectively with individuals from varied backgrounds and perspectives.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education advancement or a similarly complex nonprofit environment.
Experience with endowed and restricted fund reporting, donor recognition societies, and stewardship of major or principal gifts.
Experience using advancement databases or constituent relationship management systems to support donor communications, reporting, and program planning.

Responsibilities

Oversee donor relations and philanthropic gift stewardship to strengthen donor retention, engagement, and long-term philanthropic investment, including personalized strategies for the College’s most generous donors.
Develop an understanding of the donor community and design, implement, and manage strategic donor plans that include gift stewardship, personalized communication, and impact reporting.
Collaborate with gift officers, DAR leadership, and the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations to deliver programming that communicates gratitude and impact through broad outreach and individual engagement.
Serve as a liaison to donor groups, including the Asa Turner Society and Founders’, Tower, Dean’s, and President’s Circle societies, coordinating specialized communications and stewardship efforts.
Oversee the annual Fund Reporting Program, ensuring donors of designated and endowed funds receive accurate financial and recipient information, and coordinate donor and recipient gatherings with gift officers.
Oversee donor recognition programs, including named spaces, giving communities and societies, and recognition events, ensuring consistency and adherence to established guidelines.
Collaborate with DAR colleagues to create and manage policies, standards, templates, processes, and protocols for donor acknowledgments, gift stewardship, stewardship reporting, and fund reporting.
Develop content and oversee regular and annual gift acknowledgment processes with the DAR Operations team, including acknowledgments from senior College leaders.
Partner with academic and administrative departments to establish consistent donor relations and stewardship practices across campus and build an engaged culture of philanthropy.
Address donor questions and concerns regarding fund administration, beneficiaries, gift acknowledgments, and reporting requirements.
Monitor program effectiveness, reporting timelines, and donor feedback to identify opportunities for improvement and maintain accurate, timely stewardship communications.
Manage staffing, workflow, performance, and professional development for the donor relations team; establish annual work plans, priorities, and standards and monitor progress toward goals.
Support Reunion and other campus and regional events as a member of the DAR team.
Participate in campus, volunteer, and office committees as needed and perform other related duties as assigned.