Director of Stewardship

Husson University•Bangor, ME

About The Position

This position provides strategic leadership for Husson University's donor stewardship and recognition program, ensuring donors receive meaningful, timely, and personalized recognition that reflects the impact of their philanthropy. The Director develops and oversees comprehensive stewardship initiatives, including major gift recognition, scholarship and endowment stewardship, donor communications, reporting, and recognition events. Working collaboratively with Advancement leadership, Marketing and Communications, Finance, Student Financial Services, and academic partners, the Director manages naming opportunities, recognition programs, stewardship reporting, and donor engagement strategies while ensuring accurate records are maintained in Raiser's Edge. The Director is responsible for developing innovative stewardship initiatives that strengthen donor relationships, increase donor retention, and support future philanthropic investment in Husson University.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
Master’s degree preferred
Experience managing complex relational databases
Expertise in Microsoft Excel
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Experience with Blackbaud/Raisers Edge a plus

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership for the University's donor stewardship and recognition program, ensuring consistent and meaningful donor engagement across all levels of philanthropy.
Directs the planning, production, and installation of major gift recognition pieces in accordance with donor agreements and University recognition policies, working closely with Advancement leadership, vendors, and campus partners.
Develops and oversees the University's naming opportunity program, maintaining a comprehensive inventory of current and future naming opportunities and recommending strategies to maximize philanthropic support.
Oversees the administration and stewardship of endowed funds, scholarships, and annual awards, including coordination of scholarship recipient information, donor stewardship, and collaboration with Student Financial Services and academic departments.
Develops and maintains stewardship standards and procedures to ensure accurate and timely recognition of all philanthropic gifts.
Provides oversight of the stewardship data and electronic records related to endowed funds, scholarships, naming opportunities, and donor recognition within Raiser's Edge, ensuring data integrity and accurate reporting.
Works with the Director of Alumni Relations and Events on the planning and execution of donor recognition and stewardship events, including scholarship celebrations, donor appreciation events, dedication ceremonies, and other engagement opportunities.
Develops and implements comprehensive stewardship communication plans, including annual endowment reports, donor impact reports, customized stewardship materials, and other communications that demonstrate the impact of philanthropic support.
Works with the Director of Communication on the University's major gift announcement process, coordinating press releases, donor stories, photography, and marketing materials.
Collaborates with Advancement staff to develop individualized stewardship plans for principal and major gift donors.
Provides leadership for donor recognition programs, including giving societies and other recognition initiatives designed to strengthen donor engagement and retention.
Oversees the creation, production, and distribution of donor acknowledgments, tribute communications, milestone recognitions, sympathy and appreciation correspondence, and other personalized stewardship efforts.
Develops and manages systems for collecting student thank-you letters, photographs, and video messages for scholarship donors and other benefactors.
Collaborates with the Advancement Services team to produce stewardship reports, campaign recognition materials, and other special reports for donors, University leadership, and the Board of Trustees.
Maintains electronic and printed stewardship resources, including recognition standards, naming opportunity materials, facility renderings, and stewardship collateral for use by Advancement staff.
Monitors stewardship metrics and prepares reports evaluating donor engagement, recognition activities, and stewardship outcomes to inform future strategy.
Performs other related duties as required or assigned.