Manager, Donor Relations & Stewardship

Kennedy Krieger Institute•Baltimore, MD

3h•$57,140 - $99,306

About The Position

The Manager, Donor Relations & Stewardship leads Kennedy Krieger Institute’s donor relations and stewardship strategy, ensuring a consistent, meaningful, donor-centric experience across all levels of giving. The role oversees donor recognition programs, naming opportunities, impact reporting, stewardship communications, and related collateral while establishing stewardship standards and best practices. The manager partners with Gift Officers and collaborates across foundation relations, corporate relations, and Board engagement to strengthen donor relationships, enhance engagement, and support long-term philanthropic investment in the Institute.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Five years of progressive experience in donor relations, stewardship, development, philanthropy communications, or a related fundraising field required.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing and leading donor recognition, benefits, or tiered stewardship programs.
Experience working in academic, healthcare, or research settings.
Prior project leadership experience.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead an Institute-wide donor recognition strategy, including naming opportunities across Institute properties and programs, in partnership with leadership, gift officers, and philanthropy colleagues.
Design, implement, and evaluate a tiered stewardship program for donors at all giving levels, using engagement, retention, giving, and program participation data to measure effectiveness and guide improvements.
Align stewardship deliverables and donor recognition with capital campaign gift agreements and timelines; fulfill naming commitments, campaign-specific reporting, and recognition obligations, and track follow-up commitments after campaign close.
Own and periodically redesign the donor benefits program to keep benefits compelling, appropriately tiered, and aligned with donor expectations and sector best practices.
Lead the strategy, content development, and production of donor impact and gratitude reports in partnership with Marketing & Communications and external vendors as needed.
Develop and oversee stewardship collateral and creative content in print, digital, and video formats, including content using platforms such as ThankView.
Set and manage the strategy for donor walls and other recognition displays; coordinate with vendors and internal stakeholders and maintain an accurate inventory of naming opportunities and recognition commitments.
Collaborate with donor services to develop and maintain the Institute’s acknowledgement letter strategy, ensuring donor correspondence is timely, accurate, and appropriately customized.
Partner with Gift Officers to develop and implement annual individualized stewardship plans for assigned donors, including personalized touchpoints, impact reporting, engagement, and recognition aligned with donor interests and intent.
Establish and maintain mandatory departmental stewardship standards and touchpoints, providing resources and guidance to support a consistent donor experience.
Design and execute mass stewardship strategies for the Institute’s broader annual and mid-level donor population.
Lead stewardship strategy and programming for leadership giving societies, including recognition events, communications, and member benefits.
Coordinate with foundation relations, corporate relations, and constituency-based giving colleagues to identify and meet stewardship needs of foundation funders, corporate partners, and constituencies such as WIN.
Develop tailored stewardship approaches for current and former Board members that reflect their leadership and support.
Maintain accurate stewardship records and activity tracking in the CRM, such as Raiser’s Edge, in compliance with HIPAA and Institute policy.
Stay current on donor relations and stewardship trends and bring creative ideas to the department’s stewardship practice.
Supervise and manage contractors or vendors as assigned, providing guidance and quality control on stewardship deliverables.