Senior Associate Director of Stewardship
About The Position
The Senior Associate Director of Stewardship leads the strategic planning and execution of donor stewardship initiatives with a primary focus on recognition societies, leadership donor engagement, customized stewardship reporting, and special projects that strengthen donor relationships and advance philanthropic support of the institution. This role develops meaningful, high-touch stewardship experiences and communications that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy, celebrate donor generosity, and deepen long-term engagement. The Senior Associate Director partners closely with Advancement leadership, frontline fundraisers, Donor Relations, Advancement Services, Communications, and campus partners to ensure stewardship efforts are thoughtful, personalized, and aligned with institutional priorities. The position serves as a key architect of donor recognition and stewardship strategy, with responsibility for managing complex projects, creating scalable systems, and elevating the overall donor experience for leadership and principal-level constituents.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
- 7–10 years of experience in advancement, donor relations, stewardship, fundraising communications, or related field.
- Demonstrated experience managing donor stewardship and recognition programs.
- Exceptional stewardship-related writing, production, and project management skills.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Experience in independent schools, higher education, or nonprofit advancement.
- Knowledge of stewardship best practices and donor relations strategy.
- Experience developing donor-centered communications and impact reporting.
- Strong aesthetic judgment and experience collaborating on print and digital materials.
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential donor information with discretion.
- Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills.
- Must be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), and Google Software.
- Must be capable of using visual display terminal with continuous wrist movement on a keyboard
- Required to talk, hear, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms
- Ability to see with normal parameters.
- Operate in a professional work environment
Nice To Haves
- Experience working with leadership and principal gift donor audiences preferred.
- Experience with donor and School databases (especially Veracross and RE) is preferred.
Responsibilities
- Lead strategy and execution for donor recognition societies, including annual and leadership giving societies, as aligned with departmental strategies and CAO directive.
- Develop meaningful engagement and stewardship opportunities for society members.
- Oversee society benefit structures, membership tracking, recognition standards, and communications
- Partner with Advancement colleagues to strengthen donor retention and upgrade strategies through stewardship efforts.
- Oversee work on signage, naming recognition, and commemorative materials.
- Ensure accurate and timely recognition of donors across print, digital, and event platforms.
- In partnership with Director and other team members, participate in the creation and production of customized donor stewardship reports for endowed funds, scholarships, named funds, and leadership donors.
- Develop compelling impact narratives that demonstrate the outcomes of philanthropic support.
- Collaborate with faculty, administrators, students, and program leaders to gather content, stories, financial information, and updates for reports.
- Deliver on annual stewardship reporting timelines, workflows, and quality-control standards.
- Ensure reports and stewardship materials reflect institutional brand and communication standards.
- Lead special donor relations and stewardship projects tied to institutional priorities, campaigns, milestone celebrations, or strategic initiatives.
- Coordinate special recognition events, opportunities, donor experiences, and high-level engagement projects.
- Partner with event colleagues on stewardship-focused events and donor recognition moments.
- Identify opportunities to enhance and innovate the donor experience.
- Serve as a strategic partner to frontline fundraisers and Advancement leadership on donor engagement and stewardship planning.
- Collaborate with Advancement Services on donor data, fund tracking, reporting accuracy, and recognition records.
- Work closely with A&D Communications colleagues to align stewardship messaging and design standards.
- Help establish and document stewardship policies, procedures, and best practices.
- Contribute to campaign and advancement-wide donor relations strategy.
- Manage complex stewardship projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines and maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
- Develop and maintain project plans, editorial calendars, metrics dashboards, and production timelines.
- Coordinate external vendors and partners as needed.
- Monitor relevant project budgets and production schedules.
- Other duties as assigned
Benefits
- health insurance coverage
- paid leave
- retirement plan options
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
