Stewardship Officer, Donor Recognition
About The Position
The Office of University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is seeking a collaborative, creative, and detail-driven Stewardship Officer, Donor Recognition. Reporting to the Senior Associate Director of Donor Recognition and Data Systems within the Advancement Communications unit, this role advances campus-wide donor recognition and capital campaign initiatives. The officer works autonomously and partners with frontline fundraisers, the University Architect, UCSF Real Estate, capital project managers, campus wayfinding committees, and other stakeholders to develop naming proposals, manage physical signage fabrication and installation, and steward philanthropic partners across UCSF campuses. The position combines visual design and narrative proposal writing with end-to-end project management. It manages the lifecycle of donor recognition assets and associated data across UCSF locations, ensuring alignment with donor intent, gift agreements, architectural and wayfinding standards, and institutional naming practices. The officer also contributes to strategic planning, develops stewardship materials, maintains databases and workflows, and supports Advancement Communications and Donor Relations initiatives. The role is based at UDAR's 2001 The Embarcadero location in a flexible hybrid environment.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in communications, graphic design, project management, English, marketing, or a related discipline, and/or equivalent experience or training.
- Two to five years of professional experience as an active member of a communications, visual design, or project management team.
- Prior professional experience on a Donor Relations, Stewardship, or Advancement team within a major university, academic medical center, or complex charitable institution.
- Hands-on proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat Pro, for graphic design, document layout, and photo manipulation.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, for business communications, reporting, and data analysis.
- Working knowledge of relational database software and CRM systems, such as Salesforce or Advance, including data entry, maintenance, queries, and reporting.
- Proficiency in English grammar, punctuation, spelling, copy editing, and proofreading, with excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
- Project management expertise, including the ability to independently set, negotiate, and execute priorities under tight deadlines in a multi-stakeholder environment with minimal supervision.
- Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-recognition, and consensus-building skills.
- Ability to maintain strict confidentiality, handle sensitive donor information with discretion, and follow information privacy policies.
- Working knowledge of fundraising, donor stewardship, moves management, capital campaign naming practices, and public relations concepts and techniques.
Nice To Haves
- Working knowledge of UCSF and/or academic medical center infrastructure, clinical mission, research institutes, campus policies, and capital programs.
- Experience reading and interpreting architectural floor plans, blueprints, finish schedules, and construction renderings.
- Familiarity with enterprise workflow and distribution platforms such as Workfront, Paperflite, and Tableau, and cloud collaboration suites such as Box, Slack, and MS Teams.
- Bachelor's degree in a related area such as communications, graphic design, marketing, humanities, or business, and/or equivalent professional experience or training.
Responsibilities
- Advise frontline fundraising officers on capital and programmatic projects by researching, identifying, and pricing philanthropic naming opportunities.
- Develop, design, and write customized donor solicitation proposals and presentation materials incorporating architectural plans, renderings, statistics, and marketing copy.
- Obtain and evaluate architectural drawings, construction timelines, and imaging assets from UCSF Real Estate, Campus Planning, and architectural firms.
- Maintain an up-to-date central inventory of available and reserved naming spaces across campus locations.
- Monitor regional and national trends, peer institutions, and UC system-wide benchmarks for capital naming valuations, policies, and recognition practices.
- Manage the lifecycle of the campus-wide donor signage program for new and existing buildings, research wings, clinics, institutes, centers, and program spaces.
- Oversee design, proofing, and formal approval of donor recognition plaques, environmental graphics, and signage in compliance with campus architectural and wayfinding standards.
- Project manage signage fabrication and installation, including vendor selection, budgets, bid review, facilities coordination, and on-site oversight.
- Conduct proactive physical site inspections across campuses to assess signage cleanliness, lighting, condition, and maintenance before high-profile donor visits.
- Build and maintain a master database of physical signage assets, donor gift agreement covenants, historical records, and relocation or de-naming actions.
- Collaborate with Donor Relations and Advancement Communications colleagues on stewardship deliverables and donor touchpoints.
- Participate in short- and long-range strategic planning for donor recognition and stewardship programs and provide data-driven analyses to management.
- Design and format stewardship reports, donor impact summaries, and custom collateral using Adobe Creative Suite.
- Establish design templates, tracking mechanisms, and workflow efficiencies in project management systems.
- Perform quality assurance, proofreading, and editorial review to ensure compliance with UCSF brand guidelines, gift agreements, and naming standards.
- Provide cross-functional project support for Advancement Communications and Donor Relations initiatives and events.
- Assist with proofreading, copy editing, and quality assurance for urgent department-wide communications.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
