Stewardship & Recognition Director

Mayo Clinic • Rochester, MN

2d

About The Position

The Stewardship and Recognition Director provides strategic leadership for benefactor relations strategies to advance Mayo Clinic’s fundraising priorities, administer complex gifts and deepen key relationships. This role leads and oversees the stewardship and recognition lifecycle for large and transformational gifts within their portfolios, ensuring an exceptional, innovative, high-touch customized benefactor experience while honoring benefactor intent and advancing institutional priorities. Ensures all stewardship and recognition strategies are grounded in a cultivation mindset, intentionally designed to strengthen relationships, deepen engagement, and support long-term philanthropic partnerships. This may include developing benefactor-specific pre-gift and post-gift stewardship and recognition strategies; operationalizing new large and/or complex gifts in partnership with funding area stakeholders; and ensuring accountability, allocation oversight and timely impact reporting in alignment with benefactor intent. Partners closely with Development staff, including gift officers, to proactively plan and manage benefactor relationships, align expectations, and support solicitation and stewardship strategies throughout the gift lifecycle. Acquires and maintains knowledge and fluency of Mayo Clinic’s business strategy, fundraising strategy and top fundraising priorities, and translates this knowledge into informed stewardship and recognition recommendations for department and executive leadership. Contributes to solicitation strategies for complex gifts and reviews gift agreements. Leads through influence and convenes interdisciplinary teams, including campaign administration, events, communications, creative, digital, data and technology services, finance and facilities to implement creative and innovative ideas that advance excellence, improve operational practices, and enhance the benefactor experience. Leads problem solving and decision-making activities; develops documentation for stewardship and recognition best practices, processes and procedures; and delivers training to colleagues. Maintains and promotes an enterprise perspective in all activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, communications, marketing or related field required.
• Five to seven years of experience in donor relations, communications, marketing, events, healthcare administration or finance.
• At least one to three years of Development experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising required.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills.
• Financial analysis and reporting skills.
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multi-dimensional points of view.
• Demonstrated competencies in leadership and project management.
• Demonstrated competencies in legal agreement development and interpretation.
• Demonstrated ability to function effectively in a consensus-style operation that expects and promotes teamwork.
• Must be comfortable with ambiguity.
• Requires creativity in innovative messaging.
• Must possess the ability to inspire trust and confidence and communicate effectively with internal and external audiences, including Mayo benefactors at the highest levels.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism and confidentiality is essential.
• Must be proficient in the use of information technology and management of database systems.
• Manages time effectively and maintains flexibility to work around tight timelines, which may require work outside of standard business hours.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for benefactor relations strategies.
• Administers complex gifts and deepens key relationships.
• Leads and oversees the stewardship and recognition lifecycle for large and transformational gifts.
• Ensures an exceptional, innovative, high-touch customized benefactor experience.
• Develops benefactor-specific pre-gift and post-gift stewardship and recognition strategies.
• Operationalizes new large and/or complex gifts in partnership with funding area stakeholders.
• Ensures accountability, allocation oversight and timely impact reporting.
• Partners closely with Development staff to proactively plan and manage benefactor relationships.
• Acquires and maintains knowledge of Mayo Clinic’s business strategy, fundraising strategy and top fundraising priorities.
• Translates knowledge into informed stewardship and recognition recommendations.
• Contributes to solicitation strategies for complex gifts and reviews gift agreements.
• Leads through influence and convenes interdisciplinary teams.
• Leads problem solving and decision-making activities.
• Develops documentation for stewardship and recognition best practices, processes and procedures.
• Delivers training to colleagues.
• Maintains and promotes an enterprise perspective in all activities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior