Primary Purpose

Develop, implement and supervise a comprehensive donor engagement and stewardship program. Collaborate with fundraising colleagues on developing stewardship plans for annual, major, planned, and principal gifts, including the management of a donor recognition program.

Job Description

The Director of Donor Engagement & Stewardship will be responsible for creating, implementing, & coordinating university-wide comprehensive donor relations & stewardship plan. Collaborate on, & execute effective donor relations events & activities, actively seeking new opportunities for donor outreach. Collaborate on naming & recognition guideline materials for donor acknowledgment & recognition, & work with staff to define, update and create materials for recognition and stewardship opportunities. Serve as donor relations and stewardship resource for staff & train professional colleagues & partners through the UNF Foundation to cultivate and solicit gifts.

• Leading a complex organization with multiple & diverse constituencies through a time of deliberate program evolution and developing internal and external partnerships to support mission and goal fulfillment demonstrating collaboration and an entrepreneurial orientation.
• Developing a coordinated matrix of communication and stewardship strategies involving email, direct mail, phone/mail, personal visitation and volunteer engagement, all focused on shaping a sustainable tradition of annual support.
• Recruiting and maximizing the time and talents of volunteers and leading them towards consensus and excitement over common goals and strategies.
• Developing, and retaining a skilled and empowered team by being a compelling, charismatic leader who has the ability to move a team forward by motivating people with creativity, energy and a sense of humor.
• Generate new ideas, plan, set goals and objectives, implement and follow-through on goals.
• Development of best practices, donor data processes, specific to donor relations and stewardship.
• Communicate effectively, both written & verbally, with all levels of the University community and demonstrate success as an effective leader to create an environment that is conducive to open communication with individuals of varying degrees of involvement with the University and its work.
• Collaborate with development & advancement operations staff to determine best strategies for effective stewardship of donors. Develop intentional strategy for stewarding scholarship and non-scholarship endowments and gifts.
• Executes effective & efficient, donor relations events & activities, actively seeking new opportunities for donor outreach.
• Create an effective donor relations presence on the web & via e-communications & oversee donor relations & stewardship print communications, i.e. annual report, semi-annual donor relations newsletter, stewardship letters, new-donor packets, etc.
• Provide leadership to annual donor/prospect engagement events in partnership with Public Relations (i.e. Celebrate UNF, First Generation Scholarship Luncheon, UNF Foundation Board Events, etc.).

Required Qualifications

A Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in a directly related area of specialization and six years of experience directly related to the job functions; or a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in a directly related area of specialization and eight years of experience directly related to the job functions.

Departmental Requirements

• Extremely important are the knowledge and ability to create, execute and/or support, and oversee a comprehensive campus-wide donor acknowledgement and recognition plan, including advising on complex and carefully orchestrated cultivation events and programs for the University’s major donors.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Position must be able to generate creative solutions for stewarding donors in order to advance UNF’s efforts to maintain and strengthen high-quality individual relationships with donors. This requires an ability to think strategically about donor engagement.
• Excellent social skills, with large groups as well as with individuals, are required.
• Knowledge of mission, services, policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of donor segmentation.
• Detailed knowledge of and commitment to professional standards and practices
• Competence in word processing and database management, preferably including Raisers Edge and other programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent oral and written communication.
• Strong management and planning skills.
• Able to forge strong working relationships with others and a capacity for engaging confidence and trust among donors and friends.
• Ability to conduct personal solicitations and manage volunteers.
• Willingness and ability to work both independently and as part of a team. High motivation for success coupled with diplomacy, tact, and consistent follow-through.
• Willingness and ability to travel and to work occasional evening and weekend hours in addition to the regular weekday.

Required Licensure or Certification

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in a directly related area of specialization and a minimum of three years of progressively responsible professional experience directly related to the job functions. Preference is given to progressively responsible professional experience in development/fundraising, donor relations, stewardship, and/or program management. Related experience may also be considered. (Related experience considered. Related experience may include a combination of fundraising experience, volunteer board management, external sales, external/community affairs, business development, marketing, or experience that involves reaching out to external constituents.