The Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship will contribute to a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program to help recognize, thank and steward the University’s donors. This individual will play a key role in the overall goal of strengthening fundraising efforts through donor retention. The assistant director is someone who excels at project management, attention to detail, creative inquiry, and collaborative partnerships.

As a member of the Strategy team, the assistant director will support and execute a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship plan, move key donors through the pipeline, educate campus partners about their role in impactful acknowledgments, connect top tier donors with students, and increase retention overall. The assistant director will join an award-winning team dedicated to creative pursuits that increase philanthropy and engagement at Ball State University.

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• In partnership with the director of donor relations and stewardship, increase donor retention year over year overall and within key constituencies and gift bands through execution of a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship plan.
• Ensure all donors (both individually and among constituency groups) are being acknowledged and stewarded in an appropriate and timely manner. This includes recognition items, the University president’s thank you letters, honorary and in memoriam letters, campus partner donor reports, receipts, first time donors, milestone acknowledgements and more. Monitor outcomes for optimal growth in communicating with each persona/group.
• Serve as the Foundation’s point person in creating, managing, and sending donor thank you videos via ThankView and Net Community.
• Coordinate outreach with scholarship recipients for thank you letters and donor meetings. Be proficient in Blackbaud Awards Management software.
• Run reports and queries related to donor impact and assist in the identification of Ball State donors and graduates as related to donor pipeline. Research donors to provide the Foundation’s graduate assistant with key constituent information for the purpose of creating written communications for the University president, Foundation president and the Foundation blog.
• Assist with the execution of Thank a Donor Day and One Ball State Day as they relate to donor recognition, reservations, donor communications and more.
• Supervise a graduate assistant and/or intern responsible for donor relations communications and other key Foundation communications.
• Stay abreast of current and evolving trends in donor relations, stewardship and recognition overall. Connect with peers at other institutions, and proactively participate in webinars and conferences that provide professional growth opportunities.
• Assist with other duties as assigned by the Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship.

Minimum Education: 

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

Minimum Experience:

At least two years of experience in donor relations, annual giving, marketing, sales, project management or related field.

Minimum Other: 

The candidate does not need to be an expert in all areas of development before starting, but they must be organized, motivated, and eager to learn.  Demonstrated ability in working with campus partners, colleagues, volunteers, and/or clients both digitally and in person. Proven ability to work discreetly with sensitive and confidential information. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and be insurable under the university’s auto fleet policy.

Preferred Experience: 

Experience in a university advancement and/or Foundation environment.  Knowledge of Blackbaud (Raisers Edge) and/or Fundraising Performance Management. Strong attention to detail and ability to project manage many tasks at once. Strong interpersonal skills. Strong technical skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office suites. Supervisory experience. Preference will be given to candidates with donor relations, stewardship, and/or annual giving experience.

Ball State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that is strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status or any other legally protected status.

Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana, on an attractive campus 45 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Approximately 22,000 graduate and undergraduate students enroll in one of eight academic colleges that offer 120 undergraduate programs. We offer more than 140 master’s, doctoral, certificate, and specialist degrees, with many of them ranking among the best in the nation. We engage students in educational, research, and creative endeavors that empower our graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives enriched by lifelong learning and service, while we enhance the economic, environmental, and social vitality of our community, our state, and our world.