Acknowledgement & Donor Stewardship Assistant

United Methodist Church; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The Africa University Development Office, housed in Nashville and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, seeks an Acknowledgement & Donor Stewardship Assistant to support donor relations, gift processing, and stewardship activities. The role requires in-office presence Monday through Friday.

Responsibilities include maintaining donor records, preparing acknowledgment communications, coordinating with staff, and producing donor and scholarship reports and visual materials for fundraising

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of general office administration experience required.
• Experience with donor databases or fundraising software preferred.
• Knowledge of Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Fund Collection software.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint).
• Strong organizational, detail-oriented, and multitasking abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Maintains and updates donor records in the constituent database accurately.
• Prepares and distributes donor acknowledgment letters, emails, and receipts.
• Reviews gift information and ensures donor intent and designations documented.
• Conducts donor stewardship outreach, including thank-you calls.
• Processes online donations via Virtual Terminal, PayPal, and other platforms.
• Compiles scholarship and donor reports, including endowed funds.
• Develops charts and visual reporting materials from donor data.
• Tracks Endowment Fund contributions and receipting.
• Coordinates with staff to support fundraising initiatives.

Skills

Donor databases

Blackbaud Raiser's Edge

Fundraising software

Microsoft Office

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Relationship building

Tools

SharePoint

Fund Collection

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Acknowledgement & Donor Stewardship Assistant

Africa University Development Office

Full Time , On-Site

The Africa University Development Office is seeking an Acknowledgement & Donor Stewardship Assistant and invites inquiries and applications for the position. The Africa University Development Office (AUDO) was established September 1, 1992. It is housed in Nashville, Tennessee and is affiliated with The United Methodist Church. One of the primary goals of AUDO is to raise, maintain, invest, and distribute with accountability the resources for Africa University.

Located in Zimbabwe, the development of Africa University is a consequence of the growth of United Methodism in Africa. The mission of Africa University is to provide quality education within a Pan-African context through which persons can acquire general and professional knowledge and skills, grow in spiritual maturity, develop sound moral values, ethics and leadership qualities.

The Development Office seeks an experienced Acknowledgement & Donor Stewardship Assistant to support donor relations, fundraising operations, gift processing, and stewardship activities. The preferred candidate will possess strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to maintain accurate donor records while ensuring timely donor acknowledgments and communications. This role is required to be in the office Monday through Friday during core working hours.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Maintains and updates donor records within the constituent database, ensuring donor and gift information is accurate, complete, and current.
• Prepares and distributes donor acknowledgment letters, emails, receipts, and related stewardship communications.
• Reviews gift information and coordinates with appropriate staff to ensure donor intent, gift designations, and stewardship requirements are accurately documented.
• Conducts donor stewardship outreach activities, including thank-you calls and follow-up communications.
• Processes and reconciles online donations received through Virtual Terminal, PayPal, and other approved giving platforms.
• Compiles and prepares scholarship and donor reports, including endowed and direct scholarship fund reporting.
• Develops charts, presentations, and visual reporting materials utilizing donor, scholarship, and fundraising data.
• Processes and tracks Endowment Fund contributions, ensuring gifts are properly recorded, acknowledged, and receipted.
• Coordinates with development, finance, and communications staff to support fundraising initiatives and donor engagement activities.
• Assists with special projects, donor events, and other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Three to five years of general office administration experience required.
• Demonstrated experience with donor databases, constituent management systems, or fundraising software preferred.
• Knowledge of Blackbaud Raiser's Edge and Fund Collection software, or the ability to quickly learn these systems.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.
• Functional knowledge of The United Methodist Church preferred.
• Experience handling confidential donor and financial information with discretion and professionalism.

Africa University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks and encourages applications from minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities. All offers of employment are subject to the applicant successfully completing background, reference, and other applicable checks.

Organization: Africa University Development Office