Assistant Director of Donor Relations

Bates; Lewiston (ME); On-site; USD 54,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Bates College seeks an Assistant Director of Donor Relations in Lewiston, ME. You will manage donor experiences, coordinate virtual and in-person events, and assist with stewardship communications that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy.

The role requires collaboration with leadership and strong attention to detail. Responsibilities include coordinating celebrations, handling communications, and maintaining donor recognition programs while building relationships with faculty, staff and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 2-3 years of relevant experience.
• Understanding of database systems, business office software, and reporting software preferred.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute donor events and virtual dialogues.
• Coordinate in-person donor receptions and campus recognitions.
• Oversee mailings and stewardship communications.
• Support the Director with reporting and impact updates.

Skills

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Analytical thinking

Data management

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Independent work

Basecamp

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Basecamp

Job description

Assistant Director of Donor Relations

Job no: 493183
Work type: Staff Full Time - Full Year
Location: Lewiston, ME
Categories: Advancement

Position Purpose:

The Assistant Director of Donor Relations is responsible for a number of donor experiences, and a suite of in-person and virtual touchpoints that demonstrate Bates' gratitude to our donors and displays the impact of their philanthropy on campus and beyond.

Job Duties:

• Plan and execute virtual events, such as Mount David Society and Phillips Society Webinars and virtual dialogues.
• Collaborate with the Advancement Events team to execute in-person events, such as Dedications and Ribbon Cuttings, Presidential Receptions, Regional Mount David Society Receptions, Donor lunches, and the Otis Lecture.
• Coordinate presidential inauguration delegates, and other special donor experiences, such as thank you calls from the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team.
• Support the secondary acknowledgement process through template refinement and custom editing.
• Oversee the installation and maintenance of plaques and other physical recognition spaces across campus.
• Oversee wide-scale mailings, such as annual holiday cards and Mount David Society gift fulfillment.
• Assist the Director with stewardship communications, such as the End of Year email series and impact reports.
• Collect, organize and send key Bates news stories to frontline fundraisers for their use in stewardship and cultivation communications.
• Develop a thorough knowledge of Bates history, academic, extracurricular and athletic programs, and its faculty, students and administration.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the college’s priorities and initiatives of the faculty and administration.
• Participate in departmental and professional training programs to increase expertise in the profession when appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

Bachelor's degree required.

Experience

• 2-3 years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated success in project management is preferred.
• Understanding of database systems, business office software, and reporting software preferred.

Skills and Knowledge

• Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
• Strong project management skills; able to build project timelines in tools like Basecamp.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to develop and maintain collegial relationships. Must be flexible, collaborative, and have a positive attitude.
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills; ability to synthesize complex or diverse information; and experience working with complex data sets.
• Impeccable organizational skills and ability to coordinate resources and staff within the college community.
• Ability to both work independently and as a team player while handling multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
• Keen attention to detail necessary for successful documentation, planning and execution.
• Proficiency in basic data management systems and basic computer applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability and willingness to work weekends, evenings and other non-traditional schedules.
• High ethical standards; ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion.

Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, 9% retirement contribution with potential for an additional 3% match, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal days, 13 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more), and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug and smoke-free workplace.

Hiring Range:

The hiring range for this position is $54,359 to $60,000. Placement within the range depends on experience and other factors.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.

Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at [e-mail] .

About Bates:

Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin.

Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology — that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.

Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.

The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community, Maine’s second-largest urban area with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.

Advertised: Oct 13 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: