Associate Director of Stewardship and Reporting

The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc. is seeking an Associate Director of Stewardship and Reporting in Fairfax, VA. This full-time hybrid role reports to the Senior Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship and leads donor communications, acknowledgments, impact reporting, and donor recognition programs.

Strong collaboration across Advancement and alumni relations is required. Qualifications include a Master’s degree or equivalent experience and 5–7 years in donor relations, stewardship, or

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in donor relations, stewardship, and reporting.
• Experience managing donor stewardship programs and reports.

Responsibilities

• Oversee donor communications, acknowledgments, and stewardship reporting.
• Develop and implement donor recognition societies and related touchpoints.
• Coordinate cross-functional stewardship activities with campus partners.
• Lead reports, analytics, and storytelling to demonstrate donor impact.
• Supervise staff and ensure adherence to donor intent and policies.

Skills

Donor relations

Stewardship

Reporting

Project management

Communication

Education

Master's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

CRM systems (Blackbaud / Raiser's Edge / Salesforce)

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Job description

Department: Advancement and Alumni Relations

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visasponsorship

Salary: Starting at $90,000, commensurate with education andexperience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department: The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations is a comprehensivedevelopment and alumni relations enterprise with approximately 135full-time employees. Functional areas within Advancement includefundraising and development, alumni relations, donor relations andstewardship, advancement communications, special events, giftprocessing, prospect research and management, gift planning,corporate and foundation relations, information systems andmanagement, and infrastructure services. Advancement’s mission is to build strong, lifelong relationshipswith George Mason University’s alumni and constituents whilealigning their philanthropic interests with the university’saspirations and priorities. The division is committed to servingthe university, its alumni, and the broader community by supportingaccess to quality education and lifelong learning. Respect,service, integrity, collaboration, diversity, transparency, andcreativity are the values that guide the division’s work andculture.

About the Position: Reporting to the Senior Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship(DRS), the Associate Director of Stewardship and Reporting plays akey role in the management and implementation of the university’scomprehensive donor relations and gift stewardship program,specifically as it relates to ensuring the adoption of industrybest practices and consistency in stewardship, reporting, andrecognition efforts and initiatives centrally and throughout theuniversity.

Working collaboratively with leadership and fellow colleagues inAdvancement and Alumni Relations, the George Mason UniversityFoundation (GMUF), and other university schools and units, theAssociate Director oversees key donor communication and reportingprocesses, including gift acknowledgments, tribute giftnotifications, endowment reporting, scholarship compliance andreporting, impact reporting, and stewardship of targeted donorsegments. This position also manages and implements the strategicvision and plan for the university’s donor recognition societiesand uses metrics and analytics to evaluate program effectiveness,strengthen donor engagement, and support a coordinated,high-quality donor experience.

The Associate Director of Stewardship and Reporting also supervisesthe Donor Relations and Stewardship Coordinator.

Responsibilities

Fund Compliance and Reporting:

• Collaborate with the Office of Student Financial Aid, GMUF, andcolleagues in the schools and units to ensure philanthropicallysupported endowed and current use funds are awarded annually perthe donors’ documented intentions and in accordance with applicablelaws and regulations;
• Collaborate with the Office of Student Financial Aid andcolleagues in the schools and units to ensure award beneficiarystories/information are captured annually for the purpose of impactreporting;
• Manage and oversee the annual endowment reporting process;and
• Manage and implement a general impact reporting process.

Gift Stewardship:

• Manage and implement gift stewardship programs, including:
  • The central gift acknowledgment process, including workflow,standards, language, and quality control;
  • The tribute gift notification process, including workflow,standards, language, and quality control; and
  • Stewardship of targeted donor segments, includingfaculty/staff, first-time donors, scholarship donors, etc.

Stewardship Communication:

• In partnership with the Advancement Communications team, manageand implement projects and initiatives related to the stewardshipcommunication plan, including timelines, content needs, datarequirements, review processes, and production workflows; and
• Ensure reports and communications are accurate, donor-centered,and aligned with university stewardship standards.

Donor Recognition Societies:

• Manage implementation of strategic plans and projects relatedto the university’s donor recognition societies, includingcommunications, timelines, and related stewardship and touchpoints;and
• Ensure recognition practices are consistent, accurate, andaligned with donor relations strategy.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Continuity ofStewardship:

• Work closely with DRS colleagues, frontline fundraisers, unitadvancement teams, and campus partners to ensure philanthropicdonors receive a consistent level of stewardship and donorrelations regardless of who or what their philanthropysupports;
• Work with the Senior Director of DRS and DRS colleagues toshare knowledge and updates on tasks, projects, andresponsibilities to ensure and protect the continuity of centraldonor relations and stewardship efforts; and
• As needed, provide support for other critical DRS projectsincluding, but not limited to, major and principal giftstewardship, donor events, and engagement activities.

Supervision of Staff:

• Clearly communicate deadlines and performance expectations toensure employees understand their duties and responsibilities;
• Develop performance goals collaboratively with directreports;
• Monitor employee productivity and provide constructive feedbackand coaching;
• Maintain timekeeping and personnel records;
• Approve timesheets and leave requests;
• Prepare and submit annual performance evaluations;
• Determine rewards and promotions based on performance;
• Ensure adherence to legal and university policies andprocedures and undertake disciplinary actions if the needarises;
• Manage and approve work schedules and workload; and
• Recruit, hire, and train new personnel when needed.

Other Related Duties as Assigned:

• Participate in professional development opportunities relatedto donor relations, stewardship, project management, and highereducation advancement; and
• Perform additional duties and special projects in support ofAdvancement priorities and departmental goals.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's/advanced degree or training and work experience at alevel that equates to an advanced degree;
• Demonstrated experience (generally 5-7 years) in donorrelations, stewardship, advancement services, development, highereducation advancement, or nonprofit fundraising;
• Experience managing donor stewardship and recognition programs,including gift acknowledgments, donor communications, andstewardship reporting;
• Experience ensuring compliance with donor intent, endowedfunds, scholarships, or restricted gift administration;
• Experience managing multiple complex projects with competingpriorities while consistently meeting deadlines;
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders,including development staff, financial aid, communications,finance, and academic units;
• Experience developing and implementing operational workflows,policies, and quality assurance processes;
• Experience preparing donor-facing reports, impact reports, orstewardship communications;
• Supervisory experience, including employee coaching,performance management, hiring, and staff development;
• Experience using donor databases or constituent relationshipmanagement (CRM) systems (e.g., Blackbaud CRM, Raiser’s Edge,Salesforce, Advance, or similar) and Microsoft Office Suite,particularly Word and Excel;
• Knowledge of donor relations and stewardship principles;
• Knowledge of philanthropic fund administration;
• Knowledge of scholarship administration;
• Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills tocollaborate with internal and external stakeholders;
• Strong written communication skills to develop donor-centeredstewardship reports, acknowledgments, and correspondence;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Database management and reporting skills using advancement CRMsystems and Microsoft Office applications (particularlyExcel);
• Supervisory skills; and
• Ability to interpret donor agreements and ensure compliancewith documented donor intent.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with campaign stewardship, major gift stewardship,and principal gift donor engagement;
• Experience managing donor events, recognition societies, ordonor engagement programs;
• Experience in higher education advancement;
• Skill in Salesforce; and
• Skill in MicroStrategy.

Posting Open Date: July 24, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: August 17, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes

Mason Ad Statement

George Mason University is a nationally ranked R1 researchuniversity committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperousworld. With 40,000 enrolled students, George Mason is the largestand most diverse public research university in Virginia, offeringdegree programs at the master's, doctoral, and professional level,along with certificates and credentials.

George Mason fosters an All Together Different environment forstudents, faculty, and staff, driven by our core beliefs. Webelieve in inclusivity over exclusivity; we believe in advancingour mission by being willing to take risks, not avoiding them; andwe believe our best work is possible when we apply our diversity oforigin, identity, circumstance, and thought.

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative actionemployer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in itscommunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration foretoberemployment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexualorientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability orveteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

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