Development and Donor Relations Coordinator

Lakeshore College; Town of Cleveland (WI); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Onsite fitness

Job summary

Lakeshore College is seeking a Development & Donor Relations Coordinator to advance the mission by building relationships with donors, alumni and community partners, managing an annual, mid-level, and scholarship portfolio, and leading donor stewardship.

You will work closely with the Director on strategic initiatives, deliver exceptional donor service, and oversee annual giving efforts from planning to evaluation while ensuring accurate records and timely communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred.
• Two to three years of related occupational experience required.
• Alternative combinations of education and experience may be considered per equivalency guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage donor portfolios with defined fundraising, stewardship, and engagement goals.
• Lead all stages of the donor cycle from identification to renewal for assigned donors.
• Plan and implement annual giving initiatives, stewardship strategies, and donor engagement activities.
• Administer scholarship funds, ensure compliance, and coordinate financial reconciliation and disbursements.
• Maintain accurate donor records and timely communications with internal and external stakeholders.
• Prepare fundraising reports, donor proposals, and stewardship materials.

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Organizational skills

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Articulate Storyline

SharePoint

LMS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Benefits

• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Up to $3,000 in tuition reimbursement annually | Professional development and growth opportunities
• 6.95% Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) savings - matched dollar for dollar | 403(b) and 457 retirement savings options
• College paid life and disability insurance | Health and dependent care Flex Spending Accounts
• Onsite fitness center and walking path | Up to 8 weeks paid New Child Leave
• Onsite wellness screenings | Relocation assistance available
• Lakeshore also offers generous paid time off starting with 15 days of vacation, 9 days of sick time, 6 days of personal leave, 10 holidays, and a one-week winter break.
• Local discounts on food, entertainment, and events | Discounts on cell phone plans and rental cars
• Common Read events | Culinary experiences from onsite emerging chefs | Identity theft protection
• “Dress for your day” | Employee recognition and appreciation events
• Campus closed six Fridays during the summer

Benefits begin the first of the month coinciding with or following hire.

For additional information on our vast array of benefits, read through our benefits guide.

Overview

The Development & Donor Relations Coordinator advances the mission of the Lakeshore College Foundation by building meaningful relationships with donors, alumni, and community partners. This position manages an assigned portfolio of annual, mid-level, and scholarship donors while leading scholarship administration, annual giving initiatives, alumni engagement, and donor stewardship. This position exercises considerable independent judgment in managing donor relationships, identifying fundraising opportunities, and advancing the Foundation's philanthropic priorities while collaborating closely with the Director on strategic initiatives. It will provide an exceptional customer service experience to both internal and external customers throughout every interaction.

Responsibilities

(50%) Donor Development, Fundraising and Stewardship

• Develop and manage an assigned portfolio of annual, mid-level, and scholarship donors with defined fundraising, stewardship, and engagement goals that contribute to the Foundation's annual fundraising objectives.
• Lead all stages of the donor cycle, including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and renewal for assigned donors.
• Develop and implement individualized engagement strategies to strengthen donor relationships and increase giving.
• Conduct donor visits, meetings, presentations, and stewardship activities.
• Lead prospect research efforts to identify, qualify, and prioritize new individual, corporate, and foundation giving prospects.
• Recommend solicitation strategies and gift opportunities based on donor interests and Foundation priorities.
• Document and manage donor interactions, next steps, and fundraising activity within the Foundation's CRM.
• Collaborate with Foundation staff to ensure consistent donor communication and exceptional donor experiences.
• Support the Director in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gift and principal gift prospects.
• Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of annual giving initiatives, including annual appeals, year-end campaigns, employee giving, and other fundraising efforts.
• Develop and implement stewardship strategies that strengthen donor retention and increase philanthropic support. Ensure donors receive timely, meaningful, and personalized stewardship throughout the year.
• Plan, manage, and execute donor appreciation events and recognition activities.
• Oversee donor acknowledgments, recognition programs, and impact communications.
• Evaluate the performance of giving initiatives and recommend strategies to improve participation and donor engagement.

(20%) Scholarship Donor Relations

• Lead the administration and continuous improvement of the Foundation's scholarship program, including administration, application cycles, scholarship setup, reviewer management, and annual planning.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for scholarship donors by providing stewardship, facilitating scholarship fund creation and modifications, and cultivating long-term donor relationships.
• Administer scholarship funds by ensuring compliance with donor intent, coordinating financial reconciliation and disbursements, monitoring fund utilization, and collaborating with Financial Aid, Finance, and other campus partners.
• Develop and manage scholarship communications, stewardship initiatives, recipient recognition, impact reporting, and donor engagement activities while serving as the Foundation's primary scholarship resource for students, donors, faculty, and staff.
• Maintain accurate scholarship records, donor agreements, databases, operational documentation, and reports to support effective program administration, decision-making, and audit readiness.
• Evaluate scholarship utilization, funding levels, and program performance to identify opportunities for operational improvements, maximize scholarship impact, and enhance the student and donor experience.

(20%) Alumni & Community Engagement

• Plan and coordinate alumni engagement events and communications.
• Build relationships with alumni that encourage volunteerism, mentoring, advocacy, and philanthropy.
• Partner with College departments to increase alumni participation and strengthen lifelong connections.

(10%) Foundation Support

• Support comprehensive fundraising campaigns and strategic Foundation initiatives.
• Prepare fundraising reports, donor proposals, presentations, and stewardship materials.
• Maintain accurate donor records and fundraising activity.
• Monitor data integrity and generate reports to support fundraising strategy.
• Represent the Foundation at meetings, events, and community activities as appropriate.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related discipline required. Master’s Degree preferred.
• Two to three years of related occupational experience required.

Note: May consider candidates with alternative combinations of education and experience consistent with the College’s equivalency guidelines.

Preferred Knowledge And Experience

• Articulate Storyline and Rise e-learning development
• Familiarity with media software such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, etc.
• Use or management of a Learning Management System (LMS)
• Use and editing of SharePoint sites

Knowledge

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of Lakeshore’s mission, vision, and strategic direction.
• Familiarity with different leadership styles and techniques.

Skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Effective interpersonal skills and customer service skills.
• Strong critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Effective leadership and team building skills.

Abilities

• Adapt quickly to new and changing technology.
• Perform work accurately and thoroughly, with a high level of accountability and attention to detail.
• Work independently, as part of a team and/or with minimal supervision.
• Present self in a professional, ethical and respectful manner at all times.
• Use discretion and maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Prioritize and manage multiple projects or tasks, maintaining deadlines.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships and relate successfully with staff, students and all stakeholders.
• Lead, inspire and motivate a team to achieve departmental and college goals.
• Flexibility to adapt to and manage through changing environments.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear.
• The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work environment may require multi-tasking.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description is designed to cover the basic functions of the job and is not considered a detailed description of every job duty that is required, other duties may be assigned as needed. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice to ensure the successful delivery of organizational objectives.