Director of Alumni and Donor Engagement

Edgewood College Create Nursing Partnership; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Edgewood University seeks a Director of Alumni and Donor Engagement to lead strategic, data-informed alumni engagement and philanthropic programs. This role partners across Career Development, Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, and Marketing to strengthen lifelong relationships with alumni, donors, and community partners.

The Director will design scalable engagement models, cultivate mentors and advocates, and advance fundraising through targeted campaigns, events, and communications.

Qualifications

• Minimum three years of progressively responsible experience in alumni relations, annual fundraising, communications/marketing, events, and external relations.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy aligned with institutional priorities.
• Collaborate with campus partners to expand mentoring, volunteer, and donor pathways.
• Lead annual giving planning, donor stewardship, and engagement programs to grow philanthropy.
• Identify and cultivate alumni employer partnerships to enhance student opportunities and career readiness.
• Oversee communications, storytelling, and engagement marketing to showcase impact and success.

Skills

Alumni relations

Fundraising strategy

CRM systems

Data analytics

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Team supervision

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Raiser's Edge

Microsoft 365

Job description

The Director of Alumni and Donor Engagement provides strategic leadership for strengthening lifelong relationships with alumni, donors, and community partners.

The Director develops innovative, data-informed, and comprehensive engagement strategies that recognize the diverse experiences and needs of alumni across traditional undergraduate, returning adult, graduate, online, and international programs. These strategies will be designed to increase engagement, volunteerism, career connections, and philanthropic support.

Working collaboratively across the University, including with Career Development, Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, the President’s Office, Marketing and Communications, Mission Integration, Student Development, Athletics, and other campus partners, the Director positions alumni and donors as active partners in advancing the University’s strategic priorities.

The Director serves as a highly visible ambassador for the University, strategically cultivating relationships, expanding engagement, and strengthening connections with alumni, donors, community partners, and other external constituents.

This position may include staff and/or student supervision. Occasional travel and weekend/evening activities are required.

Responsibilities:

Alumni Engagement Strategy and Programs

• Develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy that advances institutional priorities and strengthens relationships with alumni.
• Use alumni data, insights, and best practices to segment audiences and develop tailored engagement approaches that recognize the diverse experiences and needs of alumni across traditional undergraduate, returning adult, graduate, online, and international programs.
• Develop scalable, sustainable engagement models that integrate in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences, including events, webinars, online communities, and other opportunities for meaningful connection.
• Expand alumni networks, affinity communities, professional groups, mentoring programs, and other opportunities that strengthen alumni connections to one another and the University.
• Collaborate across the University to engage alumni as mentors, ambassadors, speakers, advisors, advocates, volunteers, and partners in advancing institutional priorities.

Annual Giving, Donor Engagement, and Stewardship

• Implement, evaluate, and recommend enhancements to annual giving plans to strengthen donor acquisition, retention, and participation.
• Use donor and alumni data, segmentation, and engagement insights to develop targeted solicitation strategies, deepen relationships, strengthen the fundraising pipeline, and increase philanthropic support.
• Develop and implement donor stewardship activities and communications that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy, strengthen relationships, and encourage continued engagement and support.

Alumni and Career Connections

• Partner with Career Development and academic departments to identify and engage alumni as mentors, speakers, advisory board members, professional connectors, and career resources to enhance student career readiness.
• Identify and cultivate alumni employer partnerships to expand opportunities for internships, experiential learning, recruitment, and career advancement.

Communications, Storytelling, and Engagement Marketing

• Implement strategic communications that support alumni engagement, donor stewardship, annual giving, and institutional priorities.
• Partner with Marketing and Communications to identify and share compelling stories highlighting alumni achievements, student success, faculty impact, and donor generosity.

Administration

• Manage alumni engagement and annual giving budgets.
• Participate in appropriate professional organizations.
• Analyze alumni engagement and fundraising outcomes to evaluate effectiveness and identify opportunities for growth.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

Necessary Education or Work Experience:

• Minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in alumni relations, annual fundraising, communications/marketing, events, and/or external relations, preferably within the context of a higher education institution or non-profit organization.
• Equivalent combinations of education and relevant professional experience will be considered.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and meet the University’s requirements for authorized drivers.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Excellent project management, written and verbal communication, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with a wide range of constituents, including alumni, donors, volunteers, colleagues, and community partners.
• Ability to use data and engagement metrics to inform strategy, evaluate outcomes, and identify opportunities for growth.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines with a high degree of organization and attention to detail.
• A strong background in and understanding audience segmentation, stewardship, donor relations, and events.
• Self-motivated, collaborative, creative, and comfortable taking initiative in a dynamic environment.
• Proficiency with constituent relationship management (CRM) systems; experience with Raiser’s Edge preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications.
• Basic design skills to produce polished, brand-aligned communications and materials.
• Skilled in leveraging social media to drive constituent engagement.

Accountability:

• Performance expectations for the academic year will be created in collaboration with Advancement Leadership.
• Overall performance will be reviewed at least annually through review of performance expectations and progress toward goals.

Other Qualifications:

Edgewood University, a Catholic university sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to academic excellence through diversity in its faculty, staff, and students. Candidates must demonstrate multicultural competence – the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to work with others who are culturally different from self in meaningful, relevant, and productive ways. Applicants from traditionally underrepresented populations including women and racial and ethnic minorities are especially encouraged to apply. The selected candidate must actively support the mission of the University by working with faculty, staff and students to share in our core values – truth, compassion, justice, partnership, and community.

Must be authorized to work lawfully in the United States without Employer Sponsorship.