Director of Donor Relations

Grinnell College; Grinnell (IA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Grinnell College seeks a visionary Director of Donor Relations to design and lead a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program. You will craft a multi-year plan to deepen donor engagement, communicate impact, and advance institutional priorities through personalized strategies for major donors.

You will lead a collaborative team, build an engaged philanthropy culture across campus, and ensure meaningful gratitude and impact reporting to donors who support Grinnell College’s mission.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; preferably in a related field.
• 7–10 years in donor relations, stewardship, advancement, or related field required.
• Experience developing donor engagement and stewardship programs with personalized strategies and impact reporting.
• Experience supervising staff and managing complex projects with senior leaders.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and organization; ability to handle multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee donor relations and stewardship of gifts to strengthen retention and engagement.
• Design and manage strategic donor plans including gift stewardship and impact reporting.
• Collaborate with gift officers and leadership to deliver programs that communicate gratitude and impact.
• Coordinate communications with donor groups and recognition societies.
• Oversee Fund Reporting and donor and recipient gatherings.

Skills

Donor engagement

Stewardship programs

Project management

Interpersonal communication

Relationship building

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Donor database systems

Job description

The Director of Donor Relations designs, implements, and directs an integrated and comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program that promotes meaningful interaction, connection, and recognition for donors at all levels. In this role, you will develop and lead a multi-year plan to strengthen donor engagement, communicate the impact of philanthropy, and advance institutional priorities, including personalized strategies for the College’s most generous donors.

We are looking for an innovative, forward-thinking professional with demonstrated success in donor engagement and stewardship, someone who will lead a talented, collaborative team and help build an engaged culture of philanthropy across campus. You will have the opportunity to express gratitude, share the impact of generosity, and build lasting relationships with the donors who make Grinnell’s mission possible.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Relations, you will work closely with the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, other DAR assistant vice presidents, gift officers, the President’s Office, the Dean’s Office, and academic and administrative department leaders, as appropriate.

If you are passionate about celebrating generosity and advancing the mission of a distinctive liberal arts college, we would love to meet you.

Key Responsibilities

Donor Relations and Philanthropic Gift Stewardship

• Oversee donor relations and stewardship of philanthropic gifts to strengthen donor retention, engagement, and long-term philanthropic investment, including personalized strategies for the College’s most generous donors.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the Grinnell College donor community to design, implement, and manage strategic donor plans that include gift stewardship, personalized communication, and impact reporting.
• Collaborate with gift officers, DAR leadership, and the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations to deliver programming that communicates gratitude and impact through both broad outreach and individual engagement.
• Serve as a liaison to donor groups (Asa Turner Society and Founders’, Tower, Dean’s, and President’s Circle societies) to coordinate specialized communications and stewardship efforts.
• Oversee the annual Fund Reporting Program so donors of designated and endowed funds receive accurate information about fund finances and relevant recipient information, coordinating with gift officers on donor and recipient gatherings.
• Oversee donor recognition programs, including named spaces, giving communities and societies, and recognition events, ensuring consistency and adherence to established guidelines.

Stewardship Program Management

• Collaborate with DAR colleagues to create and manage policies, standards, templates, processes, and protocols for donor acknowledgments, gift stewardship, stewardship reporting, and fund reporting.
• Develop content and oversee regular and annual gift acknowledgment processes with the DAR Operations team, including acknowledgments from senior College leaders.
• Partner with academic and administrative departments to establish consistent donor relations and stewardship practices across campus and build an engaged culture of philanthropy.
• Address donor questions and concerns regarding fund administration, beneficiaries, gift acknowledgments, and reporting requirements.
• Monitor program effectiveness, reporting timelines, and donor feedback to identify opportunities for improvement and maintain accurate, timely stewardship communications.

Staff Management and Additional Duties

• Manage staffing, workflow, performance, and professional development for the donor relations team, establishing annual work plans, priorities, and standards and monitoring progress toward goals.
• Support Reunion and other campus and regional events as a member of the DAR team.
• Participate in campus, volunteer, and office committees as needed, and perform other related duties as assigned.

ABOUT GRINNELL COLLEGE

Grinnell College is a top-ranking private liberal arts institution that values diversity, equity, inclusion, intellectual freedom, and social responsibility. We seek candidates that align with these values and have the ability and desire to advance our values and belonging within our community and the communities we engage. Ideal candidates will be prepared to collaborate and contribute to the mission and values of the college across all constituencies.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in a related field.
• A minimum of 7–10 years of relevant, related professional experience in donor relations, stewardship, advancement, fundraising, or a closely related field is required.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing donor engagement and stewardship programs, including personalized strategies, impact reporting, and donor recognition.
• Experience supervising staff and/or managing complex projects and collaborating with senior leaders and colleagues across an organization.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and organizational skills; ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent writing, editing, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to translate financial and program information into clear, compelling donor communications.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and attention to detail when handling confidential donor, financial, and recipient information.
• Ability to build effective relationships with donors, colleagues, institutional leaders, faculty, staff, and volunteers.
• Ability to interpret gift agreements and fund information, coordinate with appropriate campus partners, and uphold donor intent and established College guidelines.
• Proficiency with common office applications, reporting tools, and donor database systems; ability to use data and feedback to assess and improve programs.
• Commitment to inclusive engagement and the ability to work effectively with individuals from varied backgrounds and perspectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education advancement or a similarly complex nonprofit environment.
• Experience with endowed and restricted fund reporting, donor recognition societies, and stewardship of major or principal gifts.
• Experience using advancement databases or constituent relationship management systems to support donor communications, reporting, and program planning.

Employment Category

Regular

Employment Status

Full-time

Work Location Type

Available for Hybrid

FLSA Category

Exempt

P3

Anticipated Hiring Range

$75,000 to 85,000 per year

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