Director of Donor Relations

Holy Innocents Episcopal School; Sandy Springs (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Holy Innocents' Episcopal School (HIES) is seeking an experienced Director of Donor Relations to lead a comprehensive donor stewardship program that strengthens relationships and demonstrates philanthropic impact.

The role focuses on developing personalized stewardship strategies for a donor base of 2,100+ donors, managing endowment funds, and coordinating communications, events, and recognition to inspire ongoing generosity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• 4–6 years of progressive experience in development or donor relations.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or similar database preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead a comprehensive donor stewardship program for annual, major, planned, and endowment donors.
• Develop and implement personalized stewardship plans and communications.
• Coordinate donor recognition and engagement events.
• Maintain accurate donor records and reports in Raiser's Edge NXT.
• Collaborate with Senior Director of Major Gifts and other teams.
• Ensure compliance with donor intent and endowment policies.

Skills

Donor relations

Strategic thinking

Project management

Written communication

Relationship building

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

4–6 years in development

Tools

Raiser’s Edge NXT

Microsoft Office

Job description

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Holy Innocents' Episcopal School (HIES) is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Donor Relations to lead a comprehensive donor stewardship program that strengthens relationships, demonstrates philanthropic impact, and inspires continued investment in the School.

The Director of Donor Relations will develop and implement thoughtful, personalized stewardship strategies for HIES’s philanthropic community, which includes more than 2,100 donors, approximately 30 named endowment funds, numerous major gifts, and more than 350 planned gifts. This role will ensure that donors understand the lasting impact of their generosity and experience meaningful, consistent, and exceptional engagement with the School.

The ideal candidate will be an excellent writer, relationship builder, project manager, and strategic thinker who understands that exceptional donor relations are at the heart of long-term philanthropic success.

The successful Director of Donor Relations will build a culture of exceptional stewardship at HIES—one in which donors feel known, appreciated, informed, and connected to the impact of their generosity. This individual will bring creativity and strategic thinking to donor engagement while ensuring that the School’s stewardship practices are organized, consistent, accurate, and aligned with donor intent.

Key Responsibilities

Lead a Comprehensive Donor Stewardship Program

Develop and implement a comprehensive stewardship strategy for annual, major, planned, and endowment donors.

Create meaningful opportunities to communicate the impact of philanthropy and deepen donor engagement with HIES.

Develop and execute personalized stewardship plans for major and planned donors in collaboration with portfolio managers.

Design and coordinate major donor events, small-group gatherings, individual donor meetings, lunches, and other engagement opportunities.

Develop annual donor communications and impact reports that demonstrate how philanthropic support advances the School’s mission and priorities.

Partner with the Director of Annual Giving to develop stewardship strategies for leadership annual giving donors.

Partner with the Advancement Events Manager to plan and execute stewardship events throughout the year.

Endowment Stewardship and Compliance

Manage stewardship of approximately 30 named endowment funds, ensuring that donor intent is honored and appropriately communicated.

Draft, maintain, and monitor endowment agreements and related documentation.

Lead the annual financial and impact reporting process for endowments.

Track endowment expenditures across campus to ensure that earnings are used in accordance with donor intent.

Gather information from academic and administrative departments regarding the use and impact of endowed funds to support meaningful donor reporting.

Ensure named endowment procedures are consistently followed in accordance with HIES’s Donor Relations policies and established best practices.

Identify opportunities to enhance the visibility and impact of endowed gifts through thoughtful donor communications and engagement.

Donor Recognition

Develop and manage a comprehensive donor recognition strategy, including naming opportunities, recognition signage, awards, and other forms of donor acknowledgment.

Oversee the design, production, and installation of donor recognition materials in collaboration with outside vendors.

Ensure donor recognition is timely, accurate, thoughtful, and consistent with School policies and donor agreements.

Collaborate with internal partners to identify creative and meaningful ways to recognize philanthropic leadership.

Advancement Systems and Stewardship Operations

Maintain accurate and comprehensive records of donor stewardship activities, communications, agreements, reports, and recognition in Raiser’s Edge NXT, in partnership with Advancement Services.

Manage weekly gift reports and identify opportunities for timely and personalized donor outreach.

Establish and maintain systems and processes that ensure consistent, proactive stewardship across the Development Office.

Use donor data and reporting to identify stewardship opportunities and measure the effectiveness of donor relations efforts.

Ensure that stewardship practices reflect industry best practices and support the School’s overall advancement strategy.

Collaboration and Strategic Partnership

In partnership with the Senior Director of Major Gifts, the Director of Donor Relations will:

Support portfolio managers in developing and delivering personalized stewardship strategies for their prospects and donors.

Develop and coordinate stewardship collateral, programs, communications, and events for major and planned donors.

Collaborate with Development and Advancement colleagues to create a seamless and highly personalized donor experience.

Partner with the Director of Annual Giving, Advancement Events Manager, and other members of the Development team to align stewardship efforts across all areas of philanthropy.

In partnership with the Director, help establish, refine, and implement comprehensive Donor Relations and Stewardship policies, including strategies for naming opportunities, donor recognition, and stewardship of gifts at all levels.

Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

Demonstrated ability to set strategy, establish priorities, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and consistently meet deadlines.

Ability to serve as a visible and engaged representative of the Advancement Office with donors, families, alumni, trustees, and other external constituents.

Strong management, analytical, project management, and organizational skills.

Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, follow-through, and commitment to excellence.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling donor communications and build strong relationships with a diverse range of constituents.

Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and handle sensitive donor and financial information with discretion.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or a comparable advancement database strongly preferred.

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required.

Four to six years of progressive experience in development, donor relations, advancement, communications, or a related field.

Experience working collaboratively across departments and with senior leaders, volunteers, donors, and external partners.

Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively as a member of a collaborative Advancement team.

Willingness and ability to work occasional evenings and weekends throughout the year in support of donor meetings, events, and other job-related functions.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described below are representative of those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

The employee is regularly required to sit and use hands and fingers to operate office equipment and technology, as well as to communicate verbally and listen effectively. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and move throughout campus and event spaces. The employee may occasionally be required to lift or move items weighing up to 10 pounds. The position requires close visual acuity and the ability to adjust focus when working with printed materials, computer screens, and other documents.