Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations

Lindenwood; United States; Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid tuition benefits

Comprehensive benefits plan

Paid holidays

Free lunch Fridays

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Lindenwood University is seeking a Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations to manage relationships with donors effectively. This role involves the development of strategic stewardship plans and executing engagement opportunities.

The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor's degree, a minimum of three years of relevant experience, and strong marketing and communication skills. Join a vibrant team committed to enhancing donor engagement and organizational growth.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of stewardship, donor relationship, or similar experience.
• Experience in a higher education or not-for-profit environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse communities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee donor recognition and stewardship of philanthropic gifts.
• Develop and execute comprehensive stewardship plans to engage donors.
• Facilitate connections between donors and beneficiaries.

Skills

Donor relationship management

Marketing experience

Project management

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Raiser's Edge

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee

• Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs (employee and spouse only).


• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).


• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.


• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1).


• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.


• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.

About Lindenwood University Advancement Located in historic St. Charles, Missouri, Lindenwood University is a premier, independent comprehensive institution known for student-centric focus and innovation. Lindenwood is committed to providing an exceptional, values-driven education that prepares students to thrive in a dynamic world. It is an exciting time to join the Lindenwood Advancement team. As we prepare to launch a comprehensive fundraising campaign, we are aligning our operational infrastructure, building high-impact philanthropic opportunities, and enhancing our engagement with alumni, donors, and regional constituents to support student success, experiential learning, and innovative campus spaces. At Lindenwood, we benefit from working at a picturesque, historic campus, located in a thriving micro-urban community that’s adjacent to a major metropolitan city. In fact, in Business Insider named St. Charles the best college town in Missouri, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recognized Lindenwood University as the Best College/University.

JOB TITLE SUMMARY

• Job Title: Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations


• Division: University Advancement


• Evaluation Group: Staff


• FLSA Status: Exempt


• Reports To: Associate Vice President, Advancement Operations


• Positions Supervised: N/A

Job Summary The director, stewardship and donor relations at Lindenwood University, this role is an important partner in the strategic management of the university's relationships with its donors. The director leads the development and execution of a short-term and long-range stewardship and donor relations program, inclusive of acknowledgment processes, stewardship plans, a centralized stewardship program, impact and fund reporting, donor engagement opportunities, and donor recognition programs. By creating and improving standards, procedures, and tools, this position ensures a comprehensive, strategic, data-driven, and donor-centered stewardship program that fosters and sustains long-term, meaningful relationships with the university.

Job Responsibilities and Execution

• Oversees all aspects of donor recognition, acknowledgment, and stewardship of philanthropic gifts designed to strengthen retention and long-term investment


• Develops and executes strategic comprehensive stewardship plans to engage current and prospective donors and cultivate future gifts


• Meets regularly with advancement colleagues to discuss gift mechanics, confirm donor intent, and foster long-term philanthropic relationships


• Identifies target populations for mass communications while partnering with major gift officers to generate personalized, creative stewardship solutions for key pipeline and principal donors


• Facilitates meaningful, direct connections between donors and fund beneficiaries, such as scholarship recipients and faculty appointees, through specialized communications and in-person engagements


• Directs donor-centric events, including scholarship receptions, exclusive donor engagement events, and donor appreciation celebrations


• Collaborates with communications to center our donors in University storytelling, highlighting donor impact in print, video, social media, online, and at events


• Audits and manages gift funds to ensure strict alignment with both donor intent and institutional priorities, facilitating in-person meetings as needed with donors, major gift officers, and academic leaders to negotiate, formalize, and document fund amendments as necessary


• Establishes efficient workflows, performance metrics, data tracking, and reporting utilizing Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT to continuously track stewardship productivity, support campaign targets, and evaluate donor engagement


• Collaborates continuously with central advancement teams, department heads, and front-line fundraisers to determine and implement industry best practices across the division


• Travels to regional events, conferences, and donor meetings as necessary, which may include occasional evening and weekend engagements


• Performs other relevant duties assigned to advance the strategic goals of the division

Service Excellence

• Champions a culture of donor-centered service excellence by delivering timely, accurate, and personalized responses to all donor inquiries and internal stakeholder requests


• Maintains the highest standard of discretion, integrity, and professionalism when handling sensitive donor profiles, financial data, and confidential materials


• Anticipates the needs of university leadership, major gift officers, and external constituents to ensure a seamless and exceptional donor experience across all touchpoints


• Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence


• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values

Communication, Teamwork, and Collaboration

• Advises division leaders on donor relations and stewardship


• Collaborates with advancement colleagues to ensure excellent stewardship and donor relations that results in a growth of philanthropic investments in the institution


• Provides leadership to campus constituents on current, effective stewardship and donor relations best practices

Required Qualifications

• – An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered.


• – Bachelor’s degree


• Minimum of three years of stewardship, donor relationship, advancement, or similar experience


• Demonstrated marketing or communications experience


• Experience in a higher education or not-for-profit environment


• Proficiency with project management preferred


• Experience with Raiser’s Edge or similar CRM preferred


• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – May be representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform this job competently.


• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures


• Demonstrated ability to effectively build relationships and alliances with internal and external audiences


• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite


• Knowledge of the field’s best and current concepts, practices, and procedures


• Skilled in providing attention to detail


• Empathetic listener with corresponding excellence in verbal and written communication


• Ability to maintain accuracy under time pressure with multiple priorities and deadlines


• Ability to provide discretion with confidential information

Work Environment

Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of this job’s functions.

• Flexible work environment consisting of regular in-office and remote workdays as assigned by supervisor


• Occasional night and weekend work


• Occasional travel to other regions for advancement work may be required

Standard Flex Physical Abilities

Flexible work environment consisting of regular in-office and remote workdays as assigned by supervisor

Occasional night and weekend work

Physical Abilities – The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to work effectively at a computer for extended time daily


• Ability to sit/stand for extended periods of time


• Ability to lift/carry items commonly found in an office setting including, but not limited to, documents, laptops, keyboards, etc.


• Ability to use repetitive wrist, hand, and finger movements to type regularly


• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer.

The University complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment. The Human Resources Division's purpose is to support the University's efforts in providing a quality education and experience for all Lindenwood students. We achieve this by facilitating and supporting the selection and retention of highly qualified and diverse employees to serve our students and by providing for the professional success and the personal wellness of our employees.