Donor Engagement and Stewardship Manager

Bowie State; Bowie, Northern (MD, KY); Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

Paid holidays and leave

Tuition remission

Pension and retirement accounts

Job summary

Bowie State University is seeking a Donor Engagement and Stewardship Manager to develop and lead a comprehensive donor relations program. You will implement stewardship, recognition, and retention activities to cultivate donors and alumni, working closely with internal teams to support fundraising goals.

The role coordinates donor events, staff, and communications, ensuring timely reporting and appropriate donor recognition across university collateral and events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Experience engaging with internal and external customers.
• Experience in donor or alumni relations, fundraising, event planning, or comparable experience in a corporate customer-service or fulfillment setting.
• Ability to represent the University, the Division and the Office of Alumni Engagement and Stewardship to external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to write and speak persuasively with a high degree of professional acumen and situational awareness.
• Proficiency in compiling, entering and using data to direct activities.
• Willingness to work extended or nontraditional hours for events.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate donor cultivation and stewardship efforts.
• Maintain consistent and accurate communication with donors, prospective donors, and alumni.
• Plan and organize events and activities to maximize philanthropic outcomes.
• Collaborate with senior leaders and campus departments for donor events and recognition.
• Oversee donor recognition in collaterial and reports; staff donor boards.
• Arrange logistics for donor visits and coordinate with BSU Foundation and related offices.

Skills

Customer service

Donor relations

Communication

Event planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Job Posting: JR101980 Donor Engagement and Stewardship Manager (Open)

Department: Alumni Engagement, PM Position Type: Regular Open Date: 09-03-2026 Close Date: $72,000 - $82,000

Job Description: As a key member of the Division of Philanthropic Engagement, the Donor Engagement and Stewardship Manager is responsible for implementing a customer service-oriented and comprehensive donor relation program. The incumbent will create and implement stewardship, recognition, and retention activities to ensure perpetual high-quality cultivation with alumni, future alumni, key constituents, donors and prospective donors of Bowie State University.

SUMMARY OF POSITION: As a key member of the Division of Philanthropic Engagement, the Donor Engagement and Stewardship Manager is responsible for implementing a customer service-oriented and comprehensive donor relation program. The incumbent will create and implement stewardship, recognition, and retention activities to ensure perpetual high-quality cultivation with alumni, future alumni, key constituents, donors and prospective donors of Bowie State University.

This position collaborates with fundraisers, faculty, and other campus administrators to manage, co-manage or directly execute a matrixed combination of frontline donor interactions and back-office systems activities to support the fundraising objectives of the University. Duties include primary ownership of donor stewardship strategies and activities, coordination of giving societies, staffing multiple volunteer boards, coordinating with Philanthropic Engagement colleagues to ensure the timely disbursement of endowment reports. This position is also responsible for arranging and coordinating logistics for donors and prospects visiting campus, and for ensuring appropriate donor recognition in University collateral, media and during events. This position reports to the Director of Alumni Engagement and Donor Stewardship, and works closely with Advancement Services, the Vice President and Associate Vice President for Philanthropic Engagement, the Office of the President, and other alumni-facing or donor-facing University stakeholders. This position also supervises a Philanthropic Engagement Specialist. The incumbent will seek out opportunities to integrate student and alumni ambassador participation into departmental initiatives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serves as a primary coordinator of University cultivating and stewarding efforts.
• Ensures consistent and accurate communication with donors, prospective donors, and alumni, as well as timely follow up.
• Contributes to the planning and organization of events and activities presented by the Division of Philanthropic Engagement to maximize philanthropic and stewardship outcomes.
• Collaborates with the Office of the President and the University’s Conference Services and Events department to organize activities involving high-level donors, prospects, alumni and other key University stakeholders.
• Serves as the administrative liaison to the President’s Board of Visitors.
• Ensures the timely production of letters, postcards, and fiscal reporting of donor-initiated funds and other written collateral as needed.
• Works within the Division of Philanthropic Engagement structure to monitor and steward giving societies with commensurate recognition for qualifying donors.
• Executes the public recognition of the personal or professional milestones of constituents, donors and University friends.
• Participates in the University’s activities to honor donors, as appropriate, including, but not limited to, naming opportunities, awards, permanent signage and plaques.
• Liaises with the Bowie State University Foundation, the Office of Private Scholarships and the Director of Advancement Services to ensure the accurate allocation, awarding and reporting of donor-initiated scholarships.
• Formulate and implement interaction and engagement between student awardees and their benefactors.
• Documents tasks performed in the University’s donor database and other platforms as appropriate.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Work experience directly engaging with internal and external customers is required.
• Experience in donor or alumni relations, fundraising, event planning, or comparable experience in a corporate customer-service or fulfillment setting.
• Ability to represent the University, the Division and the Office of Alumni Engagement and Stewardship to external stakeholders.
• Proven ability to write and speak persuasively with a high degree of professional acumen and situational awareness.
• Proficiency in compiling, entering and using data to direct activities.
• As a member of the Philanthropic Engagement team, must be willing to work extended or nontraditional hours (nights and weekends) as needed, specifically related to events sponsored by the Office of Alumni Engagement and Stewardship and/or the Division of Philanthropic Engagement.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

• Commitment to the highest standards of customer service and professionalism.
• Self-starting, conscientious, student centered and customer-oriented problem solver.
• Excellent organizational skills; able to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines. Demonstrated ability to manage overlapping planning timelines with high attention to details.
• Superlative communication and personal interaction skills
• Ability to engage and activate a diverse alumni and donor base, with the ability to develop and sustain processes designed to cultivate lasting relationships for the University.
• Ability to work in a close and collaborative way with other Philanthropic Engagement staff or members of the University community including alumni, donors, faculty and students.

Additional Job Information:

• Benefits include medical, dental, prescription, long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and life insurance; paid time for paid sick leave, annual leave, and personal leave; 12 paid holidays per year, tuition remission; employer-funded pension and supplemental retirement accounts.

Bowie State University shall not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, age, ancestry or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, marital status or veteran status. All policies, programs, and activities of Bowie State University are and shall be in conformity with all pertinent Federal and state laws of nondiscrimination including, but not limited to: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Age Discrimination Act, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Federal Executive Order No. 11375, and Article 49B of the Annotated Code of Maryland. This commitment applies in all areas and embraces faculty, staff, and students. Equal opportunity of access to academic and related programs shall be extended to all persons. Bowie State University shall have as its firm objective equal opportunity in recruitment and hiring, rate of pay, all other promotions, training, retention and dismissals, for all employees and applicants for employment. The University will stress equal access for employees and applicants for employment to all programs and services provided by the University both on and off campus. The University will also provide equal opportunity and an atmosphere of nondiscrimination with respect to women and members of minority groups in all its operations. In addition, the University shall promote equal opportunity and equal treatment through a positive and continuing Affsecitive Action Program. The University makes, and will continue to make, reasonable accommodations to promote the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans, unless such accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the University's business. In addition, employees and applicants will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination because they have engaged in, or may have engaged in, activities such as filing a complaint, assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance review or hearing, or opposing any act or practice made unlawful, or exercising any other right protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended or the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended.

Founded in 1865, Bowie State University (BSU) is Maryland’s oldest Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and is one of 12 constituent institutions of the University System of Maryland. One of the nation's Top 20 HBCUs, and top 10 among public HBCUs. BSU provides high-quality and affordable educational opportunities for students with ambitions to achieve and succeed. BSU offers 27 undergraduate majors, as well as 18 master’s, 2 doctoral programs, along with doctoral and advanced certification programs, with special focus on science, technology, business, education and related disciplines. BSU is the among the nation's top graduate school programs in Nursing (MSN), Computer Science, Education and Public Affairs (U.S. News & World Report). With an enrollment of more than 6,000, BSU is a diverse university whose students, faculty and staff represent many ethnic and cultural backgrounds. BSU is centrally located in one of the nation’s most exciting metropolitan areas within easy reach of Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis, and boasts a serene campus on a 300-acre suburban wooden tract.