Donor Experience Manger, Stewardship & Events

ARTS COMMISSION; Scottsdale (AZ); On-site; USD 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work opportunities

Health insurance & dental

9 paid holidays + 5 floating holidays

401K with employer match

NARM reciprocal membership

Job summary

Scottsdale Arts is seeking a Donor Experience Manager, Stewardship & Events, to ensure donors, sponsors, members, and partners feel valued, connected to our mission, and engaged through personalized recognition and thoughtful experiences.

You will lead stewardship and engagement strategies, support membership programming, and direct the annual gala with an emphasis on fundraising impact and revenue enhancement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in donor relations, stewardship, fundraising, events, or related work.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and manage a stewardship calendar aligned with campaigns and fundraising priorities.
• Oversee delivery of donor and sponsor benefits, recognition moments, impact updates, and communications.
• Develop individualized stewardship plans to strengthen relationships and loyalty.
• Lead planning and execution of donor-focused events and the annual gala.
• Coordinate sponsorships, tickets, guest communications, and post-event stewardship.
• Manage CRM records for benefits fulfillment, events, and donor touchpoints.

Skills

Donor relations

Stewardship

Fundraising

Event planning

Community partnerships

CRM systems

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Scottsdale Arts was established in 1987 as a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) and has evolved into an organization with seven dynamic operating departments that span the visual and performing arts, arts education and cultural engagement. Through its seven departments, Scottsdale Arts offers diverse, high-quality arts experiences to hundreds of thousands of Scottsdale residents and visitors annually in addition to fostering the active engagement of government, business, education, and the private sector in the arts.

What we offer:

• Great company culture. We understand the importance of work-life balance and offer flexible schedules and hybrid work opportunities to help you achieve that. We celebrate diverse perspectives and are dedicated to creating an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered. We believe in recognizing and celebrating the hard work and achievements of our team, where your contributions are acknowledged and appreciated through our employee recognition program
• Making an Impact. Your work here will have a real impact. Everything you do, each day, makes a difference in our community.
• Location. Located in the heart of downtown Scottsdale, with access to Scottsdale Civic Center, old town galleries, local restaurants, live venues, and more.
• Rest and relaxation. Our PTO program allows you to accrue more hours the longer you stay with us, which means your time off grows as you grow with the company, rewarding your dedication and service. Enjoy 9 paid holidays plus 5 floating holidays each year, giving you the opportunity to relax and celebrate important occasions with family and friends.
• Benefits. Medical and dental – We believe in taking care of our team. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support your health, well-being and overall quality of life. We cover 90% of the employee premiums and 70% of the dependent premiums for Medical and Dental plans. In addition, we offer extensive coverage options for Vision, Disability, Life Insurance, FSA Account, 401K with employer match, Pet Healthcare, and Gym Membership. You can gain access to a wide range of arts and culture organizations through our reciprocal membership with NARM and Local arts and culture organizations plus one membership to share. Enjoy exclusive discounts on tickets to events and performances.
• Opportunities for Growth. A mindset of internal growth and advancement.

Summary:

Scottsdale Arts is looking for a Donor Experience Manager, Stewardship & Events, who believes that generosity should be celebrated and that every supporter deserves a meaningful and joyful experience with Scottsdale Arts. This role focuses on ensuring donors, sponsors, members, and community partners feel valued, appreciated, and connected to the heart of our mission. You will oversee benefit fulfillment, recognition, memorable donor, member, and sponsor experiences, and thoughtful engagement moments that surprise and delight. You will also help cultivate meaningful partnerships, support membership programming, and contribute to stewardship strategies that strengthen loyalty and long-term philanthropy, including our annual gala. Your work will help build lasting relationships that enrich our community and advance our mission. This role will also serve as a key staff lead for the annual gala, supporting the strategy, execution, and revenue performance of the event, with an annual revenue responsibility and a related portfolio of donors to support and cultivate.

Important Details to Know:

• Compensation: $58,000 – $65,000 DOE
• Shift/Hours: Monday – Friday (some evenings and weekends)
• Job Type: Exempt
• Location: Scottsdale, AZ

If you need assistance or accommodations during the recruitment process, please reach out to us at [e-mail]

What You Will Do

Deliver Exceptional Stewardship

• Maintain and manage a stewardship calendar aligned with organizational campaigns, donor journeys, and fundraising priorities.
• Develop and manage a stewardship plan that ensures timely, accurate, and heartfelt acknowledgment of gifts across all levels of giving.
• Oversee the delivery of donor and sponsor benefits, recognition moments, impact updates, and personalized communications.
• Identify opportunities to exceed expectations by creating warm, memorable, and creative “surprise and delight” experiences, ensuring each touchpoint feels personal and meaningful.
• Keep donor, member, and partner needs at the center of every interaction.
• Manage an assigned portfolio of gala donors and supporters, developing and executing individualized stewardship and engagement strategies that strengthen relationships, encourage continued support, and contribute to annual gala revenue goals.

Lead Annual Gala Strategy, Experience, and Revenue

• Serve as a key staff lead for the annual gala, supporting strategy, planning, execution, and the overall donor and guest experience.
• Partner with development leadership and colleagues to develop and execute strategies that support annual gala revenue goals, including sponsorship, ticketing, guest engagement, and other revenue-generating opportunities.
• Coordinate gala sponsorship and benefit fulfillment, donor recognition, guest communications, logistics, and post-event stewardship to deliver an exceptional experience and strengthen long-term donor engagement.

Manage Donor Experiences and Events

• Lead the planning and execution of donor- and sponsor-focused events such as appreciation gatherings, behind-the-scenes opportunities, VIP experiences, and other mission‑driven moments.
• Coordinate logistics, guest lists, communications, materials, and on‑site needs to ensure each event reflects our values and delivers exceptional hospitality.
• Support thoughtful event follow‑up, including thank‑yous, impact reports, and personalized outreach that reinforces donor and sponsor appreciation.
• Support Donor Insights and Continuous Improvement
• Maintain accurate and timely records of benefit fulfillment, event participation, sponsor touchpoints, and stewardship activities in the CRM.
• Surface insights, metrics, and trends that inform cultivation strategies and strengthen donor, sponsor, and partner satisfaction.
• Seek new ideas, creative approaches, and community-informed strategies to enhance the donor experience each year.

Design Thoughtful Recognition and Engagement

• Produce high‑quality acknowledgments, recognition pieces, impact reports, and updates that clearly demonstrate the difference supporters make.
• Collaborate with programming and marketing teams to gather stories, visuals, and highlights that bring our mission to life for donors, sponsors, and partners.
• Coordinate recognition activities—including listings, signage, digital features, and sponsor visibility opportunities that honor generosity with creativity and care.
• Support meaningful stewardship moments for membership groups and community partners that foster connection and joy.

Partner Across the Organization

• Collaborate closely with development team colleagues to create a cohesive donor, sponsor, and member journey that aligns with organizational fundraising goals.
• Coordinate across departments to ensure benefit delivery, event execution, sponsorship fulfillment, and communication accuracy.
• Encourage a culture of gratitude across the organization by modeling and supporting stewardship best practices.
• Additionally, you will be required to support other duties and activities as needed.

What You Will Need For Success

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience:

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in donor relations, stewardship, fundraising, community partnerships, events, or related work.

Attributes:

• You have strong written skills with a talent for expressing gratitude in a warm, genuine, and impactful way.
• You have experience stewarding donors, sponsors, giving circles, or membership programs, with experience managing donor relationships or portfolios preferred.
• You have familiarity with CRM systems, plus other project management and communication interfaces.
• You bring warmth, high energy, creativity, and curiosity to your work, with a hospitality mindset that makes people feel welcomed, valued, and celebrated.
• You are highly organized, proactive, and attentive to detail, especially when coordinating events, managing benefits, or balancing multiple stewardship priorities.
• You are a natural relationship builder who can develop meaningful connections with donors, sponsors, members, and community partners and translate those relationships into meaningful engagement and philanthropic opportunities.
• You communicate with clarity, kindness, and strategic insight and are comfortable taking ownership, managing across teams, and keeping complex plans aligned and moving forward.
• You are comfortable balancing exceptional donor service with organizational goals, revenue objectives, and measurable outcomes.
• You thrive in a collaborative, mission-driven environment and take pride in building community and strengthening philanthropic engagement.
• You possess a genuine interest in the arts.
• Regularly required to sit at a desk and work on a computer for long periods of time.
• Must ambulate in event locations, stoop, kneel, bend, and stand for long periods of time.
• Must sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel, see, and reach with hands and arms to operate computer equipment, telephone, and basic office equipment.
• Must be able to lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and color vision.
• While performing the duties of this job may occasionally be exposed to outside weather conditions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Scottsdale Arts is a non-smoking work environment.
• Requires a flexible schedule including weeknight evenings and weekends to support and attend Center programs, fundraisers and special events, and other related donor cultivation events.

Other requirements:

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and a driving record that is acceptable to the organization’s insurance carrier.