Donor Relations Specialist

University of Utah; Campus (IL); On-site; USD 46,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

The Natural History Museum of Utah at the University of Utah seeks a Philanthropy and Communications Events Coordinator to advance fundraising and marketing initiatives. You will design and execute a robust calendar of donor and member events, support donor travel, and manage relationships with vendors and partners across domestic and international locations.

You will track event expenses, assist with press conferences and marketing events, help with the annual summer Gala, and provide general

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with up to 2 years of directly related work experience or a master’s (or equivalency) degree.
• The department may hire at Donor Relations Specialist I or II levels depending on experience and education.
• Experience with CRM software is a plus, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Plan and produce NHMU Philanthropy and Communications Department annual events including special exhibition openings, Copper Club events, Member Preview Days, Lecture Series events, donor stewardship activities, weekend donor field trips, and more.
• Coordinate special events and activities related to the fundraising gala, including planning a cocktail party or itineraries for donor travel.
• Support PR and Marketing by helping to schedule and set up promotional video shoots and press conferences.
• Provide day-to-day support to the Philanthropy team: invitations, RSVP tracking, reserving event spaces, and other administrative tasks.
• Assist with NHMU’s Annual Gala and donor engagement initiatives, including tours and unique experiences for donors.

Skills

Event planning

Donor relations

Vendor management

Calendar coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Working Title Philanthropy and Communications Events Coordinator

Career Progression Track P00

Track Level P2 - Developing, P1 - Entry Level Pro

FLSA Code

FLSA Code Professional

Patient Sensitive Job Code?

Patient Sensitive Job Code? No

Standard Hours per Week 40

Full Time or Part Time?

Full Time or Part Time? Full Time

Shift

Shift Day

Work Schedule Summary

The schedule for this position is designed to be primarily onsite, M-F with normal office hours, though due to the nature of this position, evenings and weekends are required as necessary when we have scheduled events and projects on deadline.

VP Area

VP Area Academic Affairs

Department

Department 00018 - Utah Museum of Natl Hist Oper

Location

Location Campus

City

City Salt Lake City, UT

Type of Recruitment

Type of Recruitment External Posting

Pay Rate Range

Pay Rate Range 45,900-56,500

Close Date

Close Date 11/02/2026

Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time)

Job Summary

The Natural History Museum of Utah seeks an enthusiastic and highly-motivated Philanthropy and Communications Events Coordinator to help advance the Museum’s diverse fundraising and marketing initiatives. Reporting to the Manager, Philanthropy & Major Gifts, the successful candidate will support the Philanthropy and Communications Department by: designing and executing a robust calendar of donor and member events; supporting the fulfillment of special, private donor events and donor travel to domestic and international locations; managing relationships with event vendors and partners; tracking event expenses and pending invoices; assisting with setup needs related to press conferences and special marketing events; assisting with our annual summer Gala; and providing general support to the department.

Responsibilities

• Plan and produce NHMU Philanthropy and Communications Department annual events including special exhibition openings, Copper Club events, Member Preview Days, Lecture Series events, donor stewardship activities, weekend donor field trips, and more.
• Coordinate special events and activities related to the fulfillment of items sold through our annual fundraising gala. Examples of past projects include: planning a cocktail party and behind-the-scenes tour for 20 people at the Museum; designing and helping to book a nine-day trip to Argentina for two; creating a complete itinerary and coordinating equipment and reservations for a seven-day camping trip through Wyoming and Idaho for two; and more.
• Support department colleagues working in the PR and Marketing team as needed by helping to schedule and set up for promotional video shoots and press conferences.
• Provide critical day-to-day support of the Museum’s Philanthropy team including help with event invitations, tracking RSVPs, managing the reservation of event spaces, administrative tasks, and more. – Assist with the planning, preparation, and execution of NHMU’s Annual Gala.
• Work with members of the Museum’s Philanthropy Team to implement a wide range of special initiatives designed to foster deeper engagement for NHMU donors, including tours of the Museum and other unique experiences.

Minimum Qualifications

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT : 1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience (Example: bachelor’s degree = 4 years of directly related work experience).

Department may hire employee at one of the following job levels:

Donor Relations Specialist, I: Requires a bachelor’s (or equivalency) with up to 2 years of directly related work experience or a master’s (or equivalency) degree.

Donor Relations Specialist, II: Requires a bachelor’s (or equivalency) + 4 years or a master’s (or equivalency) + 2 years of directly related work experience.

Preferences

The successful candidate should have: strong event skills and availability to attend weekend and evening events as the calendar requires; very strong organizational skills and attention to detail; the ability to work with a wide range of partners — including gala committees, vendors, internal departments, and others — to execute successful events. The ideal candidate approaches projects with a sense of urgency, is eager to help execute a wide variety of tasks, enjoys ensuring even the smallest jobs are completed with the greatest attention to detail, and has a passion for the mission of the Natural History Museum of Utah. Experience with CRM software is a plus, but not required.

Type

Special Instructions Summary

Additional Information

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at [phone] for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at [phone] or [phone] or University Human Resource Management at [phone] if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.
The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education.
Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX ( OEO ). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at the: University of Utah Non‑Discrimination page .
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As per University of Utah policy 5-108: Transfer of Benefits Eligible Staff Members , a new hire to the University of Utah who is still serving a 12 month probationary period will not be hired into another University of Utah job (a transfer) until the successful completion of the probationary period.