Donor Relations & Stewardship Director - Hybrid

Grinnell College; Grinnell (IA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Grinnell College seeks a visionary Director of Donor Relations to design and lead a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program. You will craft a multi-year plan to deepen donor engagement, communicate impact, and advance institutional priorities through personalized strategies for major donors.

You will lead a collaborative team, build an engaged philanthropy culture across campus, and ensure meaningful gratitude and impact reporting to donors who support Grinnell College’s mission.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; preferably in a related field.
• 7–10 years in donor relations, stewardship, advancement, or related field required.
• Experience developing donor engagement and stewardship programs with personalized strategies and impact reporting.
• Experience supervising staff and managing complex projects with senior leaders.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and organization; ability to handle multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee donor relations and stewardship of gifts to strengthen retention and engagement.
• Design and manage strategic donor plans including gift stewardship and impact reporting.
• Collaborate with gift officers and leadership to deliver programs that communicate gratitude and impact.
• Coordinate communications with donor groups and recognition societies.
• Oversee Fund Reporting and donor and recipient gatherings.

Skills

Donor engagement

Stewardship programs

Project management

Interpersonal communication

Relationship building

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Donor database systems

Job description

Grinnell College seeks a visionary Director of Donor Relations to design and lead a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program. You will craft a multi-year plan to deepen donor engagement, communicate impact, and advance institutional priorities through personalized strategies for major donors.

You will lead a collaborative team, build an engaged philanthropy culture across campus, and ensure meaningful gratitude and impact reporting to donors who support Grinnell College’s mission.