Hybrid Assistant Director, Annual Giving and Stewardship

University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Knoxville (TN); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Education benefits for employees and/​

Retirement and deferred compensation

Comprehensive health insurance

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. (UTFI) invites applications for Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship for UT Knoxville’s Tickle College of Engineering.

This full-time role drives annual giving, digital fundraising, and donor stewardship to strengthen donor engagement and long-term relationships with the college. You will lead gift acknowledgments, student thank-you communications, donor impact reporting, and donor engagement initiatives, coordinating campaigns and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 3+ years of progressive experience in annual giving, fundraising, donor relations/stewardship, digital fundraising, marketing/communications, or nonprofit development.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to collaborate with multiple partners.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with attention to detail.
• Ability to develop creative annual giving and digital fundraising strategies to increase participation and retention.

Responsibilities

• Manages and executes gift acknowledgement process with timely, accurate, and meaningful recognition.
• Oversees student thank-you letter process with scholarship recipients and campus partners.
• Develops donor impact reports and stewardship communications showing philanthropy impact on students, faculty, and programs.
• Identifies and executes stewardship strategies for donors supporting non-endowed funds.
• Coordinates college-wide stewardship projects and donor engagement initiatives.
• Supports donor-scholarship recipient lunches, meetings, and engagement opportunities.
• Collaborates with UTFI partners to improve stewardship processes and donor experience.
• Coordinates annual giving program including appeals, giving days, and campaigns to boost participation.
• Develops and implements digital fundraising strategy and campaigns.
• Partners with communications teams to evaluate performance and refine strategies.
• Leads growth of the College Fund for Tickle College and presents monthly results to leadership.
• Coordinates department-specific annual giving campaigns and special fundraising projects.
• Manages timelines and deliverables across stakeholders to ensure timely execution.

Skills

Communication

Project management

Analytical skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM systems

Digital fundraising platforms

Job description

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. (UTFI) invites applications for Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship for UT Knoxville’s Tickle College of Engineering.

This full-time role drives annual giving, digital fundraising, and donor stewardship to strengthen donor engagement and long-term relationships with the college. You will lead gift acknowledgments, student thank-you communications, donor impact reporting, and donor engagement initiatives, coordinating campaigns and