Manager, Donor Relations & Stewardship

Kennedy Krieger Institute; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 57,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

Kennedy Krieger Institute is seeking a Manager, Donor Relations & Stewardship to lead the donor relations and stewardship strategy, ensuring a donor-centric experience across all levels of giving. This role oversees recognition programs, naming opportunities, impact reporting, and stewardship communications while aligning standards with organizational goals.

You will collaborate with Gift Officers and across foundation relations, corporate relations, and Board engagement to strengthen

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• Five years of progressive experience in donor relations, stewardship, development, philanthropy communications, or related fundraising field.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead an Institute-wide donor recognition strategy, including naming opportunities across Institute properties and programs.
• Design, implement, and evaluate a tiered stewardship program that scales engagement and recognition across all levels of giving.
• Ensure stewardship deliverables and donor recognition align with capital campaign gift agreements and timelines.
• Own and redesign the Institute’s donor benefits program.
• Lead the production of donor impact reports and gratitude reports in collaboration with Marketing & Communications.
• Develop stewardship collateral and content for print, digital, and video.
• Set and manage donor walls and recognition displays; maintain naming opportunities inventory.
• Coordinate acknowledgement letter strategy with donor services; ensure timely, customized correspondence.
• Partner with Gift Officers to implement annual stewardship plans for donors.

Skills

Donor relations

Stewardship programs

Fundraising communications

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Overview

The Manager, Donor Relations & Stewardship leads the Institute’s donor relations and stewardship strategy, ensuring a consistent, meaningful, and donor-centric experience across all levels of giving. Oversees donor recognition programs, naming opportunities, impact reporting, stewardship communications, and related collateral while establishing stewardship standards and best practices. Partners with Gift Officers and collaborates across foundation relations, corporate relations, and Board engagement to strengthen donor relationships, enhance engagement, and support long-term philanthropic investment in Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a Institute-wide donor recognition strategy, including naming opportunities across Institute properties and programs, in partnership with leadership, gift officers, and philanthropy colleagues.
• Design, implement, and continuously evaluate a tiered stewardship program that scales engagement and recognition appropriately across all levels of giving — from first-time and annual donors through major and principal gift donors — using donor engagement, retention, giving, and program participation data to measure effectiveness and drive ongoing improvement.
• Ensure stewardship deliverables and donor recognition align with capital campaign gift agreements and timelines, partnering with campaign leadership to fulfill naming commitments, campaign-specific reporting, and donor recognition obligations tied to the campaign. Track campaign follow-up stewardship commitments, ensuring donors who support campaigns are appropriately recognized and stewarded after campaign close.
• Own and periodically redesign the Institute’s donor benefits program, ensuring benefits remain compelling, appropriately tiered, and aligned with donor expectations and sector best practices.
• Lead the strategy, content development, and production of donor impact reports and gratitude reports, partnering with Marketing & Communications and/or external vendors as needed.
• Develop and oversee stewardship collateral and creative content — print, digital, and video (including platforms such as ThankView) — that thanks and re-engages donors.
• Set and manage the strategy for donor walls and other recognition displays across the Institute; coordinate with vendors and internal stakeholders and maintain an accurate, up-to-date inventory of naming opportunities and recognition commitments.
• Collaborate with the donor services team to develop and maintain the Institute’s acknowledgement letter strategy, ensuring timely, accurate, and appropriately customized donor correspondence.
• Partner with Gift Officers to develop and implement annual individualized stewardship plans for assigned donors, incorporating personalized touchpoints, impact reporting, engagement, recognition, and other opportunities aligned with donor interests and intent.
• Establish and maintain mandatory stewardship standards and touchpoints for the department, providing resources and guidance so the donor experience is consistent across gift officers, program areas, and donor segments.
• Design and execute mass stewardship strategies that reach and engage the Institute’s broader annual and mid-level donor population.
• Lead stewardship strategy and programming for the Institute’s leadership giving societies (e.g., Winthrop Phelps Society, Sterling Society), including recognition events, communications, and member benefits.
• Coordinate with colleagues supporting foundation relations, corporate relations, and the Institute’s constituency-based giving initiatives (e.g., WIN) to ensure the stewardship needs of foundation funders, corporate partners, and these constituencies are identified and met.
• Develop tailored stewardship approaches for current and former Board members, ensuring their engagement and recognition reflect their leadership and support.
• Maintain accurate stewardship records and activity tracking within the CRM (e.g., Raiser’s Edge), in compliance with HIPAA and Institute policy.
• Stay current on trends in donor relations and stewardship, bringing new, creative ideas to the department’s stewardship practice.
• Supervise and manage the work of contractors or vendors as assigned; provide guidance and quality control on stewardship deliverables.

Qualifications

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s degree is required.

EXPERIENCE:

• Five years of progressive experience in donor relations, stewardship, development, philanthropy communications, or a related fundraising field is required.
• Experience developing and leading donor recognition, benefits, or tiered stewardship programs is strongly preferred.
• Experience working in academic, healthcare, or research settings is preferred.
• Prior project leadership experience is preferred.

Minimum pay range

USD $57,140.30/Yr.

Maximum pay range

USD $99,305.86/Yr.