Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive annual giving program that supports the financial and fundraising goals of Columbia College, including but not limited to managing donor relations, leading stewardship activities, and cultivating relationships to enhance donor retention and engagement. This position will work closely with the Vice President of Development, advancement services, communications, alumni relations, and other key stakeholders to ensure a consistent and effective fundraising strategy that aligns with the college's mission and goals; and performs other related duties as assigned. This position reports to the Vice President of Development.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Annual Giving

• Develops, implements, and manages a strategic and comprehensive annual giving program to increase unrestricted annual revenue to the College’s Loyalty Fund from alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the college.
• Oversees multi-channel solicitation strategies including direct mail, email, social media, and personal outreach.
• Establishes and tracks performance indicators for the annual giving program and adjusts strategies as needed to meet fundraising goals.
• Collaborates with marketing and communications to create compelling fundraising messages and campaigns.

Donor Stewardship

• Develops and manages a comprehensive stewardship program that recognizes and honors donors at all levels, ensuring timely and meaningful acknowledgment of gifts.
• Oversees the planning and execution of stewardship events, donor recognition programs, and the annual report of donors.
• Works with the development team to ensure accurate donor data management and reporting in the donor database.

Relationship Management and Donor Cultivation

• Builds and maintains relationships with key donors, alumni, and volunteers to encourage ongoing support and engagement.
• Collaborates with others to identify annual giving donors with the capacity for increased giving and move them through the pipeline to major gifts.
• Partners with Office of Alumni Engagement to foster a culture of philanthropy among current students, young alumni, and other constituencies.

Team Leadership and Collaboration

• Collaborates with colleagues across the college to ensure alignment of annual giving and stewardship strategies with institutional goals and priorities.
• Manages the annual giving budget, ensuring cost-effective strategies and maximum return on investment.

Reporting and Analysis

• Analyzes giving trends, donor behavior, and program effectiveness to inform decision-making and strategy adjustments. Stay current on the latest higher education annual giving and stewardship best practices, innovations, and new growth strategies. 
• Prepares and presents regular reports to the Vice President of Development and other stakeholders on the progress to goals of annual giving and stewardship efforts.
• Utilizes data-driven insights to continually refine and improve fundraising and stewardship practices.

• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK: 

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, business administration or closely related field; Master’s degree or certification in fundraising preferred.
• Seven (7) years of direct experience in fundraising with a focus on annual giving and donor stewardship in a higher education or non-profit environment preferred.
• Proven track record of successful fundraising, particularly in annual giving programs.
• Occasional travel for donor meetings and events.
• Occasional evening and weekend work required to support fundraising events and activities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, utilizing Outlook, Word, Excel and Microsoft Teams.
• Proficient in Raiser’s Edge fundraising database and digital fundraising tools.  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong leadership and team management skills with the ability to inspire and motivate others.
• Strategic thinking and analytical skills with the ability to use data to inform decisions.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently with little direction.
• Ability to meet schedules and timelines.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• A commitment to the mission and values of Columbia College.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Requires sedentary work that involves walking, standing, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a recurring basis or routine keyboard operations.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work environment risks exposure to no known environmental hazards.

EOE M/F/D/V