Assistant Director, Stewardship & Donor Relations Communications

JOB TITLE Assistant Director, Stewardship & Donor Relations Communications

LOCATION

Worcester

DEPARTMENT NAME

Development & Communications Strategy

DIVISION NAME

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

In partnership with the AVP, the Assistant Director of Stewardship & Donor Relations Communications is responsible for helping to create, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive stewardship program that engages and recognizes donors for their contributions. With a focus on fund management, this role requires creativity, strategic thinking, and strong communication skills to effectively inform donors about the impact of their gifts and to foster lifelong relationships with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Ensure that donors are kept well-informed about the use and impact of their gifts:
  • Create financial reports for donors.
  • Create impact reports for donors.
  • Manage yearly projects for outreach to student scholarship recipients, collecting data for donor reporting and identifying students who can communicate with donors and prospects about the impact of scholarship support at WPI.
  • Communicate and collaborate with team members, UA division staff, and campus partners to execute stewardship communications.
  • Continuously seek ways to improve the processes.

• Help to confirm that donor funds are spent appropriately:
  • Maintain pertinent information regarding all WPI endowed funds.
  • Audit all funds to identify problems with proper spending, fund contacts, and hard-to-award funds.
  • Act as the division liaison to the Financial Aid & Finance Office.
  • Assist in maintaining financial information on all donor funds and maintaining tracking as necessary for donor communications and continued stewardship of past and current donors.
  • Maintain master trackers of all fund reports produced for donors by the Donor Relations team.
  • As a member of the Gift Review committee, check MOUs prior to signing to ensure that WPI can award and spend funds according to donors' wishes.
  • Track funds that need to be removed from reinvestment.

• In partnership with the AVP, create and help maintain a comprehensive stewardship program for $50,000+ donors:
  • Collaborate with the Donor Relations team to create a yearly stewardship plan.
  • Communicate and collaborate with team members, UA division staff, and campus partners to create meaningful stewardship touchpoints, utilizing direct mail, digital, and social media, etc., for donors of various levels.
  • Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of stewardship activities and programs using donor feedback and data analysis to make improvements.
  • Assist with the gift acknowledgment process for $50,000+ donors, focusing on prompt and personalized recognition.
  • Maintain tracking in our CRM for donor communications.
  • Monitor, analyze, and report on key metrics related to donor engagement and satisfaction.
  • Oversee personalized messaging around donor milestones such as birthdays and giving anniversaries.

• Participate in relevant professional associations and training to stay abreast of industry trends and best practices in donor relations and fund management.

• Assist with special donor projects and division events:
  • Assist in the development and execution of special projects that help move prospects.
  • Assist with on-campus engagement opportunities with donors such as scholarship recipient meetings and campus tours.
  • Attend and assist at Alumni Weekend, Homecoming, and donor recognition events as required.

• Performs all other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in donor relations and stewardship.
• Minimum 2 years' experience in donor fund management.

Salary Grade 7: $62,500 – $70,000 per year (depending on experience)

Salary is based on related experience, expertise, and internal equity; generally, new hires can expect pay between the minimum and midpoint of the range.

Compensation at WPI

FLSA STATUS

United States of America (Exempt)

WPI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability. It seeks individuals from all backgrounds and experiences who will contribute to a culture of creativity, collaboration, inclusion, problem solving, innovation, high performance, and change making. It is committed to maintaining a campus environment free of harassment and discrimination.