Job Description

Director of Donor Engagement and Strategic Initiatives

The Director of Donor Engagement and Strategic Initiatives is responsible for planning, implementing, and managing the comprehensive recognition and stewardship program for donors at all levels including special campaign stewardship initiatives. Reporting to the Senior Director of Engagement, this position creates thoughtful engagement opportunities to strengthen the School’s relationships with its donor community. The Director of Donor Engagement and Strategic Initiatives works collaboratively to advance the goals of the department and has a demonstrated track record of strategic planning, collaboration, innovation, and creativity, and is well versed in donor relations and stewardship best practices.

Key Responsibilities

Donor Engagement and Stewardship Leadership

• Strategically develop, implement, and manage the comprehensive recognition and stewardship program for donors at all levels.
• Collaborate with the Individual Giving team to streamline processes and high-level touch points, including creating compelling reports and stewardship materials.
• In collaboration with the Individual Giving team, manage a dynamic stewardship portfolio of 20-30 endowed fund donors who have more than one endowed fund established. Create and manage engagement strategies to provide personalized communication demonstrating impact and appreciation.
• Design metrics and systems to monitor outcomes across all areas of donor engagement programming with a core goal of donor retention, satisfaction, and engagement.
• Develop and sustain productive cross-functional relationships (individual giving, development operations/analytics, and communications/brand marketing) to advance donor engagement goals.

Event Oversight and Committee Management

• Engage the donors of three longtime institutional programs, plan and implement engagement strategies to support the initiatives (Rubenstein Guest Artists Reception and Lecture, John Fisher Zeidman Memorial Reception and Lecture, and Newmyer Awards Dinner), and manage the Zeidman Chinese Program Advisory Committee.
• Collaborate with the Individual Giving team on the engagement strategy of key gift recognition and other constituent societies. Lead the strategy and be responsible for the engagement of the Thomas and Frances Sidwell Society and the 1934 Council.
• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Engagement and Assistant Director of Donor Engagement, on the planning and execution of three annual special events designed to support engagement, stewardship, and fundraising initiatives (Loyalty and Leadership, Founder’s Day for Scholars, and Grandparents and Special Friends Day).
• Lead planning and execution of special donor and constituent gatherings, including Commencement Speaker Luncheon and VIP Memorial Services, as needed.

Donor Communication and Recognition

• Lead the production and writing of key stewardship donor communications, including Report on Philanthropy (annual report) and Advancing Friends (bi-annual philanthropy newsletter).
• Direct the production and writing of 180+ endowed fund reports and other specialized stewardship reporting.
• Oversee and manage named spaces and programs. Collaborate with Advancement Services on data tracking and coordinate with appropriate staff and vendors to ensure uniformity in accordance with the School’s mission and values.
• In partnership with Advancement Services, coordinate and collaborate on the production of acknowledgements. Routinely refresh personalized messaging of major gift and annual fund acknowledgments. Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Donor Engagement on the production of special correspondence, including condolences, celebrations, and unique donor milestones.
• Collaborate with the Individual Giving team and provide support for donor stewardship outreach initiatives (calls, texts, notecards, etc.) and annual fund impact reporting.
• Create new, innovative approaches to and strategies for effective donor relations and stewardship, especially in new media (ThankView or like-vendor, video, email, social media).
• Prepare specialized donor and campaign-specific communications, reporting, and analysis as needed.

A Bachelor’s degree is required with three to five years of experience in donor relations, stewardship, engagement, and/or major gift fundraising, preferably in a higher-education or independent school setting. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker who understands sustained relationship management and stewardship of philanthropic gifts. Professionalism, discretion, and creativity are vital in this role.

• Must be able to provide strategic development, implementation, and management of a comprehensive recognition and stewardship program.
• Demonstrated experience in sustained relationship management and stewardship of philanthropic gifts.
• Must be a self-motivated, highly dependable, independent worker with the ability to effectively prioritize work and problem-solve.
• Able to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritize projects to meet deadlines.
• Knowledge of fundraising principles and best practices in stewardship.
• Skill in project and event management.
• Strong writing and oral presentation skills.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage complex, multi-phase projects from inception to completion.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with colleagues.
• Ability to represent the School with internal and external constituents in the community by attending events and social gatherings, including on occasional nights and weekends.

• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience using The Raiser’s Edge NXT in a non-profit setting.

Salary Range $90,000-$110,000. Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

To be considered, qualified candidates must upload a cover letter, resume, and three references through our online application system (ClearCo). To learn more about our school, please visit Sidwell Friends School .

Sidwell Friends School affirms the centrality of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of academic and campus life. Honoring a multiplicity of voices, we celebrate shared joys and address tensions productively. Together, we are guided by Quaker testimonies and seek to answer the question, “How do we nurture a sense of belonging in our community and demonstrate our commitment to a just world.”

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