Job Details

Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship

Position Number: 9924239
Location: Saratoga Springs, United States
Position Type: Development and Fund Raising

Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship

The Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship provides strategic leadership for a comprehensive donor engagement, stewardship, and recognition program that strengthens lifelong relationships between donors and Empire State University. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Advancement, the Director is responsible for developing and implementing institution-wide strategies that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy, ensure accountability to donor intent, and enhance the donor experience at every stage of the giving journey.

The Director serves as the university's lead strategist for donor relations and stewardship, overseeing donor recognition, impact reporting, gift acknowledgements, scholarship administration including policy and reporting, drafts, oversees and maintains gift agreements for major gifts and endowed funds, gift agreements, stewardship communications, endowed fund reporting, and donor engagement initiatives. Working collaboratively with development, advancement services, communications, finance, academic leadership, and the Empire State University Foundation, the Director ensures that philanthropic investments are acknowledged, celebrated, and connected to meaningful outcomes.

The Director brings a strategic, creative, and relationship-centered approach to donor engagement, leveraging storytelling, technology, data, and best practices to build programs that inspire continued investment in the university's mission. The position supervises the Coordinator of Donor Relations and serves as a key partner in advancing a culture of philanthropy across the institution.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Donor Relations and Stewardship Strategy

Develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship strategy aligned with the university's fundraising priorities and long-term philanthropic goals.
Provide strategic leadership for donor stewardship across all levels of giving, including annual, leadership, major, planned, and endowed gifts.
Partner with advancement leadership and frontline fundraisers to ensure donor engagement opportunities support cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and retention objectives.
Establish stewardship goals, metrics, and standards to evaluate program effectiveness and demonstrate impact.
Serve as a thought leader on emerging trends and best practices in donor relations, stewardship, and philanthropic engagement.
Manage a small portfolio of former donors and stewardship contacts to ensure continued engagement.

Donor Impact Reporting and Stewardship Communications

Provide strategic oversight of donor impact reporting and stewardship communications programs.
Lead the development of meaningful stewardship communications that demonstrate how philanthropy advances student success, academic excellence, innovation, and institutional priorities.
Partner with Communications to identify and elevate compelling stories of donor impact, student achievement, and programmatic outcomes.
Oversee the planning, development, and production of endowment reports, scholarship impact reports, annual stewardship communications, major gift reporting, and other impact materials.
Ensure all stewardship communications are timely, accurate, compelling, and aligned with donor expectations and institutional messaging.

Donor Recognition and Engagement

Develop and oversee a comprehensive donor recognition program that celebrates philanthropic generosity and reinforces donor connection to the university.
Provide strategic leadership for: donor recognition societies, naming opportunities and recognition practices, legacy and planned giving recognition, donor appreciation initiatives, and stewardship and recognition events.
Partner with advancement leadership and special events staff to create meaningful donor experiences that strengthen engagement and increase philanthropic participation.
Evaluate recognition and engagement programs to ensure effectiveness, inclusivity, and alignment with advancement goals.

Endowment Stewardship and Compliance

Provide oversight for stewardship policy and practices related to endowed and restricted funds.
Partner with foundation finance, advancement services, and university leadership to ensure compliance with donor intent and stewardship commitments.
Establish processes that support accurate donor reporting, fund accountability, stewardship tracking and documentation, compliance with gift agreements, and audit readiness and reporting integrity.
Serve as a central resource on stewardship policies and donor accountability practices.

Advancement Partnership and Fundraising Support

Collaborate closely with frontline fundraising staff to support donor engagement and cultivation strategies.
Provide consultation and support related to donor proposals and presentations, gift agreements, stewardship plans, and major gift engagement strategies.
Develop tools, resources, and training that help advancement staff effectively steward and engage donors throughout the philanthropic cycle.
Partner with academic and administrative leaders to facilitate donor engagement opportunities and communicate philanthropic impact.

Data, Assessment, and Innovation

Leverage CRM data, analytics, and emerging technologies to strengthen stewardship and donor engagement efforts.
In collaboration with Advancement Services, develop a stewardship matrix, dashboards, and reporting tools to track stewardship activity, donor engagement, retention, and impact.
Assess donor relations programs using measurable outcomes and continuous improvement practices.
Identify opportunities for innovation, automation, and enhanced personalization in donor communications and stewardship experiences.
Champion a culture of accountability, excellence, and innovation within donor relations programs.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Directly supervise the Coordinator of Donor Relations, providing leadership, mentorship, goal-setting, and professional development.
Foster a collaborative, service-oriented, and high-performing culture focused on donor-centered engagement and stewardship excellence.

Job Requirements:

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
Five (5) to seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in donor relations, stewardship, advancement, fundraising, alumni relations, advancement communications, or a related field.
Demonstrated success developing and implementing donor stewardship and engagement strategies.
Experience creating donor communications, endowed fund reports, impact reports, or stewardship programs; and familiarity with stewardship best practices.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Experience supervising staff, student employees, volunteers, or project teams.
Experience utilizing CRM systems and data to support donor engagement and decision-making.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited institution.
Experience in higher education, university advancement, or a nonprofit fundraising environment.
Experience with endowment stewardship, impact reporting, and donor recognition programs.
Experience supporting comprehensive fundraising campaigns.
Experience collaborating with communications, marketing, and finance colleagues.

Special Information

This position is located in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Periodic travel and on-site presence at events throughout New York State and beyond will be required, including occasional evening and weekend work.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
SUNY Empire provides employees with robust remote and flexible work options to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff in a dispersed work environment.
This title is in Appendix A of the SUNY Policies of the Board of Trustees and, as a consequence, incumbents serving in this title are not eligible for permanent appointment.

Additional Information:

Rank/Salary: Director of Alumni Affairs (SL4) / $85,000-$90,000, dependent on experience and qualifications.

We are pleased to offer our employees an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff.

SUNY Empire is an AA/EEO/ADA employer. The University actively seeks applications from women, veterans, individuals with a disability, members of underrepresented groups or anyone that would enrich the diversity of the University. SUNY Empire is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction. Employees, students, applicants, or other members of the university community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.

SUNY Empire provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, veterans, or wounded warriors where appropriate. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (518) 587-2100.

In accordance with the Title II Crime Awareness and Security Act, a copy of our crime statistics is available upon request by calling (518) 587-2100. It can also be viewed online at our Safety and Security website.

To apply, visit http://esc.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=205676