Donor Stewardship Specialist

The Donor Stewardship Specialist is responsible for acknowledging gifts and pledges of charitable contributions to the College and its programs by producing accurate letters, reports, and stewardship correspondences. Donors represent a broad range of constituents, including Bard alumni/ae, friends, families, and corporations and foundations.

This position reports to the Stewardship Manager in the Office of Development and Alumni/ae Affairs (ODAA) of Bard College. This position also provides administrative support for the Office of Development and Alumni/ae Affairs as identified by the VP of Development and Alumni/ae Affairs and stays aware of best practices in the donor stewardship field. The Donor Stewardship Specialist will learn to expertly use the Development Office’s Slate CRM (constituent relationship system) to draft customized letters and other communications that strengthen the bonds that donors feel to the College. They will orchestrate the review of draft documents by Gift Officers as appropriate. They will also coordinate with development staff throughout the institution to archive externally produced stewardship documents in accordance with the outlined policies and procedures of the Office of Development and Alumni/ae Affairs.

The position is located at Bard College’s main campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., home to 1,900 undergraduate students. ODAA also serves the College’s multiple graduate programs, the Fisher Center, the Hessel Museum of Art, the Bard Prison Initiative, the Bard Early Colleges across the country, and a number of international campuses and partnerships and new initiatives.

Job Responsibilities

• Produce and send receipts for gift and pledge payments
• Create and manage tailored acknowledgments and other stewardship communications, including customization, distribution, and archival
• Use the Slate CRM to automate the creation of acknowledgment communications to the fullest extent possible
• Generate reports that support colleagues in other departments who also acknowledge gifts
• Draft and manage stewardship reports for a variety of donors, which may include reports for scholarships, awards, prizes, endowed funds, and any additional reports as needed
• Receive and archive acknowledgments created by colleagues in other departments
• Assist in maintaining correct address/contact information for donors in the Slate CRM
• Create annual statements for donors with multiple gifts, payroll deductions, recurring monthly donations, and other segments as needed
• Provide backup coverage for ODAA’s main phone line and front desk
• Assist with campus-wide events and stewardship events, such as Commencement/Reunion Weekend, Arrival Day, Family Weekend, Alumni/ae Holiday Party, Annual Scholarship Reception, Undergraduate Awards Ceremony, Senior Dinner, Thank-A-Donor and other events as needed
• Manage swag inventory for the office
• Maintain the stewardship calendar
• Responsible for producing documentation of gift acknowledgments for auditors
• Work some weekends and during peak processing periods, specifically, mid-December through mid-January and mid-June through mid-July
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; B.A., B.S., or A.A. preferred
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly including mail merge
• Skilled at using Google G-Suite (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides)
• Demonstrated ability to be accurate and accountable in assigned tasks and work efficiently with minimal errors
• Proven experience in writing, and copy-editing
• Ability to write clearly and concisely using correct grammar
• Able to work with others to accomplish shared goals, including leading and training across different departments and coordinating with them on their stewardship activities
• Ability to efficiently achieve accuracy when accomplishing duties, no matter how small or large; able to identify errors and produce quality outcomes
• Demonstrate strong organizational skills
• Work independently with the confidence to drive results; complete goal-centered tasks with ambition
• Effectively plan and prioritize tasks according to importance; keeps and maintains task lists and calendars and develops a contingency plan to respond to unplanned situations
• A strong commitment to the ethical handling and management of highly confidential financial and personal information. Impeccable integrity, hospitality, and discretion in dealing with donors, alumni/ae, students, administrators, colleagues, and other Bard constituents

Physical Qualifications

• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time and work in a standard office environment

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/166144.

Compensation: $24-$27/hour

This salary range reflects the College's good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation for the position at the time of the job posting. Salary decisions are dependent on several factors including but not limited to market and organizational considerations, experience, and qualifications of a selected candidate as well as internal and external equity.

Benefits Overview

We are pleased to offer our full-time employees an excellent benefit package which includes; multiple health insurance options; TIAA retirement plans; generous vacation, sick, and personal time; and more. To learn more about employee benefits and eligibility at Bard College, please visit https://www.bard.edu/humanresources/benefits/.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Bard College is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental, or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information.

Bard is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities.