Director of Strategic Donor Relations and Stewardship

Position Summary

The Director of Strategic Donor Relations and Stewardship leads the University's overarching stewardship and donor relations strategy, advancing an integrated, donor-centered model across schools and units. This role ensures that recognition, reporting, and engagement efforts are thoughtfully designed to strengthen retention, deepen relationships, and support sustained philanthropic growth. The Director sets a high bar for excellence in donor communications and continuously identifies opportunities to innovate and elevate the donor experience and stewardship practices.

Reporting to the Deputy Vice President of Alumni & Development, this position works closely with senior advancement leadership, principal and major gift officers, school-based stewardship teams, and University administrators to govern institutional standards, drive alignment across a decentralized environment, and ensure stewardship efforts are consistent, coordinated, and strategically aligned with fundraising priorities.

Responsibilities

Stewardship Strategy & Governance

• In partnership with key stakeholders, define a comprehensive, coordinated and donor-centered University-wide stewardship strategy.
• Establish University-wide tiered stewardship standards.
• Contribute to institutional fundraising strategy and long-term philanthropic growth by ensuring strong stewardship at all giving levels.

Principal Gift Stewardship

• Partner with Principal Gifts and the Office of the Executive Vice President to support senior frontline leaders to develop and execute high-touch engagement strategies that reinforce donor confidence and long-term philanthropic relationships.
• In Partnership with the Office of the EVP, leads Presidential acknowledgment strategy and other presidential stewardship efforts ensuring strategic alignment and thoughtful execution.

Recognition & Impact Reporting

• Provide executive oversight of centralized recognition programs, including University Benefactors and 1754 Society.
• Set strategy for endowment and current-use impact reporting, ensuring compelling, data-informed, and timely communications.

Data, Systems & Performance Accountability

• Establish measurable outcomes to assess stewardship effectiveness, retention, and lifetime value.
• Partner with Advancement Operations to embed stewardship tracking and reporting within the CRM.
• Align stewardship efforts with renewal and upgrade goals, using data and benchmarking to refine performance.

Leadership, Management, & Capability Building

• Lead and develop a high-performing stewardship team, providing coaching, goal setting and performance management.
• Integrate AI, where appropriate, to drive efficiency and effectiveness.
• Manage budget and resource allocation.
• Build institutional stewardship capability through training and cross-campus collaboration, modeling the Office’s shared core values and fostering a culture of excellence grounded in precision and continuous improvement.

Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum of five (5) to seven (7) years of related experience in higher education, client-focused wealth management, or other customer-service driven industry.

Other Requirements

• Demonstrated success stewarding major and principal level donors in a complex, decentralized institution.
• Exceptional writing and communication skills
• Proven ability to lead institutional change through influence and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong strategic thinking, governance experience, and data-informed decision-making capabilities.
• Subject to business needs, the Office of Alumni Relations and Development supports a hybrid work arrangement for this position. Options will be discussed during the interview process.

Columbia University offers a full range of benefits to help you and your eligible dependents stay healthy, build long-term financial security for retirement, and meet educational goals. To explore the available Health and Welfare, Tax Savings, Tuition, Well-being and Voluntary Benefits options visit: https://humanresources.columbia.edu/benefits.