Stewardship and Engagement Associate

About the Diocese of Massachusetts:

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts consists of over 170 worshipping communities who live by the core values of Welcome, Courage, Justice, and Joy. Led by Bishop Julia Whitworth, our Diocese includes over 40,000 Episcopalians across Eastern Massachusetts who share a commitment to providing generous and abundant welcome to life in Christ; forming creative disciples for missional lives; fostering inclusive, diverse, and sustainable worshipping communities; and proclaiming the justice of God to a broken and hurting world.

Position Description:

The Stewardship and Engagement Associate plays a vital role in helping the Diocese steward key internal and external relationships, including with donors, elected officials, and civic organizations. The Associate will proactively support outreach and engagement that elevates the public profile of the Diocese. A member of the Diocesan Administrative Team, the Associate also provides essential administrative support to the Canon for Communications, Witness, and Engagement in executing strategic goals and ensuring implementation of priority initiatives. The ideal candidate is a strong writer and communicator who excels in relationship and project management. Given the central role this position plays, the Associate must demonstrate excellent judgment and possess exceptional organizational skills.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Stewardship and Engagement (60%)

• Support the Canon and Bishop in executing proactive fundraising initiatives.
• Create, implement, and maintain the systems and processes to support strategic, sustained stewardship of donor and other stakeholder relationships.
• Serve as project manager for key donor-facing events, working with the Canon and others on staff to propose, plan, and host donor-oriented events and engagements.
• Ensure consistent, timely donor stewardship, including facilitating touch-points by the Bishop and Canon and timely recognition of donors.
• Refresh stewardship and acknowledgment materials regularly.
• Serve as principal manager of the donor database, including managing donor and gift tracking, acknowledgments, reporting, and data integrity. Coordinate with other staff to ensure donor data is integrated with other Diocesan data systems.
• Track action items for individual fundraising prospects along with other stakeholders and facilitate follow-through from executive leadership.
• Conduct research on individual fundraising prospects, including grants.
• Support the Canon in building and deepening relationships with civic institutions, including arts, education, and non-profit organizations, as well as state and local elected officials.
• Assist in the planning and execution of public-facing events involving the Bishop and other Diocesan leaders, including coordinating external vendors.
• Aid the Canon in tracking relevant local and state legislation and identifying opportunities for effective public witness and engagement.
• Provide support for diocesan communications efforts, including coordination with external vendors and occasionally drafting communications content such as social media posts, newsletters, etc.

Operational and Administrative Coordination for the Canon for Communications, Witness, and Engagement and team (40%)

• Develop and implement systems and processes to ensure effective operations and relationship management for the Communications, Witness, and Engagement team.
• Provide comprehensive administrative support to the Canon, including calendar management, meeting and outreach coordination, travel arrangements, expense management, and document preparation.
• Manage and prioritize communications and outreach for the Canon, ensuring timely responses and follow-up actions.
• Compose, proofread, and edit correspondence, briefings, reports, and other materials for executive leadership.
• Support the preparation and tracking of the Communications, Witness, and Engagement budget.
• Partner with other members of the diocesan staff to provide cross-coverage, shared resources, and consistent administrative practices.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with donors, congregations, clergy, and colleagues, modeling hospitality and responsiveness.
• Provide administrative, logistical, and communications support for key diocesan events, particularly those oriented toward donors and key external stakeholders.
• Serve as an engaged member of the Diocesan Administrative Team.

Collaboration & Teamwork:

Diocesan Staff Expectations

• Regular engagement with supervisor to ensure communication and clarity around workflow prioritization.
• Arrange work schedule with supervisor to include three workdays onsite (including Wednesday) at the Diocesan offices, along with remote work. (Subject to change.)
• Participate in trainings, meetings, proceedings, and activities of the diocesan staff as directed by supervisor.
• Contribute to diocesan initiatives that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
• Adherence to all diocesan policies and procedures.
• Some evening and weekend work is expected.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and balance multiple tasks effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to prepare professional correspondence and resources for diverse audiences.
• Attention to detail, including the ability to edit and proofread.
• Must be able to exercise discretion and good judgment when dealing with confidential and sensitive material.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Understanding of etiquette and protocol.
• Experience with donor relationship management tools and databases.
• Experience in donor and external-facing relationship management preferred.
• Experience managing and tracking budgets a plus.
• Event support and management experience a plus.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, Adobe Suite, and ability and willingness to learn and adapt to new software and database systems.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in record-keeping, scheduling, and documentation.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Core Competencies & Expectations:

• All diocesan staff are expected to:
• Act with trustworthiness, transparency, and accountability.
• Communicate clearly, kindly, and effectively.
• Collaborate across differences with openness and respect.
• Approach challenges as proactive problem-solvers.
• Balance strategic thinking with responsiveness.
• Follow all diocesan policies and procedures of the Bishop’s Office.
• Serve both the Bishop’s Office and our worshipping communities with dedication.
• Bring a spirit of hospitality, joy, and humor to their work.
• Utilize project management, communications, and staff management tools effectively.
• Exhibit a deep commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Government, nonprofit, or church-related experience strongly desired.
• Familiarity with the Episcopal Church a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Ability to occasionally lift and carry 15 pounds.
• Reasonable accommodation will be made for persons with disabilities.

The Diocese provides a generous benefits package including employer-paid health insurance, a 403b with an employer contribution, disability insurance, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts.

Professional fluency in English is required.