Assistant Director for Donor Relations, Arts & Sciences

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director of Development, Arts & Sciences (ED), the Assistant Director for Donor Relations plays a crucial role in the stewardship efforts of high-level donors to academic departments, institutes, centers and initiatives across the Arts & Sciences through a combination of strategic planning, donor relations and reporting work.

The Assistant Director plays an instrumental role in translating data as well as research and teaching outcomes into inspiring stories of impact in reports and other stewardship communications, ensuring the University is able to deploy gifts in accordance with donor intent, and maximizing donor satisfaction while meeting institutional needs. The position also serves as a resource for, and a collaborative thought partner to, major gift officers as they devise and execute solicitation strategies for individual donors to Arts & Sciences departments, centers and units through the lens of stewardship, and works both independently and in partnership with the ED, gift officers and other partners to ensure donor satisfaction post-commitment.

Responsibilities

• Proactively seeks out opportunities to inform and partner with members of the A&S Development as well as the Central Stewardship teams on donor relations initiatives.
• Assists the ED in developing and fostering a strategic direction for the team’s stewardship efforts, including by remaining informed of best practices.
• In partnership with the ED, establishes regular processes for existing stewardship efforts and identifies and generates new stewardship opportunities and initiatives to steward the full range of existing donors, taking into account the University’s baselines and best practices. Over time, independently ensures these stewardship efforts are drafted, finalized, approved and deployed on time and to the highest quality.
• Tracks and analyzes the impact of prior stewardship efforts in order to maintain and improve protocols on an ongoing basis.
• Builds and maintains independent relationships with faculty and administrators across academic units in order to gather the data and uses of donor-gifted funds required to independently produce compelling, high-quality, polished stewardship reports and updates that clearly convey donor impact; shares these with donors directly or in collaboration with gift officers while ensuring coordination between the team and academic units.
• Contributes to the planning and execution of high-level donor appreciation events ranging from the intimate, such as tailored experiences for major gift donors, to large scale, such as celebration events for new endowed professorships.
• Independently researches and leverages data to inform projects and strategies, including the use of the full range of capabilities of the new donor database, ensuring that stewardship efforts are tracked in an appropriate and timely manner, and that stewardees’ personal preferences are taken into account in any stewardship project.
• As appropriate, communicates directly with, and serves as a point person for, donors and alumni on matters pertaining to A&S donor relations, such as serving on the core team for key donors in order to support them during Gift Officer transitions.
• Ensures internal partners are updated with plans for upcoming touchpoints and independently ensures that touchpoints are deployed in a timely manner; works with the Senior Associate Director of Development Programs and Communications on deployment of email communications.
• Manages document and process flow, at times involving multiple programs and stakeholders, ensuring deadlines are met with the highest quality products.
• In collaboration with academic partners, ensures University compliance with donor intent and gift agreements, as well as the timely deployment of donor-gifted funds.
• Remains current with research and programming within the Arts & Sciences.
• Serves as a resource in identifying and matching donor interests with institutional needs.
• Partners with colleagues in Central Stewardship and Columbia College on special stewardship projects as needed, and other special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and/or its equivalent required, including a minimum three (3) to five (5) years of experience in a donor relations or frontline fundraising environment, preferably in higher education, or similarly complex and dynamic environment.
• A strong understanding of the development process, particularly in the cultivation and stewardship of major gifts, is essential.
• Working on evenings and weekends may be required from time to time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Above all, the incumbent will be a creative and enthusiastic communicator, relishing the opportunity to turn facts and data into stories. The incumbent will also be flexible in nature, have sound judgment, and a collaborative style that fosters teamwork and cooperation beyond the immediate team to the broader organization. They will have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.
• The role requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to drive activity for multiple projects/groups and work effectively in a team environment with diverse populations and challenging client groups. The ability to interact well with internal and external partners, faculty, and other constituents, the ability to articulate complex or technical concepts clearly to generalists and excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential qualities.
• 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.