Donor Stewardship and Engagement Specialist

Responsibilities:

Stewardship Strategy & Donor Experience

• Lead and execute comprehensive donor stewardship programs for annual, leadership, major gift, and principal gift donors.

• Develop personalized engagement strategies that strengthen donor retention, satisfaction, and long-term philanthropic support.

• Partner with development officers to create customized stewardship plans and meaningful donor touchpoints.

• Identify and implement innovative stewardship practices and donor engagement opportunities.

Donor Recognition & Benefits

• Manage donor recognition programs for giving societies, affinity groups, endowed funds, capital projects, and sport-specific initiatives.

• Oversee acknowledgment processes, recognition opportunities, and fulfillment of donor benefits.

• Coordinate milestone recognition, appreciation initiatives, and naming opportunity stewardship.

Stewardship Events & Engagement Opportunities

• Plan and execute donor stewardship events, hospitality experiences, scholarship celebrations, facility dedications, and VIP engagement opportunities.

• Collaborate with Athletics staff to create memorable donor experiences that advance stewardship goals.

• Support exclusive access opportunities, facility tours, and other high-touch engagement activities for key donors.

Donor Impact Reporting

• Oversee the development and distribution of donor impact reports, stewardship materials, and donor updates.

• Collect and coordinate stories, student-athlete profiles, program highlights, and other content that demonstrates philanthropic impact.

• Manage stewardship obligations for endowed funds and scholarships, ensuring timely reporting and donor engagement.

Donor Data Integrity & Stewardship Tracking

• Maintain accurate stewardship records, engagement activities, recognition commitments, and event participation within the donor databases.

• Conduct data audits and cleanup efforts to ensure consistency and accuracy.

• Generate stewardship and engagement reports to support donor strategy, segmentation, and decision-making.

• Monitor stewardship fulfillment and recommend process improvements that enhance efficiency and data quality.

Stewardship Communications

• Partner with Iron Dukes Communications to develop and coordinate stewardship-focused communications, including donor impact stories, newsletters, annual reports, and personalized correspondence.

• Manage stewardship communication calendars and ensure messaging aligns with Duke Athletics branding and fundraising priorities.

• Support communication efforts related to donor societies, stewardship initiatives, and special events.

Required Qualifications:

• Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills normally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.

• Work requires two years of experience in fund raising, alumni affairs, public relations, student activities, program administration or a related field to become familiar with activities involved in planning special events or programs.

  • OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5 Years of Experience

• Demonstrated experience leading donor engagement and stewardship programs.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

·         Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

·         Strong project management and organizational abilities.

·         Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.

• Experience utilizing fundraising CRM systems and donor databases.

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across departments and build strong constituent relationships.

• Commitment to providing outstanding donor service.

• Experience in collegiate athletics fundraising, higher education advancement, or nonprofit philanthropy.

• Knowledge of donor stewardship best practices and donor experience strategies.

• Experience managing donor recognition programs, impact reporting, and stewardship events.

• Familiarity with fundraising databases such as Paciolan, Advance, Salesforce, Blackbaud, or similar platforms.

• Familiarity with basic design tools such as Canva, InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, or similar platforms.

• Experience using donor analytics and engagement metrics to inform strategy.