Donor Relations Coordinator

The incumbent executes a plan to retain philanthropic support through comprehensive donor stewardship and high-quality engagement activities. This position focuses on fostering donor relationships, ensuring donor intent, and coordinating efforts to advance the College's mission and fundraising goals. The Donor Relations Coordinator will collaborate closely with the Manager of Annual Giving and the Director of Development.

Donor Stewardship (50% of role)

• Scholarship Donors:
  • Manage relationships with scholarship donors, ensuring timely and personalized communication.
  • Facilitates annual awards selection to ensure donor intent is fulfilled and that each recipient is connected to the donor for acknowledgment.
  • Coordinate and execute the scholarship thank-you process, including collecting and sharing recipient impact stories.
  • Track and report on the use of scholarship funds to demonstrate accountability and impact.
    
• Annual Fund Donors:
  • Develop and implement stewardship plans for Annual Fund donors, including timely acknowledgment letters, impact reports, and personalized updates.
  • Collaborate with the SCO communications team to create materials showcasing the Annual Fund's contributions to SCO.
    
• Manages a series of “high touch” stewardship contacts for the SCO President and Vice President of Institutional Advancement including phone calls, letters, emails, and/or meetings with donors who give at leadership gift levels.
• Plans and executes SCO events, as needed, to engage with donors and provide support for the Office of Institutional Advancement.
• Promote a culture of gratitude and high-quality customer service.

Capital Campaign Coordination (40% of role)

• Work with the President, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Development team staff, campaign volunteers, and Carter Global to support and coordinate meetings, trainings, cultivation activities, solicitations, and special events.
• Coordinate campaign-related activities, including planning, timelines, and execution of campaign events.
• Oversee stewardship efforts for capital campaign donors, including naming opportunities, milestone acknowledgments, and commemorative events.
• Monitor progress toward campaign goals and provide regular updates to leadership.
• Serve as a liaison between campaign volunteers, committees, and staff to ensure alignment and progress.
• Track campaign pledges and gifts, ensuring proper acknowledgment and stewardship.
• Create and maintain all campaign-related files (hard and electronic).
• Assist in packaging proposals for major gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Maintains a record of all actions and opportunities with donors in the Raiser’s Edge NXT database

Other Administrative Support (10% of role)

• Represent the College in a professional manner with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and all constituents.
• Keep track of best practices related to Donor Relations in higher education and incorporate those practices into our approach.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent of training and experience.

Experience/Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in donor relations, development, or a customer service-related setting. Preferably in a higher education or nonprofit setting.
• Knowledge of the ophthalmic industry or healthcare is a plus.

• Teamwork
• Strategic Thinker
• Oral and Written Communications
• Professionalism
• Initiative
• Attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently
• Ethics and dependability
• Organizational skills
• Confidentiality and trustworthiness