Senior Director, Stewardship & Donor Relations

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree; Master's degree preferred
• 7-10 years of advancement experience with increasing responsibility in stewardship, donor relations, or development communications
• Demonstrated success designing and implementing comprehensive donor stewardship programs
• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills; ability to translate institutional priorities into compelling donor impact narratives
• Strong project management abilities with capacity to manage multiple concurrent initiatives and meet deadlines
• Experience with donor database systems for tracki

Benefits

Additional Information

JOB TITLE Senior Director, Stewardship & Donor Relations LOCATION Worcester DEPARTMENT NAME Development & Communications Strategy DIVISION NAME Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY The Senior Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations leads WPI's comprehensive donor stewardship strategy, ensuring every philanthropic investor experiences exceptional recognition, impact reporting, and ongoing engagement that deepens their connection to the university and inspires continued support. This senior leader designs and executes stewardship programs that demonstrate gratitude, communicate impact, and build lasting relationships with donors across all giving levels-from first-time annual fund supporters to principal gift investors. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Development Communications and Strategy, the Senior Director ensures stewardship is strategic, personalized, and seamlessly integrated with broader advancement communications and fundraising efforts. This role is critical to completing the Beyond These Towers campaign with strong donor retention and positioning WPI for sustained philanthropic success. JOB DESCRIPTION Stewardship Strategy & Leadership (35%) Develop and implement comprehensive donor stewardship strategy aligned with fundraising goals, campaign priorities, and donor lifecycle engagement Design differentiated stewardship approaches by donor segment (major/principal gifts, leadership annual giving, planned gifts, corporate/foundation, first-time donors) Create personalized stewardship plans for top donors in partnership with gift officers, ensuring consistent touchpoints and meaningful impact reporting Establish stewardship standards, timelines, and accountability measures across advancement division Lead stewardship planning for campaign completion and transition to post-campaign donor retention strategies Partner with gift officers to ensure stewardship supports donor cultivation, retention, and upgrade pathways Donor Recognition & Gratitude (25%) Oversee all donor recognition programs including gift acknowledgments, donor societies, naming opportunities, and public recognition Manage donor society programs (e.g., legacy society, campaign donor recognition) including membership criteria, benefits, events, and communications Ensure timely, personalized, and accurate gift acknowledgments that reflect donor intent and demonstrate genuine gratitude Coordinate presidential and leadership engagement in donor stewardship including thank-you calls, personal notes, and recognition events Design and execute donor recognition events that celebrate philanthropy and showcase impact Manage donor recognition spaces, plaques, digital displays, and physical recognition on campus Partner with Communications on donor honor rolls, annual reports, and public recognition platforms Impact Reporting & Communications (25%) Create compelling impact reports that demonstrate how donor investments advance WPI's mission, support students, enable research, and transform lives Develop endowment fund reports providing financial updates and programmatic impact for endowed gift holders Produce customized impact communications for major and principal gift donors showing specific outcomes of their investments Partner with academic and administrative units to gather impact stories, data, and outcomes for donor reporting Oversee stewardship communications including newsletters, videos, impact stories, and digital content Ensure stewardship messaging is authentic, donor-centered, and demonstrates tangible results Track and report restricted gift spending and impact to ensure donor intent fulfillment Cross-Functional Collaboration (10%) Serve as primary stewardship resource and partner to all gift officers, providing tools, templates, and support Collaborate with AVP, Development Communications and Strategy on integrated communications strategy Partner with Advancement Operations on gift processing, database tracking of stewardship activities, and reporting Work with Events team on donor recognition events and stewardship experiences Coordinate with Finance on endowment reporting, fund spending, and restricted gift compliance Engage faculty, students, and program leaders in stewardship through scholarship recipient letters, facility tours, and research presentations Participate in divisional planning and cross-functional initiatives

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