Director of Donor Relations

Job Description

Job Description

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School (HIES) is seeking an experienced and strategic Director of Donor Relations to lead a comprehensive donor stewardship program that strengthens relationships, demonstrates philanthropic impact, and inspires continued investment in the School.

The Director of Donor Relations will develop and implement thoughtful, personalized stewardship strategies for HIES’s philanthropic community, which includes more than 2,100 donors, approximately 30 named endowment funds, and numerous major and planned gifts. This role will ensure that donors understand the lasting impact of their generosity and experience meaningful, consistent, and exceptional engagement with the School

The ideal candidate will be an excellent writer, relationship builder, project manager, and strategic thinker who understands that exceptional donor relations are at the heart of long-term philanthropic success.

The successful Director of Donor Relations will build a culture of exceptional stewardship at HIES—one in which donors feel known, appreciated, informed, and connected to the impact of their generosity. This individual will bring creativity and strategic thinking to donor engagement while ensuring that the School’s stewardship practices are organized, consistent, accurate, and aligned with donor intent.

Key Responsibilities Lead a Comprehensive Donor Stewardship Program

• Develop and implement a comprehensive stewardship strategy for annual, major, planned, and endowment donors.

• Create meaningful opportunities to communicate the impact of philanthropy and deepen donor engagement with HIES.

• Develop and execute personalized stewardship plans for major and planned donors in collaboration with portfolio managers.

• Design and coordinate major donor events, small-group gatherings, individual donor meetings, lunches, and other engagement opportunities.

• Develop annual donor communications and impact reports that demonstrate how philanthropic support advances the School’s mission and priorities.

• Partner with the Director of Annual Giving to develop stewardship strategies for leadership annual giving donors.

• Partner with the Advancement Events Manager to plan and execute stewardship events throughout the year.

Endowment Stewardship and Compliance

• Manage stewardship of approximately 30 named endowment funds, ensuring that donor intent is honored and appropriately communicated.

• Draft, maintain, and monitor endowment agreements and related documentation.

• Lead the annual financial and impact reporting process for endowments.

• Track endowment expenditures across campus to ensure that earnings are used in accordance with donor intent.

• Gather information from academic and administrative departments regarding the use and impact of endowed funds to support meaningful donor reporting.

• Ensure that named endowment procedures are consistently followed in accordance with HIES’s Donor Relations policies and established best practices.

• Identify opportunities to enhance the visibility and impact of endowed gifts through thoughtful donor communications and engagement.

Donor Recognition

• Develop and manage a comprehensive donor recognition strategy, including naming opportunities, recognition signage, awards, and other forms of donor acknowledgment.

• Oversee the design, production, and installation of donor recognition materials in collaboration with outside vendors.

• Ensure donor recognition is timely, accurate, thoughtful, and consistent with School policies and donor agreements.

• Collaborate with internal partners to identify creative and meaningful ways to recognize philanthropic leadership.

Advancement Systems and Stewardship Operations

• Maintain accurate and comprehensive records of donor stewardship activities, communications, agreements, reports, and recognition in Raiser’s Edge NXT , in partnership with Advancement Services.

• Manage weekly gift reports and identify opportunities for timely and personalized donor outreach.

• Establish and maintain systems and processes that ensure consistent, proactive stewardship across the Development Office.

• Use donor data and reporting to identify stewardship opportunities and measure the effectiveness of donor relations efforts.

• Ensure that stewardship practices reflect industry best practices and support the School’s overall advancement strategy.

Collaboration and Strategic Partnership

In partnership with frontline fundraiser, the Director of Donor Relations will:

• Support portfolio managers in developing and delivering personalized stewardship strategies for their prospects and donors.

• Develop and coordinate stewardship collateral, programs, communications, and events for major and planned donors.

• Collaborate with Development and Advancement colleagues to create a seamless and highly personalized donor experience.

• Partner with the Director of Annual Giving, Advancement Events Manager, and other members of the Development team to align stewardship efforts across all areas of philanthropy.

• In partnership with the Director, help establish, refine, and implement comprehensive Donor Relations and Stewardship policies, including strategies for naming opportunities, donor recognition, and stewardship of gifts at all levels.

• Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to set strategy, establish priorities, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and consistently meet deadlines.

• Ability to serve as a visible and engaged representative of the Advancement Office with donors, families, alumni, trustees, and other external constituents.

• Strong management, analytical, project management, and organizational skills.

• Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, follow-through, and commitment to excellence.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling donor communications and build strong relationships with a diverse range of constituents.

• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and handle sensitive donor and financial information with discretion.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT or a comparable advancement database strongly preferred.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required.

• Four to six years of progressive experience in development, donor relations, advancement, communications, or a related field.

• Experience working collaboratively across departments and with senior leaders, volunteers, donors, and external partners.

• Ability to work independently while also contributing effectively as a member of a collaborative Advancement team.

• Willingness and ability to work occasional evenings and weekends throughout the year in support of donor meetings, events, and other job-related functions.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described below are representative of those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

The employee is regularly required to sit and use hands and fingers to operate office equipment and technology, as well as to communicate verbally and listen effectively. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and move throughout campus and event spaces. The employee may occasionally be required to lift or move items weighing up to 10 pounds. The position requires close visual acuity and the ability to adjust focus when working with printed materials, computer screens, and other documents.