Stewardship & Donor Engagement Specialist

The Stewardship & Donor Engagement Specialist is responsible for designing and leading donor stewardship strategies that strengthen relationships, increase retention and enhance the overall donor experience. This role ensures that all donor engagement efforts are intentional, personalized and aligned with organizational priorities and donor intent.

The role oversees the strategy and quality of donor acknowledgment, recognition and impact reporting, ensuring all stewardship touchpoints are thoughtful, consistent and aligned with established standards. This includes defining stewardship approaches, communication cadence and recognition practices across all donor segments.

A key focus of the role is the development and management of customized stewardship plans for mid-level, major, and principal donors, in collaboration with Foundation leadership and team members. This includes aligning stewardship strategies with donor engagement plans to ensure continuity from initial gift through long-term relationship development.

The position designs engagement strategies for programs such as Friends of the Foundation, ensuring a consistent and meaningful donor experience across this giving group.

In collaboration with the Special Events Project Manager and Foundation team, the role defines the donor engagement approach for cultivation and stewardship events, including pre- and post-event communication strategies.

The role also contributes to donor communications by developing and refining impact messaging and stewardship content, including elements of newsletters, impact reports and donor-facing communications. This position ensures that all messaging clearly communicates philanthropic impact and strengthens donor connection to the mission.

This role collaborates closely with Foundation team members who support the execution of stewardship activities. The Specialist maintains oversight of quality, consistency, and effectiveness, using data and feedback to continuously improve donor engagement strategies.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

• Stewardship Strategy & Donor Experience: Ability to design and implement comprehensive stewardship strategies that enhance donor relationships and long-term engagement
• Donor Relationship Management: Experience supporting engagement of mid-level and major donors through personalized stewardship approaches
• Physician & Internal Engagement: Ability to build relationships with physicians and internal stakeholders to generate referrals and strengthen a culture of philanthropy
• Communication & Storytelling: Strong writing skills with the ability to develop compelling donor-facing content, including impact messaging and stewardship communications
• Program Design & Oversight: Ability to establish stewardship frameworks, recognition standards, and engagement plans, and ensure consistent implementation
• Collaboration & Influence: Strong ability to partner with fundraising, leadership, and cross-functional teams to align stewardship with broader development strategies
• Data-Informed Approach: Ability to use CRM data and reporting to evaluate effectiveness of stewardship efforts and inform improvements
• Quality & Consistency: Ensures all donor interactions reflect organizational standards, brand voice, and donor intent

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

Demonstrates the technical competencies as established on the Assessment and Evaluation Tool.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The essential functions for this position are listed on the Assessment and Evaluation Tool.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

This position reports to Foundation Project Manager & Operations Supervisor.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's Degree in Nonprofit Management, Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or related field required.

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION: CFRE preferred as could be role that grows into annual giving

EXPERIENCE: Minimum of 3--5 years of experience in donor relations, stewardship, communications, or related field required

• Experience in nonprofit or healthcare philanthropy preferred
• Demonstrated experience in donor stewardship strategies, donor communications, or relationship management strongly preferred
• Experience working with mid-level or major donor programs preferred

TECHNICAL SKILLS: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite required; experience with CRM systems (e.g., Raiser's Edge or similar) required, email marketing platforms and content management tools strongly preferred.