Assistant Director, Donor Relations

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $70,000 - $74,000 Annually

Position Summary

The Columbia College Development and Alumni Relations (CCDAR) team serves the more than 55,000 living alumni of Columbia College along with current and past College parents and friends. We are an innovative team of development and alumni relations professionals committed to fostering strong, lasting relationships between Columbia alumni, parents, students and friends through engagement, participation and philanthropic investment. We connect stakeholders to opportunities that support College goals and advance engagement and fundraising priorities.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Donor Relations, the Assistant Director of Donor Relations plays an integral role in developing and implementing a comprehensive donor relations program for Columbia College. They will perform operational, day-to-day tasks in support of the overarching stewardship program, which aims to thank, inform, inspire, engage and recognize donors through strategic communications, reporting and engagement activities.

Responsibilities

Named Scholarship Program:

Columbia College's financial aid program is funded in part by more than 1,000 Named Scholarships, which are awarded to students each year. The Assistant Director will manage the Named Scholarship Program and all related donor stewardship, while ensuring the strategic direction of the program. This will include:

• Award scholarships to Columbia College students, ensuring that all scholarship criteria are met. Maintain the integrity of data for scholarships and establish tracking for new and existing scholarships
• Manage student communications, including developing a schedule, writing and assisting with sending all student communications. Thoughtfully respond to inquiries and requests from students
• Manage donor communications, including developing a schedule, writing and assisting with sending all donor communications Producing annual narrative reports for donors and other ad hoc reporting. Respond to inquiries and requests from donors, and facilitate meetings and introductions for donors and the recipients of their scholarships
• Prepare data and compelling and impactful content for other scholarship-related communications and digital and print pieces; Complete an end-of-year reconciliation
• Coordinate with staff across Columbia College and the Office of Alumni and Development, and serve as a point person for staff, donors and students regarding Named Scholarships and financial aid
• Evaluate the Named Scholarship Program, conducting research and proposing ideas to continually improve both processes and outcomes

High-Level Stewardship Projects:

The Assistant Director will plan and execute stewardship projects for high-level donors. This work will highlight notable donors, students, programs and initiatives at Columbia College and seek to meaningfully demonstrate the impact of donor support. This will include customized stewardship projects and gifts, reports and other communications. The Assistant Director will also have a special focus on Named Scholarship donors. They will develop and carry out a variety of projects for this population, including small-scale events, reports, personalized gifts, etc. At times, they will work in conjunction with fundraisers and senior leadership to identify donors in need of high-level stewardship touches.

Giving Societies:

The Assistant Director will serve as the primary manager of the College Walk Society, Columbia College's leadership giving society that recognizes financial aid donors. They will develop and administer a comprehensive stewardship plan for members that complements existing stewardship reporting. The Assistant Director will provide support for the John Jay Associates program, another leadership giving society. They will help in fulfilling membership benefits, planning and staffing events, and other tasks as needed. The Assistant Director will also assist teammates with the stewardship efforts for other giving societies at the College.

Narrative Reporting:

Columbia College has various named funds that support the strategic priorities of the College. The Assistant Director will help manage the annual narrative reporting process for several programs and their named funds. This will include coordinating with various Columbia offices, editing and formatting content, writing cover letters for reports and assisting with the maintenance of donor and fund recognition websites.

Other Stewardship Responsibilities:

The Assistant Director will perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or its equivalent
• A minimum of 2-4 years of experience in a university or other complex organization is necessary
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of basic donor relations and stewardship principle
• Extreme attention to detail and an eye for accuracy
• Excellent writing, editing, research, customer service and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational and time- management skills with an ability to prioritize projects
• Must possess a high level of professionalism, creativity and flexibility
• Must be self-directed and motivated, able to manage multiple and complex assignments and meet deadlines and production schedules both independently and as part of a team
• Ability to handle confidential matters and maintain confidentiality.
• Overall proficiency with computers and computer software (Word, Excel, and databases) is required, including an ability to learn new software. Technical proficiency with spreadsheets, manipulating complex data using VLookups and mail merges
• Must be available to work some weekends and evenings

*Applications submitted without a cover letter and resume will not be review*

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with donor relations and stewardship is preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.