Donor Engagement and Stewardship Writer , University Development and Alumni Relations

Donor Engagement and Stewardship Writer (5387U), University Development and Alumni Relations #88554

At the University of California, Berkeley , we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and Mac Arthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond.

Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth . We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and providing space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) increases support for and enhances knowledge of UC Berkeley through communications, public outreach, and fundraising. The department is responsible for fundraising and donor engagement, and works to strengthen unit development offices by consulting and partnering with campus fundraisers. UDAR also handles a range of central activities and services encompassing events, communications, stewardship, prospect development, gift management, and database management.

The College of Letters & Science (L&S) is the largest of Berkeley's colleges, comprising 38 departments and 79 majors; and encompasses nearly half of the campus faculty, almost two-thirds of its undergraduate students, and almost half of its Ph.D. candidates.

UDAR's Constituent Programs team works closely with L&S deans and development leaders on strategy setting and organizational performance to optimize fundraising strategies and help the College reach its philanthropy goals; and provides stewardship, communications, and advisory board support to the College.

The Donor Engagement and Stewardship Writer provides stewardship reporting, donor engagement communications, and proposal development support for all five divisions of the College of Letters & Science (L&S). With input from divisional development teams and college leadership and guidance from the Associate Director for Stewardship & Strategy, this position conceives, researches, writes, edits, and publishes written materials and strategic communications including feature stories, interviews, proposals, short videos, event scripts, and decanal presentations.

The Donor Engagement and Stewardship Writer is also responsible for producing stewardship reports of varying lengths that are required by gift agreements to ensure donors and prospects are engaged and stewarded effectively to maintain and increase fundraising levels.

The First Review Date for this job is:
Septmeber 12, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Research, write, and edit high-level donor engagement materials - 40%

• Research, write, and edit high-level donor engagement materials for all five divisions in the College of Letters & Science that communicate complex or sensitive subject matter, such as research outcomes, program activities, and student success stories, to a highly influential audience of major donors and philanthropic partners to UC Berkeley.
• Collateral may include feature stories, interviews, proposals, briefing materials, talking points, decanal outreach communications to prospects and donors, and web site content.
• Develop new donor engagement tools, including digital and print communications and collateral around key divisional and campaign priorities.

Research, write, and edit impact reports and other stewardship materials - 30%

• Research, write, and edit impact reports and other stewardship materials for all five divisions in the College of Letters & Science as part of the approximately 125 stewardship moves for programmatic support or fund donors the Constituent Programs team produces annually.

Collaborate with divisional fundraising teams - 15%

• Meet regularly with divisional fundraising teams in the Arts & Humanities, Biological Sciences, Mathematical & Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences divisions to understand priorities and recent program successes and advise on donor outreach and engagement strategies.
• Work with UDAR and L&S leaders to develop strategies for digital outreach campaigns for the College of Letters & Science Leadership Fund; and produce donor engagement content for fundraising efforts.

Provide support for other L&S advancement communications - 5%

• May collaborate with L&S College Relations and university staff on additional advancement communications projects, including campaign documents, website articles, proposals, event invitations, press releases, and miscellaneous donor reports.

Provides…