Associate Director of Donor Stewardship

Associate Director of Donor Stewardship

The Associate Director of Donor Stewardship provides operational leadership for California Baptist University's (CBU) donor stewardship program by developing, implementing, and enhancing policies, procedures, and best practices that support the fundraising and stewardship efforts of the Office of University Advancement. Reporting to the Senior Director of Advancement Operations, this position leads the administration and stewardship of donor-funded scholarships, oversees scholarship management within Scholarship Universe, coordinates annual donor stewardship reporting, and advances strategic stewardship initiatives that strengthen donor engagement and retention.

The Associate Director collaborates closely with Development Officers, Financial Aid, Accounting, academic colleges, and other campus partners to ensure accurate scholarship administration, meaningful donor recognition, and impactful stewardship experiences for both donors and scholarship recipients. This role supports the University's philanthropic goals by fostering strong relationships, maintaining stewardship excellence, and promoting accountability in the management and reporting of donor investments.

To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to effectively carry out all essential duties. The following requirements outline the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for the role:

• Demonstrated commitment to living out and upholding the University's Christ-centered mission and values.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, including the ability to analyze, manipulate, and manage large and complex datasets. Experience with CRM databases, scholarship management systems, reporting tools, mail merge functionality, and business intelligence applications preferred.
• Ability to make sound administrative and procedural decisions and exercise independent judgment when handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Strong organizational, project management, and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with donors, students, faculty, staff, University leadership, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain the highest level of discretion, confidentiality, and professionalism when working with donor, student, financial, and other sensitive information.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively across multiple departments while providing exceptional customer service to both internal and external constituents.
• Strong customer service skills, including demonstrated experience handling inquiries, resolving concerns, and maintaining professional telephone and written communication.
• Ability to coordinate, organize, and manage meetings, stewardship activities, recognition programs, and special events.
• Knowledge of standard budgeting, financial reporting, expenditure control procedures, and related documentation.
• Ability to interpret, adapt, and apply policies, procedures, regulations, and donor gift agreements.
• Ability to develop, implement, and continuously improve operational policies, procedures, workflows, and stewardship strategies.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to create, compose, and revise a variety of donor-facing, technical, and administrative materials.
• Ability to investigate issues, analyze information, exercise sound judgment, and recommend practical and effective solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to learn, administer, and optimize technology platforms, systems, and business processes to improve operational efficiency, data integrity, and service delivery.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and other standard office equipment. The employee must possess sufficient manual dexterity to perform computer-based work for extended periods and visual acuity sufficient to read and analyze printed and electronic documents.

The employee may occasionally be required to lift, carry, and/or move materials weighing up to 15 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Work is primarily performed in a professional office environment and requires regular use of standard office equipment. The noise level is typically moderate. The position may require occasional attendance at stewardship events, donor engagement activities, and University functions conducted outside of normal business hours. Minimal…