Assistant Director, Stewardship and Donor Communications

About the role

The Assistant Director, Stewardship and Donor Communications for the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) is a newly created position within the SCA Advancement office. This role is crucial for ensuring continued success in philanthropy among key supporters as the School embarks on a fundraising campaign in support of its 100th Anniversary.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing SCA stewardship and donor relations, including generating annual reports for SCA donor support funds, including academic and student-based funds
• Drafting, editing, and sending a variety of written communications from the Dean and Office of Advancement, including gift acknowledgements, congratulations and condolence notes
• Managing SCA donor and constituent information for databases, including Salesforce
• Researching donor prospects to develop gift solicitation strategies and target areas
• Preparing briefings for the Dean on donors and guests
• Conducting SCA complex and campus tours for guests
• Working with other Advancement staff and internal SCA departments, including Student Services, to collect and synthesize information for donor reporting purposes
• Serving as primary liaison with USC Central Stewardship office
• Collaborating with SCA Communications office on stewardship-related materials
• Creating and editing donor-related content, including marketing material for campaigns and proposals, in concert with other internal SCA staff
• Collaborating with other SCA Advancement staff on events and donor visits
• Performing other duties as assigned in support of SCA’s mission

Requirements

• Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree
• Minimum Experience: 5 years Development experience in higher education
• Ability to self-manage, prioritize work assignments and manage multiple deadlines
• Experience maintaining and interpreting datasets and database systems
• Excellent planning, organizational and interpersonal skills
• Detail oriented with excellent written and oral communication skills, including public speaking and fundraising proposal writing/editing
• Proficient in Microsoft Office

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred Experience: 7 years Experience in creating stewardship reports and/or materials for fundraising campaigns, preferably at a complex research university
• Experience in and an understanding of the entertainment industry as well as the School of Cinematic Arts
• Solid relationship-building skills, ability to interface with donors, leading faculty and staff, cross-campus partners, and high-profile guests
• Donor prospect research experience in higher education
• Volunteer experience in fundraising, campaign or non-profit environments
• Experience with email marketing, website development/coding and Adobe Creative Suite
• Extensive customer service experience
• Fluency in one or more language in addition to English (e.g., Spanish)