Assistant Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations

About the role

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Office of Philanthropy seeks a Stewardship Officer to lead donor relations, recognition programs, and strategic stewardship initiatives that strengthen long-term philanthropic engagement. This role ensures that UMB delivers a best-in-class donor experience aligned with national CASE standards and institutional priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead UMB’s high-level donor stewardship and recognition programs, ensuring alignment with national best practices.
• Develop and implement stewardship plans for principal gift donors, endowed funds, and major philanthropic partners.
• Plan and execute high-profile donor stewardship and recognition events.
• Support stewardship components of place-based philanthropic initiatives that emphasize UMB’s impact on Baltimore and Maryland.
• Collaborate with other institutions in the University System of Maryland (USM) and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) on shared stewardship strategies and multi-institution donor recognition.
• Produce donor communications, including impact reports, acknowledgments, and donor stories.
• Maintain stewardship policies, naming guidelines, and compliance with State of Maryland and USM standards.
• Track donor engagement metrics and prepare reports to inform fundraising strategy.
• Partner with development officers, leadership, and communications teams to ensure consistent donor centered messaging.
• Conduct proactive research to identify emerging principal gift prospects, including analysis of giving patterns, engagement indicators, and capacity data.
• Prepare briefing materials, donor profiles, and strategic insights to support the Principal Gift Officer’s cultivation and solicitation activities.
• Monitor stewardship interactions for principal level donors to surface opportunities for deeper engagement or strategic intervention.
• Cook up stewardship, reporting, recognition, and donor communications for Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF)-supported endowed professorships, research chairs, and related research initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Five (5) years progressively building a background in the various philanthropic functions, including at least two (2) years in donor data maintenance, donor support or stewardship, gift administration, or advancement services.
• Experience working with principal-gift donors ($1M+).
• One (1) year of experience providing work coordination, training, or supervision of others.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of donor relations, stewardship strategy, and CASE standards.
• Strong writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Experience planning and executing complex special events.
• Understanding of place-based philanthropy and community engaged donor strategies.
• Ability to collaborate across USM institutions and navigate system level policies.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and donor databases.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with senior leadership and donors.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Commitment to confidentiality and ethical information handling.
• Ability to analyze donor data, synthesize research findings, and identify indicators of principal level philanthropic potential.
• Familiarity with prospect research tools, wealth screening platforms, and data driven fundraising practices.
• Ability to gather, synthesize, and communicate research, academic, and programmatic outcomes for donor stewardship and impact reporting purposes, including support for endowed research programs and MEIF-funded initiatives.

Skills

• Strong writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Experience planning and executing complex special events.
• Understanding of place-based philanthropy and community engaged donor strategies.
• Ability to collaborate across USM institutions and navigate system level policies.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and donor databases.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with senior leadership and donors.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Commitment to confidentiality and ethical information handling.
• Ability to analyze donor data, synthesize research findings, and identify indicators of principal level philanthropic potential.
• Familiarity with prospect research tools, wealth screening platforms, and data driven fundraising practices.
• Ability to gather, synthesize, and communicate research, academic, and programmatic outcomes for donor stewardship and impact reporting purposes, including support for endowed research programs and MEIF-funded initiatives.

Benefits

Exempt Regular UMB offers a comprehensive benefits package that prioritizes wellness, work/life balance, and professional development, along with additional exciting perks that employees can take advantage of. This position participates in a retirement program (pension or optional retirement plan/ORP) that must be selected and is effective on your date of hire. Exempt regular staff receive a generous PAID leave package that includes over 4 weeks of vacation accrued each year, 15 paid holidays, 3 personal leave, unlimited accrual of sick time, and comprehensive health insurance; professional learning and development programs; tuition remission for employees and their dependents at any University System of Maryland school; and flexible work schedules and teleworking options (if applicable per job).

Pay

Hiring Range: $100,000 - $111,000, commensurate with education and experience

Schedule

Full Time/Part Time Full-Time Shift Day Job