Associate Director of Donor Recognition & Experience

Position Summary

The Associate Director of Donor Recognition leads and evolves UConn’s donor recognition and experience strategy, ensuring donors feel deeply valued, connected, and inspired by the impact of their philanthropy. This role shapes and delivers recognition societies, engagement moments, communications, and experiences that strengthen donor relationships across the lifecycle and advance institutional priorities.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional projects that shape donor recognition and engagement strategy, translating donor insights and institutional priorities into clear recommendations, plans, and outcomes for Foundation and University leadership.

• Lead donor recognition societies and experience-based initiatives across the donor lifecycle, coordinating communications, engagement touchpoints, and moments of celebration in collaboration with Donor Relations & Stewardship, Development, Alumni Relations, Events, Digital Engagement & Annual Giving, and Creative Content & Communication teams.

• Create and deliver communications and experiences that provide donors with insider knowledge, access, and experiences that deepen long-term donor relationships and reinforce donors’ connection to impact, outcomes, and institutional vision.

• Develop and implement strategic approaches that reflect donor preferences, infuse joy, and celebrate their impact on UConn.

• Engage endowed faculty through recognition, communication, and training, facilitating connections between donors and beneficiaries and evaluating the relationship for both faculty and donors.

• Monitor Board of Trustees meetings and serve as liaison with the Office of the Provost and academic units.

• Apply creative strategies and emerging technologies to enhance donor recognition and experience, leveraging data insights to make strategic recommendations and decisions.

• Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, and provide management for Donor Relations & Stewardship student assistants.

• Represent Donor Relations & Stewardship as a liaison with other Foundation teams and University partners.

• Anticipate and propose opportunities to strategically integrate donor experience and recognition in support of organizational goals.

Engagement

• Collaborate with Donor Relations & Stewardship team members, Creative Content & Communication, cross-functional stewardship, Digital Engagement, Alumni & Events, and Development colleagues, to steward donors, celebrate and recognize their contributions, convey the impact of their support, and support initiatives specific to the department.

Leadership

• Provide visible leadership across the entire organization by engaging in organization-wide activities such as departmental meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events.

• Guide recognition, celebration, and impact delivery by collaborating with cross-departmental partners, sharing donor insights, and advising colleagues and leaders on opportunities to strengthen the donor experience.