Graphic Designer & Donor Relations Specialist

About the role

The Graphic Designer & Donor Relations Specialist plays a critical role in shaping the end-to-end donor journey for Annual Giving Programs at The University of Texas at Austin. This position blends strategic design, storytelling, and donor stewardship to deepen engagement, increase retention, and build lifelong philanthropic relationships.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Graphic Design & Storytelling
  • Conceptualize and produce high-impact visual communications – including impact reports, campaign assets, presentations, digital content, and stewardship materials – that clearly communicate donor impact and inspire action.
  • Translate complex fundraising priorities into compelling visual narratives that resonate with diverse donor audiences.
  • Partner closely with the Art Director and Annual Giving leadership to develop creative strategies aligned with campaign goals and donor engagement objectives.
  • Design scalable template and toolkits to ensure consistency and efficiency across campaigns and stewardship touchpoints.
  • Oversee print production, file preparation, and press checks.
  • Maintain and evolve UT Austin brand standards across all donor-facing materials.
  • Incorporate data visualization and infographics to highlight giving trends, donor impact and campaign success.
  • Photo-editing as needed.
• Donor Experience, Stewardship & Engagement
  • Design and implement innovative donor stewardship strategies that deepen relationships and increase retention across Annual Giving audiences.
  • Develop personalized, multi-channel donor communications (print, email, video, ThankView, social) that demonstrate the impact of giving.
  • Support donor recognition and society experiences, including: Working with Donor Relations to enhance Longhorn Loyal for current students (e.g., graduation cords, recognition moments, milestone communications). Development of an Advocate segment recognizing multi-year student Advocates. Partner with Donor Stewardship, RAD, and Annual Giving teams to align recognition strategies with broader university priorities. Support segmentation strategies by tailoring messaging and design for key audiences (students, young alumni, loyal donors, advocates).
  • Write and edit compelling stewardship copy for thank you messages, impact stories, scripts, and donor outreach.
  • Ensure timely, personalized acknowledgement of gifts through handwritten notes, video messages, and other touchpoints.
  • Aid in planning and executing donor-facing events and recognition experiences.
• Data, Segmentation & Donor Pipeline Development
  • Maintain and utilize donor data systems to track giving history, engagement, and stewardship activity.
  • Collaborate with RAD and internal teams to support data integrity and segmentation (e.g., Longhorn Loyal reporting, Advocate tracking).
  • Help define and operationalize donor society criteria and benefits, including: Current student Longhorn Loyal segment (requiring data flags and tracking). Advocate-based recognition for sustained peer-to-peer fundraising participation. Leverage data insights to inform creative strategy, improve donor journeys, and optimize engagement.
  • Support adoption of new data tools (e.g., SPUR fields) for tracking and reporting donor engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Communications, Marketing, or related field.
• Two or more years of professional graphic design or visual communications experience.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating excellence in visual storytelling, layout, and concept development.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and Microsoft Office.
• Experience designing for both print and digital platforms.
• Two or more years of experience in fundraising, donor relations, or nonprofit communications.
• Ability to translate strategy into compelling creative execution.
• Strong writing and editing skills for donor-facing communications.
• Experience managing multiple projects and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent collaboration and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education fundraising or Annual Giving programs.
• Familiarity with donor databases/CRMs and segmentation strategies.
• Experience developing donor recognition programs or societies.
• Knowledge of video storytelling tools, (e.g., ThankView or similar platforms) and video editing/production.
• Understanding of donor lifecycle and retention strategies.