Senior Program Coordinator, Donor Relations

About the role

The Senior Program Coordinator, Donor Relations, plays a vital role in supporting the Division's initiatives related to donor stewardship and engagement. This position works in collaboration with the Director of Advancement Services to optimize donor-related content, manage processes and systems, and develop strategies that enhance the donor experience through targeted engagement initiatives and comprehensive reporting.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates with the Director of Advancement Services to support a successful donor relations program, ensuring the fulfillment of donor commitments and intended project outcomes.
• Audits donor-funded scholarship awards using ARGOS reports, Banner, and Scholarship Manager and collaborates with deans, advisors, and Financial Aid to ensure donor intent is fulfilled.
• Extracts, reviews, and utilizes data from Banner and UA System fundraiser software for database imports and exports to support personalized endowment investment performance reporting, scholarship budgeting, and donor correspondence.
• Administers the annual endowment reporting process and ensures the timely completion of required reports.
• Collections and compiles data for annual reporting, drafts donor agreements for UA System approval, and supports related documentation processes.
• Facilitates the DocuSign workflow and manages associated documentation to ensure accurate recordkeeping and compliance.
• Responds to daily donor relations inquiries and addresses concerns related to stewardship activities and donor engagement.
• Compiles information necessary for the preparation of UA System resolutions and memoranda related to new endowments, gifts, and campus naming opportunities.
• Assists with the maintenance, recordkeeping, and archiving of resolutions, donor agreements, and naming approvals.
• Collaborates strategically with the Development team to support and execute programs that cultivate, recognize, acknowledge, and steward donors.
• Identifies scholarship awarding issues and guides within the Scholarship Manager system, including oversight of the student scholarship thank-you letter process, a critical component of donor stewardship.
• Demonstrates exceptional attention to detail, strong interpersonal and organizational skills, data management expertise, and effective problem-solving abilities while continuously seeking opportunities to enhance donor relations initiatives.
• Develops and implements systems and processes for analyzing and managing endowed and non-endowed scholarship funds.
• Maintains and monitors donor relations activities and outcomes to support goal setting, performance measurement, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Evaluates and implements improvements to the donor thank-you process, including submission procedures, data consolidation, and communication with scholarship recipients.
• Oversees the merging and preparation of donor letter content and coordinates the timely distribution of correspondence to donors.
• Works proactively with academic units and colleges to ensure donors receive timely updates regarding the impact and utilization of their gifts, fostering continued donor engagement and support.
• Maintains accurate and up-to-date records of donor engagement to support ongoing relationship-building efforts.
• Connects with donors, alumni, scholarship recipients, and academic units to gather stories, testimonials, and impact narratives that highlight the value of philanthropic support.
• Collaborates with Advancement team members to develop content and create scripts, videos, and other communication materials for the President and Vice President for University Advancement.
• Ensures that organizational messaging, branding, and stewardship communications remain consistent with institutional goals and advancement strategies.
• Manages the maintenance, organization, and secure storage of confidential donor records, fund documentation, and related data to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and compliance with institutional policies.
• Assists development officers, deans, and campus units by responding to information requests regarding donor agreements, fund utilization, scholarship recipients, and other stewardship-related matters.
• Collaborates with the Development team to review fundraising collateral, solicitation materials, and donor communications, providing edits and recommendations to enhance clarity, accuracy, and effectiveness.
• Supports Development programming and special events, including but not limited to the annual Scholarship Recognition Event and other donor engagement activities.
• Compiles and verifies scholarship recipient and donor information for event invitations, programs, and related materials to ensure accurate recognition and participation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and years of experience
• 3-5 years of full-time verifiable professional work experience
• Knowledge of business best practices and communications
• Working knowledge of relational databases, including the ability to prepare and analyze database reports
• Must be proficient in word processing (Microsoft Word), spreadsheet preparation/manipulation (Microsoft Excel), form design (Adobe Acrobat), and general computer operation skills
• Demonstrated exceptional oral and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Meticulous attention to detail, strong planning, organizational, and multi-tasking skills
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment

Qualifications

• Master's degree is preferred
• Experience in a professional administrative environment, with demonstrated success in customer relations management or volunteer supervision/management is desired
• 2+ years of full-time professional experience in a non-profit/fundraising environment and/or University administrative experience preferred
• Working knowledge of Banner Financials, Millennium fundraising software, Crystal Reports, SOL relational database, and Joomla web design
• Proven financial and detail-oriented record-keeping techniques strongly desired