How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.
Summary
Under the direction of the Director of Development, Relations, the Stewardship Officer is responsible for creating, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive stewardship program that engages and recognizes donors for their contributions. This role requires creativity, strategic thinking, and strong communication skills to effectively inform donors about the impact of their gifts and to foster lifelong relationships.
Responsibilities*
Essential Functions
Donor Stewardship, Recognition and Reporting (75%)
o Assist in designing and implementing a comprehensive stewardship program that aligns with the mission and goals of Michigan Athletics.
o Develop innovative strategies to engage and recognize donors, ensuring they feel valued and informed about the impact of their gifts.
o Oversee the gift acknowledgement process for all giving platforms and channels, with a focus on prompt and personalized recognition.
o Lead and manage the accurate scholarship matching process and corresponding stewardship reporting of all named athletic scholarships, in accordance with donor intent.
o Partner with creative services, marketing, and communications to execute mass stewardship communications, including direct mail, digital, and social media for donors of various levels.
o Collaborate with team members to update stewardship stories on the website to enhance communication to all Michigan Athletics donors.
o Prepare detailed and impactful reports to demonstrate the use and outcomes of donor gifts, highlighting success stories and program achievements.
o Assist the Director of Development with the launch and long-term management of all stewardship vehicles, including giving societies.
o Collaborate with the annual giving team to create meaningful stewardship touchpoints for identified target audiences, including first-time donors, consecutive years of giving, crowdfunding campaigns, etc.
o Oversee and manage personalized messaging through ThankView around donor milestones, such as birthdays and giving anniversaries.
o Organize and facilitate donor gift needs, including Nike gear fulfillment.
o Responsible for managing Nike inventory through a digital system, tracking orders, shipments, and arrivals, and issuing items to various recipients through Teamworks and Gameday systems.
o Record, track and fulfill donor intent in DART as noted in gift agreements for major and planned gifts.
o Maintain tracking as necessary in DART for donor communications and continued stewardship of past and current donors.
o Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of stewardship activities and programs, using donor feedback and data analysis to make improvements.
o Monitor and report on key metrics related to donor engagement and satisfaction.
Student-Athlete Scholarship Engagement (20%)
o Build engagement and storytelling opportunities with current student-athletes scholarship recipients through ThankView, the website, and other communications.
o Manage campus relationships and foster positive relationships with our 29 sport programs and coaches through the scholarship matching program.
o Direct the promotion, hiring, training, and scheduling of gameday Student Athlete Ambassadors.
o Build rapport with current scholarship recipients to increase goodwill and engagement, while disseminating the importance of philanthropy and support.
o Lead, implement, and evaluate the semi annual student-athlete thank-a-thon, including communication with students and coaches, advising student-athletes on messaging, and tracking and sending thank yous to donors.
o Supervise the HailYeah! and MaizeDays programming in coordination with the Office of University Development.
Other Duties (5%)
o Participate in Michigan Athletics events and activities as appropriate which include, but are not limited to campus activities, on and off-campus donor events, departmental-wide activities, etc.
o Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time.
Required Qualifications*
- A bachelor's degree is required, preferably in Communications or Sport Management.
- Proven experience in donor stewardship, fundraising, or a similar role within a nonprofit or educational environment.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage competing tasks and deadlines.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with donors and colleagues.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google, and other team-based project management tools.
- Creative thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a strong attention to detail.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact with multiple patrons in a positive and productive manner while maintaining integrity and adhering to the compliance rules of the NCAA, Big Ten, and University of Michigan Athletic Department.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and effectively determine when information needs to be advanced to other decision-makers.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, with the ability to effectively adapt and be flexible.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a positive, team-oriented environment.
- Strong commitment to the student-athlete experience.
- Demonstrated ability to develop good working relationships with internal and external constituency groups and to work collaboratively with colleagues in a team environment.
- Strong project management skills working with challenging and changing deadlines.
- Discretion and an ability to interact with high-level donors and the ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
Additional Information
The University of Michigan Athletic Department is dedicated to building a department culture which demonstrates respect for all, shows compassion for others, and celebrates the differences among our staff, student-athletes, and supporters. We are committed to the hiring and development of diverse staff who contribute to an inclusive environment.
In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:
- Generous time off
- A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
- May choices for comprehensvie health insurance
- Life Insurance
- Long-term disability coverage
- Flexable spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.