Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Advancement, the Director of Donor Relations is responsible for strategic direction of a comprehensive donor stewardship program that supports fundraising across the division, with an emphasis on individual major and transformational gift donors.  This will involve strategically designing and executing experiences and communications that maximize continued private support for MSU Denver, directly impacting student success and retention.

Leadership and Management

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive donor stewardship program that is grounded in best practice in collaboration with others across the division.
• Provide comprehensive leadership of the Donor Relations team including supporting the day-to-day functionality of the team as well as facilitating the recruitment, hiring, training, mentoring, evaluation and professional development of the team
• Provide budgetary planning and oversight for the Donor Relations team operational budget
• Lead Donor Relations team annual planning in support of the Development team, Advancement division and University strategy

Donor Relations & Gift Stewardship

• Collaboratively envision, build and execute a comprehensive, creative and engaging donor relations program that is donor-centric and enhances the Foundation’s ability to maximize giving and maintain strong relationships over the long-term.
• Strategically plan for cultivation and stewardship opportunities with major and transformational gift donors and prospects during the largest comprehensive campaign in the University’s history
• In collaboration with fundraisers, develop personalized top donor and prospect plans including cultivation and stewardship activities to advance relationships and express gratitude
• Develop strategy and provide oversight for the engagement of and communications to the Legacy Society planned giving community
• Provide direction and guidance for donor recognition and correspondence, fund stewardship and other activities that engage donors and advance philanthropic commitment
• Analyze and review the effectiveness of programs, recommend continuous improvement opportunities to enhance the effectiveness and present the case for changes where necessary
• Provide direction and insights to create meaningful communications and impact reports based on specific funds, overall giving, targeted donors and more
• Oversee strategy and execution for annual scholarship event(s) for engaging prospects, donors and student recipients in the culture of philanthropy
• Lead the development and implementation of exceptional cultivation and stewardship experiences for major and transformational gift prospects and donors, including preparation and management of leaders and speakers
• Oversee the accurate and timely management of an impactful acknowledgement letter process to ensure gifts are correctly acknowledged and content is refreshed regularly
• Help build a university-wide culture of philanthropy through personalized donor relations and stewardship
• Analyze the effectiveness of the donor relations program and recommend continuous improvement opportunities
• Other Duties as Assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in fundraising, donor relations, and/or related field
• Minimum 2 years event planning experience
• Supervisory experience
• Strong track record of excellent and collaborative project management skills that result in a high degree of excellence
• Experience with strategic planning and execution on plans

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated leadership abilities with experience in managing a team and providing guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including fundraising, marketing, and communications, to align donor relations strategies with organizational goals.
• Experience working as a donor relations professional in partnership with major gift officers to maximize giving through exceptional donor engagement with the organization
• Experience working in a university and/or non-project fundraising environment

Salary for Announcement 
The salary range for this position is $70,000 – $91,000. 
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based upon a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, training, and qualifications. 

MSU Denver offers excellent benefits that include medical, dental, 10% employer match to the retirement plan, tuition benefit, RTD pass, and more. For a brief overview of these options, please visit our Benefits section. 
Work Hours/Type Subject to negotiation and approval.