Associate Director of Stewardship (New York)

Associate Director of Stewardship

Administrative/Professional --> Law School

Queens, NY • ID: 219666-951 • Full-Time/Regular

St. John’s, established in 1870, has three New York City campuses; international locations in Rome, Italy; Limerick, Ireland; and Paris, France; and study abroad locations around the world. The Princeton Review and other top rankings consistently recognize the University’s outstanding academics, diverse student body, dynamic internship, and volunteer opportunities, focus on student life, and diverse study abroad offerings. St. John’s University offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs in its six colleges and schools, with a growing number of programs offered online. The University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and 12 other major academic and professional associations.

A dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion is at the heart of our mission. As a Catholic and Vincentian university, St. John’s is committed to institutionalizing practices of inclusive excellence to ensure that we welcome and celebrate the intrinsic worth of all members of our community. We will become an even stronger university as we enhance equity at every level of our institution. Our graduates will excel in the competencies and values needed for leadership and service in a rapidly evolving world.

Department: School of Law / Department of Development and Alumni Relations

Specific Job Title: Associate Director of Stewardship

Reports to: Associate Dean for Law School Advancement and Strategy

Campus: Queens

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Law School Advancement, the Associate Director of Donor Stewardship position will create and manage a robust stewardship program at St. John’s Law School for its top donors and provide overall leadership to a school-wide stewardship program. The person in this position is an active participant in a team devoted to developing external contacts with donor prospects, aiming at securing significant gifts to further the mission of St. John’s Law School.

Essential Functions:

The Associate Director of Donor Stewardship is responsible for designing and launching a comprehensive, School-wide donor relations program to strengthen long-term, meaningful relationships between the School of Law and its donors. She/he will serve as a strategic partner for the fundraising staff as the program is designed and executed, creating a new level of engagement with a targeted donor population. Other duties also entail:

1. Manage the Law School’s endowed scholarships and other endowment funds from gift agreements to execution to ongoing stewardship.
2. Draft gift agreements and amendments, ensuring grantors' wishes are reflected in the documents.
3. Ensure agreements are fully executed and funds are set up and tracked in the university database.
4. Lead initiative for students receiving named scholarships to write letters of gratitude to the benefactors who helped fund their law school education.
5. Pair letters with the mailed annual stewardship reports, demonstrating to donors the impact of their giving.
6. Work with students receiving named summer fellowships to compose letters of gratitude to the donors who funded their opportunities.
7. Incorporate information from Business Affairs and Budget Services.
8. Manage the creation and production of accurate and compelling written annual stewardship reports for endowed funds to keep donors informed and engaged and to demonstrate that the University uses gifts in accordance with the donor’s intent.
9. Prepare the annual Report on Gifts.
10. Maintain accurate rosters and lists of donor recognition societies.
11. Work collaboratively with MarCom to create an ROG brochure, providing input on donors and students to be featured in the report.
12. Develop a target mailing list for receipt of the report.
13. Track all Law School pledges and send prompt reminders to donors throughout the year.
14. Reply to ad hoc donor requests for gifting history, fund status, and general questions.
15. Ensure donors receive accurate and timely information.
16. Plan and implement targeted cultivation and stewardship events to create engagement opportunities for current and prospective donors.
17. Plan and execute two to four annual large-scale donor recognition events focusing on high-level donors.
18. Ensure donor participation is recorded in the university database.
19. Maintain regular updates to the gift acknowledgment letter templates.
20. Generate letters of gratitude from the Law School Dean and Associate Dean of Law School Advancement to all donors, customizing letters as needed.
21. Compose and mail notes to alumni informing them of donations that have been made in honor or memory of themselves or a loved one.
22. Oversee coding and submission of gifts to Advancement Services for processing and entry into the university database.
23. Develop Dean’s Christmas and holiday cards and prepare mailings to key donors.
24. In collaboration with MarCom, assume the role of a copy editor for St. John’s Law magazine, contributing to the quality of the finished product.
25. Contribute to the management of gifts for the upcoming Capital Campaign.
26. Serve as an integral communicator to inform law alumni of our campaign goals and progress.
27. Work with the Special Events team to help plan and execute select alumni events.
28. Perform special projects as assigned by the Associate Dean for Law School Advancement.

Competencies:

1. Ability to set priorities and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously.
2. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
3. Demonstrated ability to function independently while operating effectively within a team environment.
4. Solid general computer skills, including working in a Windows environment.
5. Proficiency with MS Office Suite, Internet, and other programs as needed (e.g., mail merge, database management).
6. Familiarity with specific applications used by the University/Department a plus, including Affinaquest/Salesforce.
7. Excellent oral and written skills and ability to communicate comfortably with external constituents, colleagues, and students.
8. Professional, courteous demeanor and appearance; ability to work professionally with students, faculty, staff, and administration and represent the University professionally to the public.
9. Affinity and commitment to the mission of St. John’s University.

In addition to having superior writing skills, the successful candidate will be able to work with tact and discretion, appreciate the confidential nature of Advancement communications, and be comfortable with a wide range of people, including high-level donors, administrators, students, and volunteers. This position is for an energetic, creative professional eager to put his or her stamp on an established fundraising program. Occasional weekend and evening work will be necessary.

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position manages a Development Assistant who provides support to the fundraisers. This includes approving and managing timesheets.

Work Environment:

This position operates in a professional office environment. This position uses production office equipment such as copiers and cutting and folding machines. This position manages confidential materials, and discretion is required.

Physical Demands:

Ability to lift 50 lbs. and to maneuver furniture and packages of any weight above 50 lbs. Using appropriate equipment and/or assistance from another person.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time, in-person position. The days and hours of work are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Some weekend and evening work is required.

Travel:

Travel is primarily local but may include visits to the other NYC venues.

Required Education and Experience:

1. Bachelor’s Degree required.
2. 4 to 6 years in donor stewardship, fundraising, marketing, or client relations, preferably in higher education.
3. Volunteer management and event planning experience, preferably in higher education.

Preferred Education and Experience:

1. 6 to 8 years in donor stewardship, fundraising, marketing, or client relations, preferably in higher education.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.

In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual salary for this position is $97,000. St. John’s University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

This position may be relocated to any of St. John’s University’s physical locations at any time.

St. John’s offers a competitive compensation program which is commensurate with your qualifications, experience, and contingent upon the departmental budget. We also offer an extremely comprehensive benefits program to meet the diverse needs of our workforce. Along with exceptional benefits such as medical,