What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Director of Donor Relations position at Iowa State University Foundation?
The donor relations team is focused on building and enhancing relationships with donors by capturing impact through reports, project updates, videos, giving histories, and other meaningful expressions of gratitude. The associate director will execute a variety of projects that support the four pillars of donor relations: acknowledgment, stewardship, recognition, and engagement.
Core Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with campus, foundation, and external partners to remain informed of key activities supporting donor cultivation, stewardship, and impact reporting; gather and synthesize relevant data to inform reporting.
- Collaborate internally and externally to develop and implement donor projects including developing outlines, drafting copy, and designing materials that demonstrate the impact of giving for broad, targeted, and personalized audiences across all gift levels.
- Collaborate with foundation colleagues to leverage systems and tools to ensure data accuracy and integrity.
- Lead or assist with special projects and initiatives as assigned.
- Identify innovative, creative, and sustainable approaches to thanking donors and sharing impact in meaningful and scalable ways across all giving levels.
- Contribute to brainstorming and planning efforts and help advance team objectives through a creative, collaborative mindset.
- Monitor project progress, establish and maintain checks and balances, and help ensure timelines and deadlines are met.
- Deliver concise data analysis, insights, and project updates to support planning, reporting, and decision making.
Qualifications
Education & Work Experience
- Bachelor’s degree or appropriate related years of experience, preferably in communications, public relations, or marketing.
- 3 years of professional experience related to employment area. Experience working for or with a non-profit, especially institutions of higher education, is preferred.
Desired Skills & Experience
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze data and translate insights into clear, actionable information.
- Experience with program development and project management, including establishing processes, tracking progress, and ensuring quality outcomes.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Must be adaptable, flexible, and self-directed.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to learn new software. Experience with Salesforce and Canva is preferred.
- Proactive, service-oriented approach with sound judgment and creative problem solving.
- Must adhere to strict confidentiality standards.
- Creativity, patience, a sense of humor and a belief in our organizational mission of: Aligning donor passion and generosity to advance Iowa State University’s land grant ideals.
Travel: None
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Ames, IA; potentially hybrid