Senior Donor Relations & Stewardship Specialist

Position Overview

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Senior Donor Relations & Stewardship Specialist to join our team and play a crucial role in strengthening our relationships with supporters.

Reporting to the Manager of Donor Relations, the Senior Donor Relations & Stewardship Specialist supports the Office of Development by ensuring donors are consistently informed about the impact of their contributions, confident that their philanthropic intent is honored, and meaningfully engaged through thoughtful, timely stewardship. This role ensures donors are recognized in ways that align with their preferences and the significance of their support. Working collaboratively with Development Officers, Finance, Programs, Marketing & Communications, and executive leadership, this position helps deliver comprehensive stewardship experiences that reinforce trust and foster long-term engagement.

Serving as a senior-level stewardship professional, this role is responsible for executing high-impact donor stewardship strategies in close partnership with the Manager of Donor Relations & Stewardship. The Specialist acts as a key lead for donor impact reporting, recognition strategy and execution, and high-touch engagement efforts for top-tier and high-profile donors.

While this position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities, it plays a vital leadership role in advancing team priorities by leading complex stewardship initiatives, enhancing donor communication practices, and supporting strategic engagement efforts at the highest levels of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Partners with the Manager of Donor Relations & Stewardship to implement comprehensive stewardship plans for major and principal-level donors.
• Serves as point-lead on the preparation and delivery of personalized donor impact reports, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and alignment with donor intent.
• Drafts executive-level acknowledgment letters, recognition language, and stewardship correspondence.
• Coordinates stewardship touchpoints for high-profile donors, including customized updates, recognition pieces, and milestone communications.
• Assists in the planning and execution of stewardship-related elements within donor events and cultivation experiences.
• Oversees the coordination and preparation of endowment and restricted fund impact reports (minimum bi-annually or as required).
• Partners with Finance and Programs to gather expenditure and programmatic data.
• Translates complex financial data into donor-centered narratives.
• Ensures reporting timelines are met, and documentation is properly archived within CRM system.
• Recommends refinements to reporting templates and processes to improve donor clarity and operational efficiency.
• Maintains and strengthens stewardship tracking within donor management systems (e.g., Blackbaud CRM).
• Documents stewardship activities, reporting schedules, and donor preferences accurately and consistently.
• Supports the Manager in monitoring acknowledgment benchmarks and stewardship performance metrics.
• Assists in identifying gaps or risks in stewardship process flow and recommends improvements.
• Helps ensure confidentiality and secures handling of sensitive donor information.
• Collaborates closely with Philanthropic Advisors to align stewardship touchpoints with moves management strategies.
• Works with Marketing & Communications to align donor impact storytelling with enterprise messaging.
• Prepares donor briefing materials and background summaries to support executive engagement.
• Builds trusted relationships across Development, Finance, Programs, and leadership teams.
• Maintains working knowledge of national best practices in donor stewardship and impact reporting.
• Supports the Manager in strengthening stewardship infrastructure, templates, and workflows.
• Assists in refining acknowledgment processes to ensure timeliness and personalization.
• Participates in strategic discussions related to donor engagement and stewardship enhancements.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Knowledge of: Advanced donor stewardship practices, endowment and restricted fund administration, philanthropic compliance and donor intent standards, CRM systems and stewardship documentation, nonprofit fundraising environments; the mission and programs of the Scouting America and the National Scouting America Foundation; tax implications of charitable giving; and philanthropic trends and research.
• Skill in: Executive-level written and verbal communication, including donor-centered storytelling and high-touch correspondence; relationship building supported by active listening and emotional intelligence; project management and organization across multiple high-level deadlines; data analysis and report synthesis; proficiency in Microsoft Office and donor management systems; and effective cross-departmental coordination to ensure accurate and timely stewardship execution.
• Ability to: Communicate effectively with donors, volunteer leaders, executive leadership, and colleagues across the organization; cultivate trust and rapport with high-profile donors; operate with discretion and professionalism in donor-sensitive situations; exercise independent judgment while aligning with Manager direction; balance strong attention to detail with strategic awareness; work both independently and collaboratively; manage priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment; handle confidential information appropriately; travel up to five percent as needed; and demonstrate commitment to the mission of Scouting America and the Foundation.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or a related field from an accredited college or university.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years of philanthropic operational experience (e.g. administration, project management, donor research, donor relations, donor events, and gift proposal formation for philanthropic donors and prospective donors, etc.).
• Must pass a criminal history background check.

Any work-related experience resulting in acceptable proficiency levels in the above Minimum Qualifications is an acceptable substitute for the above-specified education and experience requirements

Preference

• Experience supporting C-suite or executive donor engagement, experience coordinating stewardship for high-net-worth individuals, experience working in a national nonprofit organization, a working knowledge of Scouting America-supported software systems (Blackbaud CRM.)