Engagement and Stewardship Specialist

The Engagement and Stewardship Specialist supports the mission of Wilkes Community College by strengthening relationships with donors, patrons, alumni, and community partners through meaningful engagement, consistent stewardship, and exceptional service. This position provides donor relations, stewardship coordination, event support, patron services cross-training, and database assistance to ensure effective fundraising operations and positive constituent experiences.

Donor Engagement and Stewardship

• Manage and support stewardship activities to ensure donors and patrons receive timely, accurate, and meaningful communications.

• Coordinate scholarship stewardship, including donor recognition, reporting, and communication regarding scholarship impact and student success.

• Develop and maintain accurate scholarship agreements in collaboration with donors and internal stakeholders.

• Collaborate with the Scholarship Coordinator and Public Information Officer to develop press releases and recognition materials celebrating donor impact.

• Assist with donor-oriented communications, including thank-you letters, acknowledgements, impact reports, and targeted outreach efforts.

• Support relationship-building initiatives with donors, patrons, alumni, volunteers, and community partners to encourage ongoing engagement.

• Support planning of Foundation engagement events, including but not limited to the Scholarship Gala, golf tournament, donor recognition events, and community engagement activities.

• Assist with event logistics such as guest lists, seating charts, registrations, correspondence, and post-event follow-up.

• Collaborate with Foundation committees, the Sponsorship Specialist, and internal college departments to ensure events align with engagement and stewardship goals.

• Cross-train to support the patron role, providing front-line assistance for donor and patron inquiries via phone, email, and in-person interactions.

• Assist with donor and patron record management, updates, and reporting within the Bloomerang database.

• Serve as backup support for patron services functions as needed to ensure continuity of operations within the Foundation.

• Provide courteous, responsive, and professional service to all patrons, donors, and community constituents.

• Work closely with the Vice President of Institutional Advancement on engagement, stewardship, and relationship-building initiatives.

• Maintain accurate records, reports, and documentation related to donor and patron engagement activities.

• Utilize Bloomerang and Microsoft Office applications for database management, communication, and reporting.

• Perform other related duties as assigned to support the overall goals of Institutional Advancement and the WCC Foundation.

Work is primarily performed in an office setting with appropriate climate controls. Travel, evening, and weekend work will be required.

The position requires a strategic and analytical perspective in addition to a broad knowledge of the operations of the College. Must be creative and enjoy working in a collegial environment that focuses on goal achievement. Requires the ability to exercise sound judgment in a variety of situations while handling confidential information with discretion. Requires strong written and verbal communication, administrative, and organizational skills, and the ability to maintain a realistic balance among multiple institutional priorities. Requires the ability to work independently on projects, from conception to completion. Must be able to work under pressure and handle all confidential matters with discretion.

Mental Application: Utilizes memory for details, verbal instructions, emotional stability, critical thinking, adaptability, and creative problem-solving skills are important.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Applicants must complete the Wilkes Community College online application process which includes a cover letter, a resume, four professional references, and unofficial college transcripts (if hired, official college transcripts will be required). Applicant must be able to successfully pass a background check.