Director of Alumni and Donor Engagement

Job Description

TITLE: Director of Alumni & Donor Engagement

DEPARTMENT: Advancement

Classification (FLSA): Exempt, Salary

REPORTS TO: Executive Director of Advancement

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Director brings our alumni and donor communities together as joyful members of a Christendom family united in our mission to restore all things in Christ. As Director of Alumni Engagement, the Director is responsible for building and managing programs that promote lasting Christ-centered relationships with and among alumni. The Director builds and deepens relationships with alumni, builds and supports a network of alumni leaders, engages alumni through creative events, communicates and involves alumni in the life of the college, and serves alumni through continuing access to the college's resources. As Director of Donor Engagement, the Director thanks, involves, and supports the college's generous donors. The Director oversees a donor stewardship program, manages Advancement thank you and outreach events, and manages a team of stewardship professionals in providing excellent service to Christendom's alumni and donors. The Director's personal life and witness is a model for the Christendom community of the faithful, articulate, and joyful character of Christendom College alumni.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Oversees the daily workflow of the department.
- Manages the Alumni and Donor Engagement Manager, Alumni and Donor Engagement Coordinator, Advancement Events Coordinator, and student workers.
- Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains new staff when necessary.

CHIEF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Alumni Relations
- Enacts a strategic travel plan each year to build relationships with alumni throughout the country.
- Listens to alumni to discern their priorities for Christendom College, as well as receives their concerns and answers their questions to promote greater understanding and engagement between alumni and Christendom.
- Attracts, engages, and supports a dynamic and involved body of alumni leaders and volunteers.
- Acts as the main liaison and support for the Alumni Advisory Council.
- Creates, oversees, and executes a plan to receive and welcome Christendom alumni to campus during the year.
- Manages Student Achievement Award and alumni award processes.

Strategy and Management of Alumni & Donor Stewardship
- Sets the strategic priorities for alumni and donor stewardship, in conjunction with alumni leadership and the Advancement VP and Executive Director, to engage, retain, and deepen all constituent relationships.
- Manages the creation, organization, and promotion of alumni and donor stewardship communications.
- Ensures engagement department provides excellent and timely service.
- Ensures that the Catholic mission and educational apostolate of Christendom College is well-communicated and promoted in all alumni and donor communications.
- Collaborates closely with Advancement Services staff to use data to make the best decisions for department.
- Ensures that optimal communications and procedures are in place to welcome new donors to Christendom.

Donor Relations
- Oversees Christendom's donor societies, including the President's Council and St. John Paul II Legacy Society, strategically planning the appropriate recognition levels to attract benefactors to deepening participation in Christendom's mission.
- Works with Engagement staff to create and update communications to Christendom's donor societies that are helpful, convey gratitude, and deepen engagement with Christendom.
- Oversees programs to support Christendom's major gift team through programmatic impact reporting, donor recognition, and donor thank you programs, including scholarship reporting, prayer efforts, etc.
- Works with Advancement Events Coordinator to ensure that key benefactors receive an optimal level of stewardship during advancement events.

Alumni and Donor Event Strategy & Relationship Management
- Oversees Advancement event strategy and execution under the guidance of Advancement and college leadership.
- Evaluates the effectiveness of events and plans new events based on strategic priorities of the College.
- Ensures sufficient advance planning to find and obtain the best speakers and align event themes in harmony with other college events.
- Exercises good judgment in designing event themes, selecting internal and external speakers, and ensuring all event communications and execution are aligned with agreed on strategic vision.
- Builds and cultivates relationships with external speakers.
- Builds and cultivates relationships with Christendom professors who speak at our events.
- Manages Advancement Events Coordinator's work in planning and executing annual events.
- Ensures that event finances are within budget. Analyzes events to ensure they are achieving good value for the investment.
- Collaborates with direct response staff to support annual Giving Day online and in-person events.

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 for the needs of the College, but a discussion between the employee and supervisor will take place prior to the change.

Qualifications

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

- This position must be held by an individual who is an active, practicing Catholic who is committed to the Church's mission on earth.
- A Christendom College alumna or alumnus is preferred.
- Must have 10-15 years of experience in managing personal relationships and complex projects, preferably in the context of a Catholic apostolate.
- Must have excellent verbal communication.
- Must have excellent writing and editing abilities.
- Must be proficient in using MS Office programs.
- Must be willing to work evenings and weekends to supervise and attend relevant events.
- Must be willing to travel, including regular flights multiple times per year.

PHYSICAL / MENTAL / EMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be able to:
- Work for prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Stand and walk for prolonged periods, including over the course of weekend events.
- Speak to large crowds.
- Lift up to 40 pounds.
- Make quick decisions.
- Appropriately balance urgent and important tasks.
- Be calm in stressful situations

About the Employer

Christendom College (http://www.christendom.edu) is a Catholic coeducational college institutionally committed to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. The particular mission of Christendom College, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, is "to restore all things in Christ," by forming men and women to contribute to the Christian renovation of the temporal order. This mission gives Christendom College its name. www.christendom.edu