Stewardship Officer

Temporary, full-time position (from January 2022 to September 30, 2023) – Guelph, ON

If you are a results-oriented fundraising professional with proven success in donor stewardship, this is an exciting opportunity to join a high-performing team of passionate professionals at the University of Guelph, one of Canada’s leading comprehensive research-intensive universities.

The department of Alumni Affairs and Development (AA&D) advances the mission of the University of Guelph by raising private support and building relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, ranging from alumni and friends to corporations and foundations. As a Stewardship Officer, you’ll be a member of the AA&D team and, as such, epitomize the department’s shared values of respect, empowerment, integrity, appreciation, and forward focus.

Working with the Associate Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations, and in collaboration with the Major Gift Fundraising and Annual Giving teams, you will be responsible for developing and executing a strategic stewardship program for donors under $500K, with the goal to encourage donor retention and, ultimately, increase revenue. Approximately 20 per cent of your time will focus on annual giving stewardship ($1 - $25K), with 80 per cent focusing on major gift stewardship ($25K - $500K).

Based on your own analysis of the existing stewardship journey, to identify opportunities to create more impact, you will develop an annual stewardship program of stewardship deliverables and/or communications based around annual initiatives such as National Philanthropy Day, Giving Tuesday, holidays, etc., that will serve as turnkey tools for the fundraisers to execute with their donors. As a Stewardship Officer, you will also help to develop mass communications for donors.

An integral part of your work in developing an annual stewardship program will involve creating and executing impact reports around highest-priority fundraising and areas of giving that have a critical mass of donor support. In addition, you will work collaboratively with the Annual Giving team, focusing on class project stewardship as well as assisting with procuring content for annual giving stewardship initiatives.

REQUIREMENTS

To assume the role of Stewardship Officer, you should be an analytically skilled relationship builder and fundraiser with a profile that includes:

• An undergraduate degree and two (2) to three (3) years’ related experience in previous donor relations, journalism or public relations management, with evidence of increasing responsibilities and project management/supervision, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Superior written and verbal communication, knowledge transfer and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to interact effectively with peers, managers and faculty.
• Proven track record of success in fundraising through large and complex fundraising projects, especially major, multi-year capital campaigns, with specific experience in donor stewardship.
• Ability to think and act quickly and effectively under pressure, exercising tact, diplomacy, discretion and good judgment.
• Computer literacy in Microsoft Office applications and fundraising databases.
• Proven management experience, including budget planning and analysis.
• Excellent demonstrated analytical skills.

ASSET:

• Camera, video production skills and/or graphic design experience.

NOTE: This appointment is regularly performed on-campus but, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be initially fulfilled remotely (off-campus) until the University resumes its regular operations.

The University of Guelph (www.uoguelph.ca) is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive comprehensive institutions, with a record of outstanding scholarship in the arts, humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical and engineering sciences, agriculture and veterinary sciences. This is your chance to join us in our endeavour to improve life.

To view a detailed posting for the role of Stewardship Officer, including application instructions, please go to our website at www.uoguelph.ca/hr/careers. Applications, quoting Hiring #2021-0502, must be sent to: careers@uoguelph.ca.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.