Job Title

Donor Relations Director

Agency

Tarleton State University

Department

Division of Institutional Advancement

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Stephenville, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Job Summary

The Director of Development Communications and Content Creation will execute a leading-edge, best-practice communications program for Tarleton State’s Office of Development that exemplifies appreciation in contemporary, compelling and highly creative ways.

The Director will be expert in essential software applications aligned with the position’s core responsibilities and will serve as a liaison between the Office of Development and Tarleton State’s Department of Marketing and Communications.

In this role, the Director will represent a clearinghouse for the Office of Development related to communications and marketing-based priorities thus streamlining workflow and maximizing internal collaboration.

The Director, in addition, will manage the Office of Development’s digital domains, including the Tarleton Fund (annual giving) website, social media platforms, and external communications strategy.

It is expected that the Director will bring a level of novel, exciting creativity and a track record for defining, creating, and executing projects, programs, and initiatives that successfully engage external audiences via contemporary, modern channels.

The Director will be an advanced communicator, a proven writer, and a professional capable of effectively communicating across myriad audiences and constituencies. The Director, in addition, will have direct experience with website design and management and thus able to effectively create and drive modern web environments critical to elevating, with donors and supporters, Tarleton State as a model, 21st century university.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development, the Director of Development Communications and Content Creation will play a critical role in growing and diversifying Tarleton State’s donor community. This is a 12 month full-time position located at the Stephenville Campus Work hours: Mon-Fri; 8 AM-5 PM or as work requirements indicate.  Must be able to work remotely at the request of the University.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive individual and institutional donor relations and stewardship engagement plan to recognize and foster donors at every giving level.

  • Specific stewardship tenets include:

    • Gift acknowledgements, endowed fund agreements, stewardship reports for endowed and restricted funds and donor recognition projects.

• Serve as the Tarleton Fund’s (annual giving program) stewardship lead, in concert with the annual giving leadership team, responsible for benefits fulfillment and the execution of the Tarleton Fund’s detailed communications and activation platforms.  

  • Ensure that all donors to the Tarleton Fund feel appreciated, engaged, and inspired to renew their support, at growing levels, annually.

• Oversee a relaunch of Tarleton State’s major gifts society dedicated to personized, gratitude-based outreach and experiences that exemplify the magnitude of major-gift philanthropy.

• Coordinate donor hospitality and stewardship for the Division of Advancement at select athletics events, to include management of premium-seating experiences for donors and designated community members at each Tarleton State home football contest and select men’s basketball games.

• Oversee management of the Development Office’s “master events calendar” to ensure impact, efficiency, and comprehensive coordination.

• Contribute to a culture of confidence within Institutional Advancement marked by trust, teamwork, integrity, and excellence.

• Serve as a primary point of contact between Financial Aid, the Business Office, the Tarleton State University Foundation, and academic units in organizing and reporting scholarship information to donors. Facilitate ongoing communication and annual reporting to donors regarding the impact of their investment.

• Collaborate closely with leadership across campus on select projects and events.

• Maintain and update the policies and procedures for all donor relations processes and activities.

• Assist the Associate Vice President of Development with management of the donor relations budgets for programs, special events and publications, including predicting funds needed for production, materials, and supplies.

• Travel as necessary to implement off campus events and programs.

• Perform other duties as assigned by leadership.

• Evening and weekend work required.

Minimum Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

• Previous successful experience in donor relations or a related field.

• Excellent organizational skills and communication skills, both verbal and written.

• The ability to be customer service-oriented and bring together various institutional partners with varying interests is essential.

• Highly collaborative and a team player. Must exhibit cultural competence. Problem-solving skills, creativity, positivity, and the ability to manage several assignments simultaneously are required

• Strong event planning skills.

• A superior attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five (5) years of similar or transferable professional experience, including:

  • Demonstrated written and oral communication skills;

  • Exceptional professional interpersonal and team-building skills including collaboration with others to establish and maintain good working relationships;

  • Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of fundraising.

• Deep knowledge of prospect cultivation, solicitation, and recognition strategies.

• Experience in event planning, gift acknowledgement, the major gift development process, and volunteer management within a higher education fundraising organization.

• Proficient with Blackbaud - Raiser’s Edge or a similar CRM / fundraising database system.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

This position encompasses a variety of tasks related to communication strategies, negotiating with vendors and internal customers, listening actively, and analyzing arguments, evaluating information sources, gathering and synthesizing information, organizing tasks, and evaluating completed web projects. Further, the Director must be able to work in an at times high-stress, demanding environment, thus requiring exceptional ability to stay focused on the task at hand

Registration, Certification, or Licensure

None.

Supervision Received/Given 

This is a supervisory position.

Other Requirements

The scope of the job frequently requires travel and attendance at evening and/or weekend activities, meetings, events, seminars and workshops.

Salary:

Commensurate with experience

The target base annual salary is commensurate with experience and may be negotiable based on funding availability and candidate experience/skillset in relation to the minimum requirements of this position. Tarleton State University offers a career filled with purpose and opportunity in addition to competitive wages. As part of the Tarleton family, the following benefits are also available to full time and qualifying part time employees:

Educational Benefits - employee perks that help enrich, grow, and foster career and professional development:

• Family Education Benefit (Tuition Scholarship) – scholarship opportunities for Tarleton employees, their spouses, or their dependents available after 6 months of continued full-time employment. Click the link to learn more about this incredible Texan benefit!
• Doctoral Educational Assistance – Full-time budgeted employees at all A&M System Universities, Agencies, and System Offices are qualified for reimbursement of tuition and mandatory fees. Eligibility: This program is applicable to the pursuit of a first doctorate degree only to full-time, budgeted employees who have been in a position no less than 2 long semesters. Click the link for additional details!

Employee Health, Wellness, and Financial Planning

• Fully covered employee health insurance
• Reimbursement of Insurance Premium Deductions! The State of Texas contributes to eligible employees’ insurance coverages as of the 1st day of the month following 60 days of employment in an eligible position. For those who elect coverage PRIOR to the first of the month after 60 days of employment, Tarleton State University will reimburse employees the State contribution towards health coverage during those first 60 days.
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Retirement and Insurance programs

Paid Leave

Tarleton employees enjoy one of the greatest PTO packages in the area!

• Paid sick leave
• Holiday pay
• Vacation
• Longevity pay
• Paid Birthday Leave – Tarleton State University awards all leave-eligible employees paid time off for their birthday!

Other

• Complimentary tickets to all Athletic and Performing Fine Arts events
• Tarleton Employees enjoy two complimentary general admission tickets for athletics and performing fine arts events on campus! Join Texan Nation on the bleachers or in the auditorium.
• Employee Wellness Release Time
• Staff Gym Membership Discount with Campus Recreation
• and other Tarleton Discounts

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a completed application for consideration. Initial review of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.