Stewardship & Donor Relations Associate

Job Details

State Title: Professional Services Specialist 3A
Bargaining Unit: CWA
Employment Type: 35 hours per week/Full-time
Internal salary: Range 21 - $64,340.11 - - $94,061.73
External salary: Range 21 - $64,340.11 - $73,256.59
***UNION POSITIONS:*** The internal salary range is used for applicants who are current NJ state employees with underlying classified status for promotional calculations who meet the requirements below. The external salary range is used for candidates who are not NJ state employees who meet the requirements below.

About TCNJ

Founded in 1855, TCNJ offers a highly personalized and collaborative liberal arts education with over 7,400 undergraduates and 700 graduate students. The college is consistently ranked among the top comprehensive colleges in the nation, offering small classes, a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, and an immersive living-learning experience. With a 4-year graduation rate ranked #1 in New Jersey and #9 among U.S. public institutions, TCNJ is a model for public higher education.

Position Overview:

The Stewardship and Donor Relations Associate is an essential member of the College's Advancement Services team. Reporting to the Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations, the Associate contributes to the overall success of the comprehensive Stewardship and Donor Relations Program. This role will work collaboratively with advancement colleagues to effectively manage the processes associated with stewardship initiatives, including gift acknowledgments; donor communications; scholarship tracking, transfers, and notifications; impact reporting; and events. Demonstrating proficiency with digital tools such as the CRM database and Microsoft Office, the associate will help to bridge the gap between complex data management and stewardship efforts, helping to ensure that every donor feels appreciated and can see the value of their investment in TCNJ.

Responsibilities:

Gift Acknowledgement Letter Process Management

• Oversee the gift acknowledgement process to ensure timely, accurate, and personalized recognition of donor contributions.
• Develop and execute data queries to generate insights that inform donor acknowledgement communications.
• Coordinate the collection and organization of gift data to support efficient acknowledgement workflows and institutional stewardship standards.
• Collaborate with advancement leadership and major gift officers to incorporate meaningful donor insights into high-touch acknowledgement communications.
• Maintain and enhance acknowledgement resources, including templates and fund information, to promote consistency, efficiency, and distinction in donor communications.
• Prepare acknowledgement correspondence for leadership review and manage final production and distribution to donors.

Additional Donor Communications

• Oversee key donor communication initiatives, including pledge reminders and year-end stewardship correspondence, ensuring messaging is accurate, timely, and aligned with advancement priorities.
• Partner with advancement leadership and development staff to coordinate donor outreach strategies and incorporate appropriate donor-specific context into communications.
• Manage donor segmentation and communication workflows to support targeted outreach and effective stewardship practices.
• Prepare and coordinate the distribution of both print and electronic donor communications, ensuring consistency, professionalism, and adherence to institutional standards.

Scholarship Tracking, Transfers & Notifications

• Oversee the administration and integrity of the scholarship database to ensure accuracy, visibility, and alignment with donor intent and institutional financial records.
• Coordinate with the Office of Financial Aid to support the accurate awarding and tracking of scholarships in accordance with fund agreements and established stewardship practices.
• Manage the transfer of scholarship funds from the TCNJ Foundation to the College, ensuring timely and accurate deployment of resources.
• Oversee scholarship recipient communications and notifications, ensuring recipients are informed in a timely and professional manner.
• Support scholarship-related engagement initiatives designed to strengthen relationships between recipients, donors, and the institution.

Impact Reporting

• Coordinate the development and delivery of donor impact reports by synthesizing inputs from Advancement colleagues and campus partners.
• Manage the collection and organization of student and programmatic information used to demonstrate the impact of philanthropic support.
• Prepare impact report materials for leadership review, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and alignment with institutional stewardship standards.
• Support the development of collaborative processes that facilitate effective information sharing across the division to strengthen impact reporting.

Donor Events

• Provide administrative and logistical support for donor appreciation events and other stewardship-related gatherings.
• Manage post-event follow-up materials, such as photo distributions and attendee impact summaries.

Operations

• Manage the scanning, archiving, and systematic organization of donor agreements, financial statements, and other collateral within CRM and network folders.
• Ensure all donor-related documentation is archived in accordance with institutional policy and privacy standards.

Additional Responsibilities

• Review and edit written materials, spreadsheets, and database content.
• Seek professional development opportunities that will enhance job performance and support the stewardship and donor relations program.
• Participate in significant campus activities, particularly advancement events such as Alumni Weekend and Homecoming.
• Manage special projects assigned by the director to enhance the stewardship and donor relations program.
• Comply with all applicable College, Federal, State, local and associational regulations.
• Other tasks as needed.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Graduation from an accredited college with a bachelor's degree and two (2) years of the mentioned professional experience.
• Six (6) years of professional experience in different aspects of administration and business practices; including design and implementation of policy and procedures, vendor service contracts and improving and updating management practices.
• Possession of a master's degree; and one (1) year of the above-mentioned professional experience.
• Strong attention to detail and advanced organizational skills.
• Proven ability to set priorities and manage multiple projects with competing deadlines.
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Exceptional proofreading and editing skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and execute discretion.
• High degree of professionalism.
• High level of integrity, reliability, and trustworthiness.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to occasionally work nights and weekends for donor engagement events.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPS, pivot tables) and Word (conditional mail merges).
• Proficiency with Google Suite, including Sheets, Documents, and Forms.
• Experience with CRM databases, specifically Blackbaud® Raiser's Edge.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience in stewardship or donor relations.
• Direct experience in a higher education setting.
• Advanced experience with Blackbaud® Raiser's Edge.
• Experience creating or improving workflows and templates that involve multiple stakeholders.
• Experience with Adobe Suite or Canva for the creation of basic stewardship forms or digital reports.

Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in order to perform the essential functions of the position. If the requested accommodation(s) cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, the applicant may not be eligible for the position.

Employer Qualifications:

• Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and reference checks
• Residency Requirement: In accordance with the New Jersey First Act P.L. 2011 c.70, effective September 1, 2011, new public employees in certain positions (faculty exempt) are required to obtain New Jersey residency within one (1) year of employment. Applicants must meet the requirements listed.

Accommodation: Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview should contact hr@tcnj.edu.

Employee Benefits:

As a member of The College of New Jersey Community, you will be a part of an exciting and rewarding public university career. Eligible full-time employees will be able to take advantage of a generous benefits package that includes health, welfare, and retirement benefits, including:

• Comprehensive benefit plans covering medical, dental and prescription plans
• Generous leave entitlements program and Energy Savings Program
• Employee and dependent Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement Program
• Pension, retirement, and deferred compensation plans, group life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee affinity groups
• New Jersey State Employee Discount Program (Pet insurance, cell phone plan discounts, discounted amusement park tickets, etc.)
• Access to extensive learning opportunities

To view a comprehensive list of benefits available to employees, visit our Health Benefits Plans and Programs page to learn more!

How to Apply

Qualified candidates should apply online and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be considered until a viable finalist has been found.

SAME Applicants

If you are applying under the New Jersey "SAME" program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B letter), resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references by the closing date listed above to: same@tcnj.edu. For more information on the SAME program visit their website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml, email: SAME@csc.nj.gov, or call CSC at: 833-691-0404.

The College is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus community that respects and uplifts individuals from all backgrounds. We value the varied perspectives, experiences, and talents of all members of our community and strive to create an environment where everyone has equitable access to opportunities for success. As an equal opportunity employer, we comply with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. We encourage applications from individuals.