Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship

Position Classification:

Regular, full-time, salaried, exempt and benefit-eligible staff position. For more benefit information visit Why Work at UCO?

General Schedule:

Position typically works Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm in-office at UCO's main campus in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Position Overview:

The Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship leads the planning, implementation, and evaluation of annual giving and donor stewardship programs under the direction of the Assistant Vice President for Advancement and Donor Relations.This position develops and executes strategies designed to increase donor participation, strengthen donor engagement and retention, and build a culture of philanthropy across the University of Central Oklahoma community. The Assistant Director uses data, donor behavior, campaign results, and industry best practices to evaluate performance and inform future fundraising and stewardship strategies.The position collaborates with university leadership, deans, the Athletic Director, the President, the UCO Foundation Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, students, and other partners to advance annual giving and engagement goals through direct mail, email, digital and social media, events, personal outreach, and other fundraising and stewardship channels.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Annual Giving and Campaign Management

• Lead the planning, implementation, and evaluation of annual giving programs, including the Annual Fund, Faculty and Staff Campaign, crowdfunding initiatives, Giving Tuesday and other one-day giving initiatives, and additional annual giving campaigns.
• Develop comprehensive campaign strategies, timelines, audience segmentation, messaging, solicitation plans, and follow-up strategies across direct mail, email, web, social media, events, telephone, and personal outreach.
• Coordinate campaign production and execution, including writing and editing content, print and mailing processes, digital implementation, web content, matching and challenge gifts, and campaign-related events.
• Monitor campaign performance and use fundraising data, donor behavior, participation trends, and results to recommend adjustments and inform future strategy.
• Manage multiple campaigns, stakeholders, vendors, deliverables, and deadlines simultaneously while ensuring projects remain on schedule and aligned with Foundation priorities.
• Serve as a representative of the UCO Foundation at appropriate university and donor-facing events and participate in donor visits or presentations as needed.

Faculty, Staff and Student Philanthropy

• Lead the Faculty and Staff Campaign and develop strategies that encourage and strengthen a culture of philanthropy across campus.
• Recruit, engage, and support campaign ambassadors through presentations, communications, resources, events, and ongoing stewardship.
• Develop segmented faculty and staff communications and engagement strategies designed to increase participation and donor retention.
• Manage student philanthropy initiatives and giving society engagement as assigned.
• Identify opportunities to educate students, faculty, and staff about the impact and importance of philanthropy at UCO.

Donor Stewardship and Engagement

• Develop and implement stewardship strategies for annual giving donors, first-time and new donors, crowdfunding donors, faculty and staff donors, giving society members, and other assigned donor groups.
• Design donor journeys and stewardship touchpoints that strengthen donor engagement, retention, and long-term relationships with UCO.
• Coordinate impact communications, donor recognition, ThankView and other video messages, handwritten notes, student stories, personalized communications, and other stewardship activities.
• Support major-gift stewardship initiatives as needed in coordination with Advancement colleagues.
• Manage giving society engagement and communications as assigned, ensuring donors receive meaningful recognition and opportunities to connect with the impact of their philanthropy.

Communications and Marketing

• Partner with the Engagement Team to develop distinctive, donor-centered marketing and communication materials for annual giving programs, stewardship initiatives, and giving societies.
• Develop and coordinate membership materials, direct mail appeals, event invitations, email campaigns, social media content, digital stewardship, impact communications, and other donor-facing materials.
• Assist with the development and management of the annual outreach and communications calendar, including fundraising solicitations, stewardship communications, giving society communications, and engagement initiatives.
• Ensure annual giving and stewardship communications are coordinated, audience-appropriate, and consistent with UCO Foundation messaging and brand standards.

Budget, Data and Performance Management

• Develop and monitor annual operating budgets for annual giving programs and initiatives.
• Evaluate campaign expenses, fundraising results, participation, donor retention, return on investment, and other key performance indicators to assess effectiveness.
• Develop reports and recommendations that use data and campaign results to inform fundraising and stewardship strategy.
• Utilize Raiser’s Edge NXT, Almabase, and other CRM and engagement platforms to document activity, track donor engagement, manage campaigns, and measure results.
• Maintain accurate records and follow established Foundation procedures related to donor information, campaign activity, and reporting.

Collaboration and Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain productive relationships with donors, university leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, volunteers, vendors, and community partners.
• Collaborate across Advancement and the broader university to coordinate fundraising, stewardship, and engagement efforts and achieve shared goals.
• Work effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, balancing competing priorities and deadlines while maintaining strong communication and follow-through.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration and encourage partnerships among colleagues, departments, and university stakeholders.
• Apply for sponsorships or grants supporting engagement opportunities as directed by the Assistant Vice President for Advancement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a job-related field, two or more years of relevant professional experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and organizational communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, stakeholders, and deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn and effectively utilize new technology and software.

Preferred Qualifications:

• One to three years of professional experience, with preference given to candidates with experience in fundraising/development, annual giving, donor relations or stewardship, nonprofit management, higher education advancement, marketing, communications, or charitable giving programs.
• Experience managing fundraising, marketing, engagement, or similar campaigns from planning through execution and evaluation.
• Experience using data and performance metrics to evaluate outcomes and inform strategy.
• Experience with CRM or donor database systems, preferably Raiser’s Edge NXT, Almabase, or similar platforms.
• Experience developing digital communications, email campaigns, social media content, or other multichannel engagement strategies.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong project and campaign management skills, including the ability to establish priorities, coordinate multiple stakeholders, manage deadlines, and successfully execute concurrent initiatives.
• Analytical skills and the ability to interpret fundraising and engagement data, identify trends, measure performance, and use findings to inform strategy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt messaging for a variety of audiences and communication channels.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through.
• Proactive, self-directed approach to work with the ability to independently advance projects while contributing effectively within a team environment.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills with the ability to work effectively with students, alumni, donors, faculty, staff, university leadership, volunteers, vendors, and community partners.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain professionalism, and provide excellent service to internal and external constituents.
• Ability to learn new subject matter, systems, and processes quickly and respond effectively to feedback.
• Strong leadership capabilities and the ability to influence, coordinate, and engage others toward shared goals.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment and adapt to changing priorities.
• Working knowledge of social media platforms and digital engagement practices.

Physical Demands:

Reasonable accommodations, in accordance with ADA requirements, may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.