Principal Gifts Program Coordinator

Manage, supervise and coordinate activities related to an office, department or function in an effective, efficient and professional manner. Participate in meetings, discussions, projects and workshops as may pertain to the administration of the services being provided by the respective area. Competently and professionally complete the duties and responsibilities assigned. May be required to develop and facilitate presentations. Responsibilities

Operational and Strategic Support 

• Serves as a central connector across prospect research, frontline fundraisers, stewardship, and leadership teams. 
• Coordinate logistics and communication for high-level donor engagement opportunities. 
• Manages logistics and preparation for principal gift strategy meetings, including agendas, briefing materials, and follow-ups. Anticipate needs of leadership and proactively prepare materials and next steps.
• Owns deliverables from initiation through completion, ensuring nothing stalls in process. Ensures alignment between leadership strategy and execution across units. Facilitate clear, timely communication to ensure coordinated donor strategies.
• Manages multiple, concurrent priorities while maintaining accuracy and meeting deadlines.
• Tracks principal gift priorities, campaign initiatives, and next steps to ensure forward momentum. 
• Supports special projects tied to campaign priorities and principal gift initiatives.

Portfolio and Prospect Development 

• Oversees the institutional principal gifts portfolio, including identification, prioritization, and organization of prospects. 

• Partners with Advancement Research and Strategy to support prospect identification, qualification, and strategic insights. 

• Maintains multi-year cultivation plans and ensures next steps are clearly defined and progressing. 

• Monitors pipeline health and proactively flag gaps or opportunities in the portfolio and compare against 3–5 year growth plans and campaign benchmarks.

• Ensures all activity is accurately documented in the CRM in a timely manner. Tracks principal gift activity, including donor visits, proposals, and engagement strategies. 

• Ensures data integrity and consistency across all principal gift records.

 

Stewardship and Donor Recognition Support 

 

• Drafts, edits, and proofreads briefing materials, proposals, and personalized donor correspondence. 

• Coordinates concierge stewardship deliverables in partnership with the Donor Success team. 

• Supports development of donor impact reports, recognition materials, and campaign storytelling. 

• Ensures a high-quality, personalized experience for principal gift donors throughout the lifecycle.

Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree 
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in nonprofit, advancement, higher education, or a related field. 
• Must have exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce polished, donor-centered materials.

Preferred:

• Project Management: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously with strong attention to detail and deadlines.
• Database & Reporting: Proficiency with CRM systems and reporting tools; ability to track, analyze, and present data.
• Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively across multiple teams and leadership levels.
• Discretion & Professionalism: High level of judgment, confidentiality, and professionalism in handling sensitive donor information.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

About UsThe University of Memphis is a leading, student-centered, urban public R1 research institution. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, on 1,160 acres. The University serves a population of nearly 20,000 students and 2,500 employees, including more than 1,000 full-time faculty members. The University offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 230 areas of study, master’s degrees in more than 50 subjects and doctoral degrees in 26 disciplines; supported an institutional record of more than $100 million in research awards for FY24; and has an operating budget of close to $500 million.