The Stewardship and Recognition Director provides strategic leadership for benefactor relations strategies to advance Mayo Clinic’s fundraising priorities, administer complex gifts and deepen key relationships. This role leads and oversees the stewardship and recognition lifecycle for large and transformational gifts within their portfolios, ensuring an exceptional, innovative, high-touch customized benefactor experience while honoring benefactor intent and advancing institutional priorities. Ensures all stewardship and recognition strategies are grounded in a cultivation mindset, intentionally designed to strengthen relationships, deepen engagement, and support long-term philanthropic partnerships. Thismay include developing benefactor-specific pre-gift and post-gift stewardship and recognition strategies; operationalizing new large and/or complex gifts in partnership with funding area stakeholders; and ensuring accountability, allocation oversight and timely impact reporting in alignment with benefactor intent. Partners closely with Development staff, including gift officers, to proactively plan and manage benefactor relationships, , align expectations, and support solicitation and stewardship strategies throughout the gift lifecycle. Acquires and maintains knowledge and fluency of Mayo Clinic’s business strategy, fundraising strategy and top fundraising priorities, and translates this knowledge into informed stewardship and recognition recommendations for department and executive leadership. Contributes to solicitation strategies for complex gifts and reviews gift agreements. Leads through influence and convenes interdisciplinary teams, including campaign administration, events, communications, creative, digital, data and technology services, finance and facilities to implement creative and innovative ideas that advance excellence, improve operational practices, and enhance the benefactor experience. Leads problem solving and decision-making activities; develops documentation for stewardship and recognition best practices, processes and procedures; and delivers training to colleagues. Maintains and promotes an enterprise perspective in all activities.
This Stewardship and Recognition Director will have a focus on Digital Stewardship, leading the strategy and execution of technology-enabled benefactor stewardship and recognition strategies designed to strengthen relationships, demonstrate impact, and deepen cultivation efforts across the giving pyramid. This role focuses on stewarding and recognizing benefactors at scale through personalized, digitally driven strategies that complement frontline fundraising and elevate the benefactor journey. By leveraging digital communications, engagement analytics, automation platforms, and emerging technologies, the director creates coordinated stewardship programs that connect benefactors to mission outcomes and institutional priorities in meaningful, timely, and relevant ways. This position partners closely with Development Communications and Annual and Midlevel Giving teams to deliver cohesive, benefactor-centered engagement.
The Director is responsible for designing scalable digital stewardship programs that move beyond transactional acknowledgment toward dynamic, relationship-centered engagement. Responsibilities include developing digital impact reporting, personalized recognition programs, automated stewardship journeys, and multi-channel experiences tailored to benefactor interests and giving areas. The role also explores innovative approaches such as AI-assisted personalization, interactive storytelling, virtual engagement experiences, and digital benefactor communities to expand reach while maintaining authenticity and meaningful connection. The Director will also maintain a portfolio of benefactors and/or institutional priority areas requiring high-touch stewardship and engagement.
QualificationsMinimum Education and/or Experience Required: (Education Requirements and Experience):
Bachelor's degree in business, communications, marketing or related field required plus five to seven years of experience in donor relations, communications, marketing, events, healthcare administration or finance, including at least one to three years of Development experience. Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising required.
Additional Experience and/or Qualifications: (Has Achieved Competency in the Following Areas, Job Knowledge and Additional Considerations):
Master's degree preferred. Requires excellent oral and written communications skills, financial analysis and reporting skills and the ability to work in a complex environment with multi-dimensional points of view. Incumbents will have demonstrated competencies in leadership and project management and legal agreement development and interpretation. Incumbents will have demonstrated a strong digital mindset, including the ability to leverage technology, data, and emerging tools to improve processes, inform decision-making and drive innovation within the benefactor experience and the ability to function effectively in a consensus-style operation that expects and promotes teamwork. Must be comfortable with ambiguity. Required creativity in innovative messaging. Must possess the ability to inspire trust and confidence and communicate effectively with internal and external audiences, including Mayo benefactors at the highest levels. The ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism and confidentiality is essential. Must be proficient in the use of information technology and management of database systems. Manages time effectively and maintains flexibility to work around tight timelines, which may require work outside of standard business hours.
Mayo Clinic is top-ranked in more specialties than any other care provider according to U.S. News & World Report. As we work together to put the needs of the patient first, we are also dedicated to our employees, investing in competitive compensation and comprehensive benefit plans – to take care of you and your family, now and in the future. And with continuing education and advancement opportunities at every turn, you can build a long, successful career with Mayo Clinic.
- Medical: Multiple plan options.
- Dental: Delta Dental or reimbursement account for flexible coverage.
- Vision: Affordable plan with national network.
- Pre-Tax Savings: HSA and FSAs for eligible expenses.
- Retirement: Competitive retirement package to secure your future.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status or disability status. Learn more about the "EOE is the Law". Mayo Clinic participates in E-Verify and may provide the Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in business, communications, marketing, or related field
- Five to seven years of experience in donor relations, communications, marketing, events, healthcare administration, or finance
- At least one to three years of development (fundraising) experience
- Demonstrated knowledge of fundraising
- Master's degree
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Financial analysis and reporting skills
- Experience developing and interpreting legal gift agreements
- Demonstrated leadership and project management competencies
- Proficiency in information technology and management of database systems
- Strong digital mindset; ability to leverage technology, data, and emerging tools to improve benefactor experience
- Experience designing or executing digital stewardship programs, automation journeys, engagement analytics, or personalized digital recognition
- Experience with or willingness to explore AI-assisted personalization and other emerging digital engagement approaches
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism with high-level benefactors
- Ability to work effectively in consensus-style teams and handle ambiguity
- Creativity in messaging and ability to inspire trust with internal and external audiences
- Ability to manage time effectively and work outside standard business hours as needed
Mayo Clinic Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Mayo Clinic and has not been reviewed or approved by Mayo Clinic.
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Retirement Support — A no-cost pension plus an employer-matched 403(b)/401(k) is positioned as a standout differentiator, offering strong long-term financial security. Feedback suggests this retirement combination elevates overall total rewards even when base pay is moderate.
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Healthcare Strength — Expanded medical networks, enhanced fertility coverage, and employer absorption of a plan year’s premium increases point to robust healthcare offerings. Feedback suggests annual updates maintain breadth and competitiveness of coverage.
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Parental & Family Support — Adoption assistance, dependent scholarships, child and elder-care resources, and EAP services provide meaningful family-oriented support. Feedback suggests these programs add tangible value beyond salary alone.
Mayo Clinic Insights
What We Do
Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit medical group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,800 physicians and scientists and 50,900 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn., Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Mayo Clinic also serves over 70 communities through Mayo Clinic Health System with locations in MN, IA, and WI. Collectively, these locations care for more than 1 million people each year.
