Donor Stewardship and Engagement Director
Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, United States, 91768
Overview
As you take your first step onto a Western University of Health Sciences campus, each path, each person, each structure comes with a transformative story. WesternU is more than the practice of medicine. We are defined by character and culture. At WesternU, you will discover humanism at the heart of every interaction: a warm welcome, a sincere smile, a positive word, a kind deed, a thoughtful gesture. You will see students work together on case studies; a parade of pets in campus parks; student clubs offering opportunities for career growth and community involvement; and faculty, staff and students designing their future and the future of WesternU. We display a collaborative mindset in how we operate, educate, and serve others. Although geographically we are two campuses, as humanists we are one: to enhance and extend the quality of life in our communities and achieve excellence in everything we do. We attract diverse, professional faculty, staff and students that thrive in an environment of humanistic health care education. Join our team of faculty and staff and make a difference. Position Details Position Title: Donor Stewardship and Engagement Director Position Control Number: A03938 Type of Position: Administration Position Status: Full-time Department: External Relations (Department 5501) Campus: Western University Campus-Pomona, CA Position Location: California Job Summary
Reporting to the Vice President of Development, the Donor Stewardship and Engagement Director will lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive stewardship and donor relations program that strengthens connections with donors, enhances recognition practices, and supports WesternU’s philanthropic goals. This role is strategic, highly collaborative, and focused on creating meaningful donor experiences that foster long-term engagement and investment across all gift levels. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of: Principles and best practices of donor stewardship and philanthropic relationship management. High-touch donor service models and personalized engagement strategies for principal gift-level donors. Recognition programs and donor acknowledgment protocols in higher education or nonprofit settings. CRM systems such as Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce, including donor data management and reporting. Institutional advancement operations and the role of donor experience in long-term fundraising success. Event coordination and protocol for VIP donor visits, exclusive experiences, and leadership interactions. Confidentiality standards and ethical considerations in donor relations. Skills: Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Strong written and verbal communication abilities. Discretion and professionalism in handling confidential donor information. Proficiency in CRM systems such as Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce. Ability to: Represent WesternU with integrity, professionalism, and credibility. Manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality service under pressure. Collaborate with various departments, including fundraising, development, and stakeholder engagement, to ensure alignment with organizational goals. Demonstrate a commitment to humanism, diversity, and service to underserved communities. Bring Your Best Self to Work: Consistently demonstrate respect, compassion, and integrity in interactions with colleagues, donors, and partners; foster a positive, collaborative, and inclusive workplace culture. Demonstrate a commitment to working in an organization that values and promotes humanism. Qualifications
Experience: Minimum 4 years of experience in donor relations or stewardship, preferably in higher education or nonprofit sectors. Education: Prefer degree in communications, nonprofit management, public relations, or related field. Key Responsibilities
Develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive stewardship and donor engagement strategy aligned with WesternU’s fundraising priorities. Promote stewardship standards, policies, and best practices across advancement. Evaluate effectiveness of stewardship programs and recommend improvements. Donor Engagement & Recognition
Design and manage a donor recognition program, inclusive of collateral, website management, etc. Create tailored stewardship approaches for major, leadership, and planned gift donors. Ensure consistent and meaningful donor recognition across the entire development team. Collaboration & Relationship Management
Partner with gift officers, deans, faculty, alumni relations, and university leadership to support donor stewardship. Serve as a subject-matter expert and internal consultant on donor engagement best practices. Support frontline fundraisers with customized stewardship plans and materials. Communications & Impact Reporting
Oversee donor-centered stewardship communications, including impact reports, personalized acknowledgements, and digital content. Ensure donor communications clearly articulate philanthropic impact and alignment with WesternU’s mission and branding. Collaborate with marketing/communications teams as needed. Operations, Systems & Reporting
Oversee gift acknowledgement processes to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance. Monitor stewardship metrics and prepare reports for advancement leadership as needed. Oversee thank you letters for advancement leadership and the Office of the President based on giving levels. Events & Engagement Activities
Collaborate on planning and execution of donor recognition events, briefings, and stewardship experiences. Posting Details
Work Schedule: The working hours will be 8am-5pm with some nights and weekend hours. We believe in making an impact in the lives of our employees, personally, and professionally. We offer benefits that are both comprehensive and flexible to address your unique needs. We believe work-life harmony is positive and achievable. We offer competitive salaries, generous paid time off, insurance plans, reimbursements, and retirement benefits. Additionally, Our faculty, staff, and administrators are 100% focused on student success. Our University culture creates the context for a nurturing and supportive environment. Faculty, staff, and students can expect to make deep, personal relationships within the University community. As a Faculty, Staff, or Student at WesternU, you can focus on work that you love, be your authentic self, and lead to the future with innovation in health sciences. WesternU’s core value of humanism encourages all to bring their whole self in all that they do. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect, equity, collaboration, and fun at all levels for all people! Pay Scale Minimum $115,000.00 Annually Maximum $125,000.00 Annually Physical Demands
Physical Demands: Do the essential functions of this job require lifting? Yes. If yes, list maximum weight and duration: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by any employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands, and reach with hands and arms to operate a PC; the employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close, distance, and peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus. Describe Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Duties are normally performed in the homes or offices of other people or in a typical office setting. The noise level is usually fairly quiet. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Posting Information
Posting Number: A00962 Posting Date: 01/30/2026 Close Date: 01/30/2027 Open Until Filled: Yes Supplemental Information
Pay Transparency Act: Western University of Health Sciences is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This range considers various factors in making compensation decisions. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience. The Expected Pay Scale is defined as the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. Equal Opportunity Statement (EEO)
WesternU is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, ethnicity, creed, religion or religious creed, sex or gender (including gender identity), marital status, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as required by law. Required Documents
Resume Optional Documents
Cover Letter Letter of Recommendation #1 Letter of Recommendation #2 Letter of Recommendation #3 Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*). How did you hear about this employment opportunity? Please provide the name of the website, individual, or organization. Contact 309 E. Second St., Pomona, CA 91766-1854 | (909) 623-6116 (909) 706-3000
#J-18808-Ljbffr
As you take your first step onto a Western University of Health Sciences campus, each path, each person, each structure comes with a transformative story. WesternU is more than the practice of medicine. We are defined by character and culture. At WesternU, you will discover humanism at the heart of every interaction: a warm welcome, a sincere smile, a positive word, a kind deed, a thoughtful gesture. You will see students work together on case studies; a parade of pets in campus parks; student clubs offering opportunities for career growth and community involvement; and faculty, staff and students designing their future and the future of WesternU. We display a collaborative mindset in how we operate, educate, and serve others. Although geographically we are two campuses, as humanists we are one: to enhance and extend the quality of life in our communities and achieve excellence in everything we do. We attract diverse, professional faculty, staff and students that thrive in an environment of humanistic health care education. Join our team of faculty and staff and make a difference. Position Details Position Title: Donor Stewardship and Engagement Director Position Control Number: A03938 Type of Position: Administration Position Status: Full-time Department: External Relations (Department 5501) Campus: Western University Campus-Pomona, CA Position Location: California Job Summary
Reporting to the Vice President of Development, the Donor Stewardship and Engagement Director will lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive stewardship and donor relations program that strengthens connections with donors, enhances recognition practices, and supports WesternU’s philanthropic goals. This role is strategic, highly collaborative, and focused on creating meaningful donor experiences that foster long-term engagement and investment across all gift levels. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of: Principles and best practices of donor stewardship and philanthropic relationship management. High-touch donor service models and personalized engagement strategies for principal gift-level donors. Recognition programs and donor acknowledgment protocols in higher education or nonprofit settings. CRM systems such as Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce, including donor data management and reporting. Institutional advancement operations and the role of donor experience in long-term fundraising success. Event coordination and protocol for VIP donor visits, exclusive experiences, and leadership interactions. Confidentiality standards and ethical considerations in donor relations. Skills: Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Strong written and verbal communication abilities. Discretion and professionalism in handling confidential donor information. Proficiency in CRM systems such as Raiser’s Edge or Salesforce. Ability to: Represent WesternU with integrity, professionalism, and credibility. Manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality service under pressure. Collaborate with various departments, including fundraising, development, and stakeholder engagement, to ensure alignment with organizational goals. Demonstrate a commitment to humanism, diversity, and service to underserved communities. Bring Your Best Self to Work: Consistently demonstrate respect, compassion, and integrity in interactions with colleagues, donors, and partners; foster a positive, collaborative, and inclusive workplace culture. Demonstrate a commitment to working in an organization that values and promotes humanism. Qualifications
Experience: Minimum 4 years of experience in donor relations or stewardship, preferably in higher education or nonprofit sectors. Education: Prefer degree in communications, nonprofit management, public relations, or related field. Key Responsibilities
Develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive stewardship and donor engagement strategy aligned with WesternU’s fundraising priorities. Promote stewardship standards, policies, and best practices across advancement. Evaluate effectiveness of stewardship programs and recommend improvements. Donor Engagement & Recognition
Design and manage a donor recognition program, inclusive of collateral, website management, etc. Create tailored stewardship approaches for major, leadership, and planned gift donors. Ensure consistent and meaningful donor recognition across the entire development team. Collaboration & Relationship Management
Partner with gift officers, deans, faculty, alumni relations, and university leadership to support donor stewardship. Serve as a subject-matter expert and internal consultant on donor engagement best practices. Support frontline fundraisers with customized stewardship plans and materials. Communications & Impact Reporting
Oversee donor-centered stewardship communications, including impact reports, personalized acknowledgements, and digital content. Ensure donor communications clearly articulate philanthropic impact and alignment with WesternU’s mission and branding. Collaborate with marketing/communications teams as needed. Operations, Systems & Reporting
Oversee gift acknowledgement processes to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance. Monitor stewardship metrics and prepare reports for advancement leadership as needed. Oversee thank you letters for advancement leadership and the Office of the President based on giving levels. Events & Engagement Activities
Collaborate on planning and execution of donor recognition events, briefings, and stewardship experiences. Posting Details
Work Schedule: The working hours will be 8am-5pm with some nights and weekend hours. We believe in making an impact in the lives of our employees, personally, and professionally. We offer benefits that are both comprehensive and flexible to address your unique needs. We believe work-life harmony is positive and achievable. We offer competitive salaries, generous paid time off, insurance plans, reimbursements, and retirement benefits. Additionally, Our faculty, staff, and administrators are 100% focused on student success. Our University culture creates the context for a nurturing and supportive environment. Faculty, staff, and students can expect to make deep, personal relationships within the University community. As a Faculty, Staff, or Student at WesternU, you can focus on work that you love, be your authentic self, and lead to the future with innovation in health sciences. WesternU’s core value of humanism encourages all to bring their whole self in all that they do. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect, equity, collaboration, and fun at all levels for all people! Pay Scale Minimum $115,000.00 Annually Maximum $125,000.00 Annually Physical Demands
Physical Demands: Do the essential functions of this job require lifting? Yes. If yes, list maximum weight and duration: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by any employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands, and reach with hands and arms to operate a PC; the employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close, distance, and peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to focus. Describe Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Duties are normally performed in the homes or offices of other people or in a typical office setting. The noise level is usually fairly quiet. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Posting Information
Posting Number: A00962 Posting Date: 01/30/2026 Close Date: 01/30/2027 Open Until Filled: Yes Supplemental Information
Pay Transparency Act: Western University of Health Sciences is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This range considers various factors in making compensation decisions. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience. The Expected Pay Scale is defined as the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. Equal Opportunity Statement (EEO)
WesternU is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, ethnicity, creed, religion or religious creed, sex or gender (including gender identity), marital status, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as required by law. Required Documents
Resume Optional Documents
Cover Letter Letter of Recommendation #1 Letter of Recommendation #2 Letter of Recommendation #3 Supplemental Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*). How did you hear about this employment opportunity? Please provide the name of the website, individual, or organization. Contact 309 E. Second St., Pomona, CA 91766-1854 | (909) 623-6116 (909) 706-3000
#J-18808-Ljbffr