Development and Stewardship Officer

About the Role Schreiner University seeks a Development and Stewardship Officer to advance donor relations, stewardship, and fundraising initiatives that support the university's mission. This role focuses on acknowledging and recognizing donors, providing impact updates, and collaborating with the development team to strengthen donor retention and engagement. The position also supports fundraising operations and event planning.

What You'll Do

• Manage volunteer, cultivation, and stewardship activities, mailings, and related budgets, including annual endowment reporting to donors, student letter-writing to donors, graduation postcards, the President's Christmas card, volunteer events, the Schreiner Alliance Program, and other assigned projects.
• Manage the volunteer program by recruiting, placing, retaining, and engaging community volunteers on campus in meaningful ways to help the University fulfill its mission.
• Manage the Schreiner Alliance program, including recruitment of membership, recruitment of speakers, and organizing programs.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve relationships with university donors, including student letter-writing, endowment reporting, special acknowledgments for first-time donors, and for donors who give in consecutive years.
• Work with the gift processing team to manage and oversee gift and pledge acknowledgment letters and messaging.
• Coordinate all aspects of event logistics for annual Advancement events: Christmas Tea, Recognition Dinner, Board of Trustees Socials.
• Ensure donors have personalized event experiences that foster community and engagement.
• Engage donors and potential donors through personal visits, events, online meetings, calls, or other strategies.
• Work to achieve and exceed annual gift income goals outlined in the development fundraising plan.
• Manage a portfolio of 20 constituents, develop solicitation strategies, and nurture relationships to encourage ongoing giving and planned giving.
• Conduct comprehensive prospect research to identify capacity, interests, and connections of potential donors.
• Collaborate with a development team that includes the Director of Development, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, other development officers, advancement services, the Vice President for Advancement, the university President, and trustees.
• Coordinate with the communications team to develop event materials, invitations, social posts, and press releases.
• Use multiple channels to promote events and generate donor engagement.
• Provide timely internal reports on outcomes of prospect research, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities, and maintain records in Raiser's Edge.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's Degree.
• At least three years of relevant fundraising, public relations, direct marketing, and/or sales with direct personal solicitation experience; experience in higher education preferred.
• Excellent verbal, visual, and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with keen attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and work independently.
• Ability to motivate and work with a broad range of people.
• Well-organized, methodical, systematic, and critical thinker who can manage competing priorities and projects.
• Problem-solving ability and capacity to navigate complexity.
• Willingness to travel overnight up to seven nights per month and to work occasional weekends and evenings.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office or willingness to learn.
• Valid Texas driver's license, insurance, and good driving record.

Nice to Have

• Distinctive skills including being well-organized, detail-oriented, excellent communicator, creative, and passionate about event planning and fundraising.