Donor Relations Officer, Leadership Giving

Wheaton College

The Donor Relations Officer, Leadership Giving designs and executes a highly personalized, high-touch stewardship strategy for the College’s major, principal, and planned gift donors ensuring the most generous supporters experience the profound impact of their philanthropy. The position is responsible for managing individualized stewardship plans for top-tier donors, overseeing endowed fund reporting processes, and crafting bespoke donor communications that deepen donor engagement and inspire future investments.

Serve as key partner for frontline fundraisers to develop, document, and execute customized stewardship plans for the College’s top donors, principal gift prospects, and members of the Board of Trustees. Draft high-level acknowledgement letters, milestone congratulatory notes, and updates from the College President, Vice President, and Associate Vice President for Individual Giving

Oversee the annual endowed fund reporting process. Coordinate with Finance and Student Financial Services to compile financial performance data, and pair it with narrative student/faculty impact stories for endowed funds (scholarships, professorships, academic programs).

Manage physical recognition on campus (plaques, naming opportunities, signage, memorial trees and benches) and organize intimate, personalized donor-recognition experiences around this type of recognition. Partner with the President’s Office to conceptualize and execute exclusive leadership donor events, such as endowed chair investitures, building dedications, or intimate presidential dinner

Collaborate directly with Advancement leadership to identify strategic stewardship opportunities that strengthen donor engagement and support future giving. Produce annual financial activity reports alongside the Donor Relations Officer, Annual Giving.

Performs all other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor. This may include attendance of and participation in required training for role.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree preferably in Communications, Marketing, Graphic Design, Creative Writing or English/Journalism and minimum of1-3 years related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required.

General understanding of high-net-worth donor recognition, custom stewardship matrix design for top-tier philanthropists and Trustees.

In-depth knowledge of financial reporting mechanics, spending rates, payout calculations, and corpus performance, alongside working familiarity with higher education accounting, Financial Aid, and Registrar operations. Ability to master executive voice, institutional tone, and presidential protocol necessary to draft high-stakes correspondence for the President, Vice President, Associate Vice President, Senior Philanthropic Advisor, and Director of Leadership Giving.

Basic knowledge of physical recognition management, facility naming policies, plaque manufacturing/installation logistics, and campus master planning.

Skill in reverse-engineering stewardship into a cultivation tool—aligning updates, milestones, and donor updates directly with ongoing multi-million dollar solicitation strategies.

Capability to design high-touch, intimate donor experiences (e.g., presidential dinners, endowed chair investitures, building dedications) involving high-profile stakeholders.

Ability to manage complex annual reporting workflows for hundreds of distinct funds, blending rigorous quantitative financial data with qualitative impact storytelling.

Skill in negotiating with and managing relationships across senior administration, faculty, the President’s Office, Finance, and facilities personnel.

Ability to interact comfortably with high-net-worth individuals, Trustees, and senior campus leadership with composure, discretion, and polish.

Ability to act as a peer and consultative partner to frontline gift officers and to build and maintain scalable tracking systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

Intermediate proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite including InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop and the following Communications platforms: MyEmma and Advancement Systems (e.g. Raiser’s Edge NXT).

Compensation and Benefits

To attract and retain the most talented individuals, Wheaton College maintains a flexible and competitive staff compensation and benefits program.

When determining and establishing hiring rates or recruitment ranges for a position, the College considers a number of factors including the budget for the position, the range of the grade, the external market for the position or similar positions, level and scope of responsibilities, required education, skills and relevant experience as well as internal equity. All salary offers must have the prior approval of the Office of Human Resources.

The anticipated hiring or recruitment range for this position is $60-$65K. The actual salary offered will be commensurate with the qualifications, education and experience of the candidate hired.

Physical Demands

Sitting, repetitive hand motion (such as typing), hearing, listening, talking and standing. Office environment/no specific or unusual physical or environmental demands.

ADA Statement:

Individuals must possess these knowledges, skills and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

EEO Statement

Wheaton College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, or disability. In a continuing effort to maintain and enrich an intellectually diverse learning environment, the Department and the College actively encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.

Wheaton’s core belief is that valuing diversity is pivotal to personal development, intellectual expansion, and societal equity. Our community is united by a shared dedication to equity and access that is essential to providing a transformative education in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Posting Date

10/09/2026

Closing Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Contact(s):

Office of Human Resources