Stewardship Program Manager – College of Letters & Science

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)*, the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is seeking a dynamic Stewardship Program Manager to support UW-Madison,  College of Letters & Science.  The Stewardship Program Manager (SPM) on the Letters & Science (L&S) development team will play an essential role in tracking and enhancing our collective stewardship efforts.  This is an exempt position requiring significant self-directed work as well as demonstration of independent judgment in managing projects, prioritizing responsibilities and time, and communicating progress to team members. This position is part of a dynamic, fast-paced development team and requires a high level of organizational oversight and leadership to achieve team project goals and objectives. This position is a hybrid role and will require you to work in the office at least two days weekly.

Who is WFAA?
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is a private, nonprofit corporation that encourages individuals and organizations to make gifts to the university and to connect with the UW. In 2014, the UW Foundation merged with the Wisconsin Alumni Association® to better serve a growing population of UW alumni and donors. We believe that private support grows out of good relationships between campus leaders, faculty and program staff who need support, and the alumni and friends who want to invest in UW-Madison. We provide important engagement opportunities to link UW-Madison alumni to each other and to their alma mater, building a strong community of Badgers.

Diversity and Inclusion:

Just as the university community benefits from differing viewpoints, perspectives, and experiences, inclusion and diversity are imperative for the success of our mission. WFAA values people and the differences that they bring to the organization, and creates an environment in which all staff members and constituents feel respected and have opportunities to thrive.  

Stewardship strategy development and program management 

• Work in active partnership with the unit’s Associate Vice President, development team, Dean’s office and campus partners to plan, implement, and evaluate strategies, initiatives, projects and training protocols designed to enhance stewardship and successfully move projects to completion.
• Define and track the team’s stewardship plan each year, identifying opportunities for growth or realignment. Collaborate with the Unit’s Stewardship work group and development team to assess gaps in stewardship practices and identify solutions for improvement based on industry standards and best practices.

  Donor relationship activity 

• Collaborate with the development team to produce 10-12 pieces of very significant stewardship each year for identified top L&S donors.
• Collaborate with the development team on individual stewardship activities (e.g., create a student ThankView video, organize an on-campus visit or meal for donors with scholarship or faculty recipients, send a special gift to a donor, etc.).
• Coordinate with campus and the development team on endowed chair annual impact reporting, including collecting, curating and mailing to donors. Assess campus process and donor experience for making annual adjustments.  
• Collaborate with the development team on written materials related to the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of top major donors.
• In coordination with events team, plan, implement, and manage in person and online events designed to build relationships with existing donors.

 Internal stewardship collaboration and assessment of peer programs

• Collaborate with WFAA Central Stewardship on VIP impact needs and Stewardship Impact Reports for L&S donors.
• Coordinate with WFAA resources such as Business Intelligence and Research to compile data and other information that better informs strategic planning, donor recognition, and stewardship activities.
• Serve as point person on L&S projects with MarComm (i.e., acquire a student quote for a magazine article; refresh print materials; coordinate impact reports).
• Listen to ongoing stewardship needs for donors, be knowledgeable of best practices in the industry, and bring forward creative ideas that provide donors with the best stewardship experience.
• Determine cost estimates and logistical needs for new projects to assess viability.

 Campus relationship management 

• Supporting the Dean’s office, coordinate the donor communication and experience portion of the annual faculty investiture ceremony.
• Manage the Dean’s $10k+ stewardship communications process.
• Collaborate with the L&S Strategic Communications team to identify and feature significant gifts, particularly those corresponding to Dean’s priorities.
• Working with development team, review and assess unit stewardship activities and implement new opportunities for donor engagement.
• Initiate, and manage meetings and activities with campus partners that support stewardship efforts. Serve as point of contact for campus inquiries about WFAA stewardship policies and processes. Create and implement consistent standards of practice and procedure that provide exemplary customer service to donors and campus partners.

 Prospect data management & tracking 

• Provide best practices guidance & knowledge of available resources for efficient stewardship portfolio management including how to use prospect statuses and tools available through CRM to record stewardship activity.
• Provide KPI data to unit’s Dean’s office for strategic review of department and unit level giving.
• Assist with ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of prospect data in CRM.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• 3 + years of relevant professional work and/or volunteer experience.

Other Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to judge the relative importance of issues and act independently to address them, applying the appropriate level of urgency to achieve results.
• Self-motivation, a proactive nature, persistence, flexibility, and dependability.
• Ability to work effectively with a team in an entrepreneurial environment and interact well with all internal and external constituents.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure; prioritize and manage multiple and sometimes competing tasks, and maintain a high degree of discretion, tact, poise, professionalism, and diplomacy.
• High degree of proficiency in Microsoft office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint); previous experience with database reporting and constituent relationship management software preferred.

WFAA is committed to provide our employees with an environment that is inspiring, creative and respectful. We offer competitive pay and an excellent benefits program, which includes a 10% 401k contribution after 1 year of service!

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer *The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (advanceuw.org) is the “doing business as” name of the merged organization comprising the University of Wisconsin Foundation (supportuw.org) and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (uwalumni.com). Its legal corporate name is registered as the University of Wisconsin Foundation. 

University of Wisconsin Foundation