Director, Donor Relations & Stewardship

Title: Director, Donor Relations & Stewardship
Department: Fundraising
Reports To: Deputy Chief Development Officer (Based in New York City)
Direct Reports: None
Location: AFBIU NYC Office
Employment Type: Full-Time
Classification: Exempt
Salary Range: $115,000 - $130,000
Posting Date: September 29, 2026

ABOUT THE ROLE

Position Summary

The Director, Donor Relations & Stewardship is responsible for developing and leading a comprehensive donor stewardship program that strengthens relationships, demonstrates the impact of philanthropy, and inspires continued and increased support for Bar-Ilan University. The Director will create thoughtful, consistent, and personalized donor experiences across giving levels, with particular attention to major and principal gift donors.

Working closely with frontline fundraisers, Marketing & Communications, Development Operations, AFBIU leadership, and colleagues at Bar-Ilan University, the Director will establish stewardship standards, develop donor recognition and impact reporting programs, create meaningful engagement opportunities, and ensure that donor commitments are appropriately acknowledged and fulfilled.

This position serves as the strategic lead for the donor experience. While Marketing & Communications may support writing, design, storytelling, and production, the Director will determine the stewardship strategy, audiences, objectives, timing, personalization, and desired relationship outcomes.

Responsibilities

STEWARDSHIP STRATEGY

• Develop stewardship standards for all donor levels.

• Together with fundraisers, create customized stewardship plans for major and principal gift donors.

• Manage stewardship calendars and fulfillment schedules.

• Collaborate with the team and manage re-engagement plans.

DONOR COMMUNICATIONS

• Coordinates thank-you letters, acknowledgements, and personalized correspondence.

• Manage annual endowment and scholarship report process.

• Create donor recognition guidelines and coordinate donor recognition opportunities.

• Work directly with marketing to oversee the production of stewardship materials, including impact reports and donor updates.

• Collaborate with marketing on producing multi-channel experiences and developing donor-centric content.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Track stewardship commitments.

• Ensure stewardship deliverables are completed on time.

FUNDRAISER SUPPORT

• Prepare donor stewardship briefings for meetings.

• Train fundraisers on stewardship strategies and documentation.

• Benchmark and identify opportunities for meaningful donor engagement.

EVENTS AND DONOR ENGAGEMENT

• Develop small, high-touch stewardship opportunities for major and principal gift donors, such as faculty briefings, parlor meetings, leadership gatherings, and campus visits.

• Identify opportunities to use visiting BIU faculty, leadership, researchers, students, and alumni as stewardship touchpoints.

• Develop appropriate pre- and post-event stewardship strategies, so events are part of an ongoing donor relationship rather than stand-alone activities.

• Coordinate with gift officers on personalized follow-up and next steps for priority donors following events.

REPORTING AND ANALYTICS

• Monitor stewardship completion rates and overdue commitments

• Collaborate with DevOps to produce stewardship dashboards and reports

• Develop metrics for success and report on stewardship effectiveness by analyzing donor retention and engagement metrics

Core Competencies and Experience

REQUIRED:

• Strong understanding of donor relations, stewardship, fundraising, and relationship-based philanthropy.

• Ability to think strategically about the entire donor experience rather than individual communications or activities.

• Exceptional project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage numerous donor commitments, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with a donor-centered approach to communication.

• Strong attention to detail, particularly related to donor preferences, recognition, reporting requirements, and gift commitments.

• Ability to develop scalable systems while maintaining a highly personalized approach for major and principal gift donors.

• Collaborative working style and demonstrated ability to influence and coordinate across departments without necessarily having direct authority over those teams.

• Strong understanding of the partnership between Development, Marketing & Communications, Finance, Operations, and university partners.

• Ability to use donor data and analytics to inform stewardship strategies and measure effectiveness.

• Strong commitment to donor service and creating thoughtful, meaningful, and highly professional donor experiences.

PREFERRED:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus.

• Minimum of 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in donor relations, stewardship, development, advancement, major gifts, or a related nonprofit fundraising field.

• Experience developing or managing comprehensive donor stewardship and/or donor relations programs strongly preferred.

• Experience working collaboratively with frontline fundraisers and senior organizational leadership.

• Experience working with Marketing & Communications teams on donor-facing materials and storytelling.

• Experience with a fundraising CRM required; experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT strongly preferred.

• Experience in higher education advancement, an American Friends organization, Jewish philanthropy, Israel-related fundraising, or another complex mission-driven organization is highly desirable.

• Experience working across geographic or international teams is a plus.

Compensation

A competitive compensation package, including salary and benefits, will be offered commensurate with experience. For roles of this scope, AFBIU generally budgets $115,000 - $130,000

ABOUT OUR WORKPLACE

Employee Benefits

American Friends of Bar-Ilan University is committed to supporting our employees’ well-being, work-life balance, and professional growth. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• Comprehensive health coverage — medical, dental, and vision plans

• Generous paid time off, including parental leave, Jewish and U.S. holidays, plus early closings on Fridays for Shabbat and on many holiday eves

• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution

• Pre-tax benefits, including flexible spending accounts (FSA) and commuter benefits, where available

• Disability and life insurance coverage

• Support for professional development and continuing education

• Monthly mobile phone stipend

Location and Work Arrangements

AFBIU values in-person collaboration and teamwork, so our NYC-based team members work from our NYC office Monday to Thursday with the option to work remotely on Fridays.

Additional Information

Travel: Occasional domestic travel is anticipated.

Work Authorization: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. AFBIU does not provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer: American Friends of Bar-llan University (AFBIU) is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, marital status, or veteran status. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds who are committed to AFBIU's mission and values.

ABOUT AFBIU

American Friends of Bar-Ilan University (AFBIU) supports Bar-Ilan University in Israel by engaging U.S. partners and donors to advance education, research, and innovation that strengthen Israel and benefit the world.

Bar-Ilan University, located near Tel Aviv, is one of Israel’s leading institutions of higher learning—renowned for its cutting-edge research, commitment to social responsibility, and integration of Jewish values with academic excellence. Through our work, AFBIU helps ensure that Bar-Ilan continues to educate future leaders and drive positive change in Israel and beyond. Our organizational budget is approximately $9M and our staff size is approximately 20.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, complete this online form including uploading your resume and a cover letter explaining why you’re excited about and qualified for this opportunity. No phone calls or direct emails, please.

We appreciate all applicants; however, because of the high volume of interest in our open positions, only those selected to move forward in the process will be contacted. Director, Donor Relations and S…