Assistant Director of Donor Relations - Harvey Mudd College

Another Source’s client, Harvey Mudd College, is recruiting an Assistant Director of Donor Relations to join their team in Claremont, California. You will have the opportunity to work a hybrid schedule, 3 days onsite and 2 days remotely.  

Here’s a little about Harvey Mudd College: 

Harvey Mudd College (HMC) is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts colleges focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Part of The Claremont Colleges consortium, HMC offers the best of both worlds—a close-knit, highly collaborative academic environment paired with the resources and opportunities of a larger university ecosystem. Known for its rigorous curriculum, strong return on investment, and exceptional career outcomes, Harvey Mudd consistently ranks among the top colleges in the country. 

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a mission centered on producing leaders who understand the impact of their work on society, HMC is in an exciting phase of growth and momentum. The College is currently in the quiet phase of a capital campaign, making this an especially compelling time to join and contribute to its future. 

Learn more: https://www.hmc.edu/about/facts/ 

About this role: 

Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations, the Assistant Director of Donor Relations plays a critical role in executing the College's vision for a world-class donor experience. This position is responsible for the day-to-day operational excellence of donor recognition, fund compliance, and personalized engagement. 

The Assistant Director works in close coordination with Advancement Services, Prospect Development, Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Alumni and Parent Relations, Communications, and the Office of the President. The ideal candidate is data-informed and balances high-level administrative precision with the creativity needed to make Harvey Mudd College donors feel uniquely valued. 

Anticipated annual salary: $70,304 – $80,000 annually 

Your Contribution Will Likely Include 

Stewardship Operations and Donor Acknowledgment 

• Manage the daily stewardship operations of the Advancement Office, ensuring donors receive timely and accurate acknowledgment of their philanthropy.  

• Draft and coordinate personalized acknowledgment correspondence for leadership donors, trustees, honorary and memorial gifts, endowed fund donors, and other key constituents, ensuring communications reflect the donor's relationship with the College and align with institutional stewardship standards.  

• Partner with Advancement Services to oversee pledge reminder communications and related donor correspondence, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and donor-centered messaging.  

• Maintain established service standards for gift acknowledgments and stewardship communications, supporting the College's commitment to prompt and personalized donor recognition.  

• Coordinate stewardship-related student engagement opportunities and donor events, working collaboratively with students, faculty, and campus partners to create meaningful donor experiences.  

Endowment Stewardship, Fund Administration, and Compliance 

• Serve as the lead for stewardship-related fund management activities, ensuring donor-funded scholarships, professorships, prizes, programs, and other restricted funds are accurately tracked and stewarded.  

• Monitor faculty appointments, endowed chair assignments, scholarship utilization, and program activity to identify stewardship gaps, vacancies, unspent funds, or other situations requiring donor communication or administrative follow-up.  

• Maintain stewardship dashboards and reporting tools that provide visibility into fund activity, stewardship obligations, and compliance-related concerns.  

• Partner with the Director to develop donor communications regarding faculty transitions, program changes, fund reallocations, or other stewardship-sensitive situations.  

• Serve as the primary FundMiner administrator, maintaining accurate fund criteria, faculty assignments, student recipient data, stewardship schedules, and reporting information.  

• Coordinate annual scholarship, professorship, prize, and endowed fund reporting efforts by gathering financial information, impact data, student stories, faculty updates, and other stewardship content.  

• Work collaboratively with Business Affairs, Financial Aid, Academic Affairs, and Advancement Services to ensure donor intent is honored and stewardship records remain accurate and complete.  

Donor Recognition and Giving Society Administration 

• Manage the operational aspects of donor recognition programs, naming opportunities, and stewardship commitments across the College.  

• Maintain inventories and records related to donor recognition installations, plaques, named spaces, endowed positions, and other recognition assets, ensuring accuracy and consistency with donor agreements.  

• Coordinate stewardship activities and communications for giving societies, including the Legacy Society, Parent and Family Circle, and other recognition groups.  

• Administer specialized stewardship workflows associated with planned giving commitments, memorial gifts, honorary gifts, and legacy donor recognition.  

• Support the development and implementation of stewardship materials, welcome packages, membership communications, certificates, and other donor recognition collateral.  

Stewardship Reporting, Content Development, and Communications Support 

• Partner with the Director and Advancement Communications to develop compelling stewardship materials that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy on students, faculty, research, and institutional priorities.  

• Coordinate the collection of stories, testimonials, photographs, financial data, and program outcomes used in donor reports and stewardship communications.  

• Assist in maintaining stewardship-related web content, digital recognition platforms, donor-facing materials, and other communication channels that support donor engagement.  

• Support the production of customized stewardship materials and impact reports for major, principal, and campaign donors.  

Stewardship Analytics, Systems, and Process Improvement 

• Maintain stewardship data, dashboards, and tracking systems that support donor engagement, reporting obligations, compliance monitoring, and stewardship planning.  

• Generate stewardship metrics and operational reports for Advancement leadership, identifying trends, upcoming obligations, and areas requiring attention.  

• Support ongoing stewardship process improvement efforts by documenting workflows, maintaining procedures, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and donor experience.  

• Assist in monitoring stewardship commitments associated with endowed funds, naming opportunities, campaign gifts, and restricted funds to ensure timely fulfillment of donor obligations.  

• Serve as a key operational partner in the implementation and optimization of stewardship technologies, reporting platforms, and donor relations systems.  

Administrative and Financial Support 

• Assist with budget tracking, reconciliation, and reporting for donor relations programs, stewardship initiatives, recognition activities, and related events.  

• Maintain stewardship calendars, reporting schedules, and project timelines to ensure timely completion of donor-facing deliverables.  

• Support special projects, campaign stewardship initiatives, donor recognition efforts, and other assignments as requested by the Director.  

• Represent the Office of College Advancement with professionalism and discretion while interacting with donors, trustees, faculty, students, and campus partners.  

Culture of Philanthropy 

• Support the Office of College Advancement's objective to cultivate and sustain a robust culture of philanthropy that reflects belief and confidence in Harvey Mudd College's leadership and mission.  

• Reinforce that every gift supports people and programs across campus while promoting hospitality, generosity, and donor engagement.  

Campus Collaboration 

• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with key offices and partners across campus, including the President's Office, the Dean of Faculty Office, Admission, Financial Aid, Student Affairs, Financial Affairs, academic departments and centers, and Career Services.  

Experience You Will Bring 

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.  

• At least three years of experience in advancement, donor relations, or a related high-touch customer relations field.  

• Extraordinary organizational skills and a "zero-mistake" mindset for donor records and correspondence.  

• Competence in a variety of software programs, with the ability to master CRM systems and fund-management tools like FundMiner.  

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact confidently with high-profile donors, faculty, and campus leadership.  

• High level of discretion and personal integrity when handling confidential donor information and financial data.  

• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions with minimal supervision.  

• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends for donor-facing events.  

Another Source works with their clients, on a retained project basis. We are committed to building inclusive candidate pools as we partner with hiring teams. As you read through the job posting and review the list of qualifications (required and/or preferred), please do not self-select out if you feel you do not meet every qualification. No one is 100% qualified. We encourage you to apply and share your story with us. 

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