Development & Stewardship Manager
Collaborate with a passionate Zoo Crew in San Antonio
Choosing where to grow your career has a major impact on your professional and personal life, so it's equally important you know that the place you choose to work at will support and guide you. With a diversity of passionate people, San Antonio Zoo is a place where you can collaborate with others securing a future for wildlife.
The Impact You'll Make in this Role
The Development & Stewardship Manager leads San Antonio Zoo's donor stewardship and recognition efforts, developing meaningful strategies and experiences that strengthen donor relationships, increase retention, and demonstrate the impact of philanthropic support. This position manages stewardship initiatives across all giving levels and provides operational and administrative support for annual giving, capital campaigns, fundraising events, donor communications, and Development Department operations. Reporting to the Director of Annual Giving, the Development & Stewardship Manager works collaboratively across the Development Department and throughout the zoo to ensure donors receive exceptional, timely, and personalized engagement at every stage of their relationship with San Antonio Zoo.
As a Development & Stewardship Manager, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative and diverse people in San Antonio. Here, you will make an impact by:
- Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive donor stewardship and engagement strategies for all donor segments, including annual, major, planned, campaign, corporate, foundation, and special gifts.
- Partner with fundraising staff to lead donor cultivation, solicitation, recognition, stewardship, and ongoing relationship management activities, in accordance with SOPs and best practices.
- Coordinate donor experiences, meetings, tours, special events, VIP engagements, and other opportunities that strengthen donor relationships and enhance the donor experience.
- Maintain accurate donor, campaign, gift, pledge, recognition, and engagement records within the NXT and other development systems to support reporting, accountability, and stewardship.
- Manage donor communications, acknowledgments, impact reporting, campaign updates, and other correspondence to ensure donors remain informed and engaged.
- Support capital campaigns and fundraising initiatives through donor stewardship, campaign administration, progress tracking, materials development, and donor communications.
- Develop and maintain departmental procedures, workflows, tracking systems, documentation, and standard operating practices that promote efficiency, consistency, and operational excellence.
- Provide administrative and operational support for development activities, including preparing reports, presentations, meeting materials, correspondence, and other fundraising resources.
- Collaborate with internal departments and external partners to gather information, coordinate activities, and deliver high-quality donor engagement, communications, and stewardship experiences.
- Support development operations through event management, departmental communications, volunteer and intern supervision, gift administration, and other duties that advance fundraising goals and donor relations.
- Uphold all zoo policies and procedures and consistently demonstrate professionalism, hospitality, and a service-oriented approach.
- Support and advance the mission of San Antonio Zoo to create awareness that inspires the community to secure a future for wildlife.
Other Responsibilities:
- Performs other work-related duties as required and assigned.
Your Skills and Expertise
To set you up for success in this role from day one, the San Antonio Zoo recommends the following skills/qualifications:
- Two years of administrative or leadership experience, preferably within non-profit development.
- Associate or bachelor's degree preferred.
- Excellent attention to detail and follow-through as demonstrated through effective project management experience.
- Demonstrated writing and editing skills.
- Outstanding ability to work effectively in teams of diverse people and organizations.
- Experience working with a database, as well as with Microsoft Office including Teams, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Excel and Word.
- Experience with Blackbaud products such as Raiser's Edge NXT is preferred.
- Strong organizational, communications, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
- Highly self-motivated and directed.
- Successful candidates must complete a pre-employment National Sex Offender Search, Criminal Background Check, and Drug Screen.
- We enjoy year-round operation for all staff, must be available day, nights, weekends, holidays and occasional special after-hour assignments.
San Antonio Zoo is an equal opportunity employer. San Antonio Zoo will not discriminate against any applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.