Donor Relations & Stewardship Officer

Job content

About IMD

The Institute for Management Development (IMD) is an independent academic institution with Swiss roots and global reach, founded 75 years ago by business leaders for business leaders. Since its creation, IMD has been a pioneering force in developing leaders who transform organizations and contribute to society.
Based in Lausanne (Switzerland) and Singapore, IMD has been ranked in the Top 3 of the annual FT’s Executive Education Global Ranking for the last nine consecutive years and in the top five for 17 consecutive years. Our MBA and EMBA programs have repeatedly been singled out among the best in Europe and the world.
We believe that this consistency at the forefront of our industry is grounded in IMD’s unique approach to creating “Real Learning. Real Impact”. Led by an expert and diverse faculty, we strive to be the trusted learning partner of choice for ambitious individuals and organizations worldwide. Our purpose is “Challenging what is and inspiring what could be, we develop leaders who transform organizations and contribute to society.”

To reinforce our team, we are looking for a

Donor Relations & Stewardship Officer

The Job’s Mission

The Donor Relations & Stewardship Manager is responsible for implementing an institution-wide comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program that appropriately and consistently promotes interaction with and recognition of donors at all levels to enhance their relationship with the Institution and increase the likelihood of continued contributions.

The position requires excellent collaborative skills to ensure positive cross functional working with all development and alumni relations staff, faculty and other partners across the Institution. They must have the ability to oversee donor stewardship activities and events, and draft written materials to aid in the institution’s efforts to educate, cultivate, and recognize donors. This position, an integral part of IMD’s advancement efforts, offers the opportunity to apply creative and critical thinking skills in a wide range of communications and stewardship projects that connect the Institution with its current and prospective benefactors.

Key Activities & Accountabilities

• Follow and promote the ethical guidelines set forth in the CASE Donor Bill of Rights, and the CASE Ethics Guidelines. Stay abreast of privacy issues as they relate to Donor Relations.
• Successfully develop and implement an effective and comprehensive donor relations program to support the efforts of the IMD´s Development and Alumni Relations team, consisting of donor communications, recognition, and stewardship, including a donor recognition circle and events for donors or prospects in conjunction with significant fundraising initiatives.
• Create innovative programs and projects to thank and steward donors. Ensure the external annual reporting to donors on endowments and other funds; coordinate this with other Development and Alumni Relations colleagues to ensure best practices and high standards across IMD.
• Successfully work with colleagues to develop and implement strategic engagement and stewardship communications for donors through multiple media, including the Donor Recognition Circle , donor newsletters, invitations, and case materials.
• Oversee the donor acknowledgement process and prepare other correspondence for the Chief Officer, President, and Board members and faculty, among others.
• Prepare custom impact reports for key donors and volunteer leadership and write impact stories for stewardship and marketing collateral.
• Oversees all donor relations and stewardship activities for key donors and volunteer leadership including tracking in the donor database and to ensure that all are meaningfully stewarded at least once annually, if not more frequently.
• Regularly evaluate donor relations and stewardship activities and prepare consistent and accurate reports for leadership on same. Also, regularly monitor best practices for donor relations and stewardship activities among other non-profits and implement same.
• Successfully oversee the production of donor recognition plaques and other wall mounted recognition pieces suitable for campaign and other development initiatives and serve as the liaison with Capital Projects and Facilities on their implementation in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Develop and maintain an inventory of named spaces and buildings on campus and of named funds, including true and quasi-endowed funds and spendable funds.Plan, implement and be accountable for fundraising programs for assigned area of responsibility
• The appointee will also be expected to carry out such other duties as required from time to time by the Chief Officer for Development and Alumni Relations.

Education & Exeprience

• 3+ years related experience
• Bachelor’s Degree or higher
• Understanding of, and passion for, the role and value of Higher Education in society.

Competencies

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field is required along with minimum three years of successful experience in development, stewardship, events planning, or a related field such as customer relations.

• Outstanding written and oral communication skills in English (preferably English mother tongue). Any other language a plus.
• To successfully perform the functions of this position, computer proficiency is essential, especially in Word and Excel for letter mail merges, complex spreadsheets, Power Point and web-based applications.
• Experience and fluency with CRMs and database management, preferably with Salesforce: Advancement Platform.
• Requires demonstrated ability to think and plan strategically in order to successfully accomplish goals and objectives.
• Must also demonstrate ability to write effectively for a variety of purposes, including stewardship reports, acknowledgments, thank-you letters, and persuasive writing.
• Ability to exercise good judgment, to demonstrate an understanding of ethics related to development activities, and to use discretion in interactions with donors, prospects, volunteers, and others.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and experience in managing events and other complex activities in support of development objectives.
• Ability to foster effective working relationships within a team environment.
• Community relations skills and the ability to communicate and work effectively within a diverse community.
• Program planning and leadership skills.

How to apply

If you have the above skills and would like to work in our stimulating environment, please send your complete application file (letter of motivation and resume in English, copies of your work certificates and diplomas).

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability (such as dyslexia, sight and/or hearing disabilities, etc) and you need a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for this position, please specify it in your application.

A valid Swiss work permit or Swiss or EU-25EFTA citizenship is required for this position.