Donor Relations Officer

Inspire generosity. Build relationships. Tell the story of impact.

Brandeis University—a leading private research university known for academic excellence, bold thinking, and a strong commitment to social justice—is seeking a creative, detail-oriented Donor Relations Officer to join our dynamic Institutional Advancement team.

In this highly collaborative role, you will help shape the donor experience by creating meaningful connections between donors and the impact of their giving. You will assist in identifying donor engagement opportunities for major gift prospects of the University and work with gift officers to develop long-term stewardship plans that appeal to donors' interests and support the University’s funding priorities. You will also manage the process of reporting on programs from across the university, working closely with program representatives to disseminate the most relevant information.

This is more than a writing role—it is an opportunity to serve as a strategic partner, a relationship builder, and a storyteller. You will work closely with university leadership, gift officers, students, and faculty to elevate donor communications, design stewardship reports, and coordinate key recognition efforts that celebrate generosity and deepen engagement.

What You Will Do:

• Write gift acknowledgements and other correspondence primarily for the President and for the Sr. VP for Institutional Advancement. 25%
• Create and implement engagement plans for a portfolio of major gift donors, top university prospects, or top campaign prospects, partnering with the gift officer who maintains the personal relationship with the donor to ensure the donor is well-informed and kept in regular contact with leadership. 20%
• Support the Donor Relations staff in the creation of student profiles for the annual stewardship report on scholarships and fellowships, meets with scholarship students to inform them about their award and prepare them for donor meetings, and helps implement recognition events. 15%
• Manage the stewardship reporting process for programs across the University, keeping donors to individual programs apprised of how their gifts are used and make an impact. Maintaining communication with programs, schools, and centers to organize current processes. Includes in-person, on-campus interviews with faculty and staff. 25%
• Maintain a portfolio and strong working knowledge of major donors and keeps updated on programs, initiatives, news items, and activities related to students and faculty at the University. Assists with other projects as determined by the Executive Director of Donor Relations. 10%
• Oversee management of student and faculty prize awards on behalf of Institutional Advancement. 5%

About You:

• You are a strong communicator—skilled at writing, storytelling, and translating complex information into engaging narratives.
• You have a bachelor’s degree and 3–5 years of experience in donor relations, development, communications, or related work.
• You are highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality and confidentiality.
• You love working with people and building relationships across departments in a professional and collaborative way.
• You are comfortable using tools like Microsoft Excel (sorting, filtering, mail merges) and eager to learn new systems. Experience working in a donor database such as Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge NXT, Blackbaud CRM, etc., is a plus.

Additional Position Information:

Must be able and willing to work occasional evenings and weekends, staffing events, with an attitude of doing what it takes to get the job done.

Why Brandeis?
Brandeis offers a vibrant and mission-driven work environment, the chance to be part of a close-knit and passionate team, and a hybrid work schedule (3 days on campus, 2 days remote) that supports work-life balance.

Join us in celebrating generosity, fostering connection, and helping donors see the powerful impact of their support.

Apply Today.

Help shape the future of donor engagement at one of the nation's premier research universities.

Equal Opportunity Statement