Job Duties / Qualifications, Skills and Abilities(QSA)
Job Duties Job Duties
Advancement , Sask Polytechnic is hiring a new and exciting Manager Stewardship position who will strategically work towards the $ million “Time to Rise” capital campaign to support the creation of a new Saskatoon Campus!
The Manager, Stewardship is a new exciting position that addresses the need for strategic donor stewardship and recognition focusing on long-term donor relationships for the institution through comprehensive engagement, stewardship, and recognition programs. In this role, you will manage donor services throughout the entire lifecycle of a gift, ensure stewardship across all levels of giving, develop and implement a donor recognition system, and facilitate programs and protocols following best practices that acknowledge, celebrate, and communicate the impact of a donors’ philanthropic contributions.
Reporting to the Director, Alumni and Donor Engagement, as the primary contact for donor recognition, communications, marketing, annual giving, and reporting, you will oversee a team managing donor relations, communications, and annual giving initiatives with multiple priorities, and ensure successful outcomes through strategic relationship management, negotiation, and influence. In addition to promoting and creating a donor-centric culture across the institution, you will also build key partnerships and foster collaboration among all members of the Sask Polytech community involved in donor stewardship and external partners to nurture relationships and encourage future continuous long-term giving.
Key responsibilities include :
- Lead initiatives and protocols that effectively acknowledge, celebrate, and communicate donor contributions, highlighting their positive impact and successful outcomes.
- Oversee financial management, including comprehensive budget planning and resource allocation.
- Drive strategic business planning, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and accountability for deliverables.
- Identify emerging trends and opportunities in alumni and donor engagement, fostering innovation and growth.
- Design and implement stewardship programs that align with both existing and new policies, ensuring meaningful donor relationships.
- Develop and execute strategies for effective donor stewardship, communications, and marketing, and annual giving inspiring confidence through impactful communication, education, and success storytelling.
- Establish and manage a comprehensive donor recognition system to honour philanthropic investments.
- Provide leadership in people management, ensuring staff performance meets expectations while adhering to HR best practices and collective bargaining agreements (CBA).
- Monitor and oversee donor-related processes, including recognition programs, impact reporting, gift announcements, and adherence to accountability measures such as gift agreements, fund utilization tracking, pledge reminders, and compliance with naming and gift acceptance policies.
In this role, you will provide direct support to a portfolio of high-impact donors requiring tailored stewardship strategies. Operating in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and tight deadlines, you will demonstrate exceptional judgment and strategic thinking. You will advise the Director and other Advancement leaders on compliance matters, handle sensitive information with discretion, and implement effective stewardship practices. Drawing on your strong background in fundraising and best practices, you will customize approaches to meet each donor’s unique needs, optimize stewardship resources, leverage data-driven insights to measure donor contributions and uphold legal and ethical fundraising standards. Additionally, you will establish accountability frameworks to track and report on stewardship initiatives.
Collaboratively, you will work with senior leadership, the Senior Management Assembly (SMA), Deans, Associate Vice Presidents (AVPs), Associate Deans, and Directors to guide and execute ongoing projects and initiatives, ensuring transparency in sharing progress and results. Partnering with Marketing and Communications, you will enhance donor engagement and support annual giving campaigns to boost awareness, interest, and promotional efforts.
As part of the Advancement team, and under the leadership of the Director, Alumni and Donor Engagement, your ultimate goal will be to build a connected community of stakeholders—alumni, donors, volunteers, faculty, staff, students, and friends. By employing strategies that foster lasting relationships, you will help drive advocacy and philanthropic support for Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
If this exciting opportunity aligns with your passion and skills, we encourage you to apply and join our team!
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND EXPERIENCE Specific Accountabilities Leadership
Drive the development and implementation of a comprehensive donor stewardship program, fostering a culture of philanthropy across the organization.Formulate and execute strategies to nurture long-term donor relationships and create meaningful engagement opportunities.Provide strategic direction, oversight, and support for donor programs and stewardship initiatives, ensuring excellence in execution.Oversee planning and execution of donor-centric communications, impact reporting, and other stewardship functions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.Lead the creation of innovative tools, concepts, and training programs to enhance the capabilities of fundraising staff.Promote the importance of giving, cultivating a shared commitment to philanthropy within the organization.Budget effectively and allocate resources strategically to prioritize stewardship projects and initiatives, ensuring fiscal responsibility.Identify potential risks to stewardship initiatives and implement strategies to mitigate them.Develop, update, and enforce policies and procedures that enhance stewardship practices and maintain compliance.Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for stewardship activities and projects, ensuring measurable success.Identify process improvements and implement changes to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of stewardship activities.Oversee database management, ensuring accurate records, data integrity, and comprehensive tracking of donor interactions.Align marketing and communications efforts with institutional goals to maximize donor and alumni engagement.Ensure brand consistency across all donor and alumni campaigns, enhancing recognition and trust.Oversee the development of impactful content for donor communications, fundraising campaigns, and alumni relations.People Management
Recruit, select, train, develop and motivate employees through hr policies and practices, and CBA.Address people management issues, including discipline (up to and including termination).Ensure staff develop clear performance objectives. Monitor performance objectives and work to overcome barriers.Ensure a positive, diverse, and inclusive work and learning environment.Develop plan(s) for project and program identify staffing levels, knowledge, skills, and abilities.Contribute to development of cross team synergies and interaction ensuring continuous services.Stewardship Management
Lead the cultivation of a philanthropic environment that prioritizes meaningful relationships with donors and alumni, fostering lasting connections.Oversee the design and implementation of tailored stewardship programs that address the unique needs and interests of donors and alumni.Provide strategic leadership in developing customized stewardship plans, ensuring diligent monitoring, tracking, and transparent progress reporting.Cultivate and maintain strong, enduring relationships with donors, alumni, corporations, and foundations, positioning the organization as a trusted partner in philanthropy.Partner with internal stakeholders to establish and uphold best practices for gift processing, receipting, and donor recognition, ensuring excellence in donor relations.Manage and enhance information tracking systems and oversee the planning and execution of alumni events, programs, and initiatives that foster community and connection.Leverage diverse communication platforms—including social media, newsletters, email campaigns, and publications—to engage donors and share impactful stories.Implement comprehensive recognition programs that celebrate contributions across all levels of giving, reinforcing donor value and commitment.Oversee the preparation of compelling donor reports and impact statements, showcasing the transformative effects of philanthropic contributions.Utilize donor database systems to track interactions, analyze giving trends, and inform strategic decisions for donor cultivation and solicitation.Develop and execute personalized outreach and engagement initiatives, incorporating feedback from surveys and focus groups to continuously improve donor experiences and stewardship efforts.Resource Allocation and Management
Manage the annual budget for stewardship activities, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.Establish clear guidelines for sharing confidential information with external stakeholders.Oversee the identification and engagement of external vendors, consultants, and service providers.Manage vendor relationships and ensure quality and cost-effectiveness service delivery.Monitor KPIs regularly reporting on progress, challenges, and recommendations for improvement.Develop solutions to resource challenges in alignment with the institute’s strategic goals.Relationship Management
Internal :
Foster working relationships with colleagues ensuring alignment of stewardship activities with donor cultivation and solicitation efforts.Lead and collaborate on the development of stewardship strategies for major donors, planned giving prospects, and other donor segments to enhance donor engagement and retention.Oversee stewardship activities involving students, to demonstrate the impact of philanthropy on student success.Provide updates and reports on stewardship activities, accomplishments, and challenges.Collaborate stewardship strategies that advance objectives enhance reputation and visibility.Collaborate with Communications and Marketing oversee development of stewardship materials, such as donor impact reports, recognition materials, and multimedia presentations, communicating the value of philanthropic support.E xternal :
Encompass individuals, corporations, foundations, and funding partners, to facilitate philanthropic support.Bolster donor loyalty through personalized communication, stewardship activities, and donor recognition initiatives.Enhance awareness and foster positive relationships with community stakeholders & organizations.Establish personalized communication channels to express gratitude, provide updates and support.Risk Assessment and Management
Identify potential risks and vulnerabilities related to stewardship activities, including financial, operational, legal, reputational, and strategic risks.Monitor regulatory requirements, legal standards, and industry best practices relevant to stewardship activities ensuring compliance and mitigating regulatory risk.Identify operational risks related to stewardship processes, systems, and infrastructure, such as data security breaches, technology failures, and staffing shortages.Assess reputational risks arising from stewardship activities, including public relations issues, donor relations challenges, and negative media exposure.Implement communication strategies, crisis management plans, and stakeholder engagement initiatives to protect Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s reputation and mitigate reputational risks.Duties Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities (QSA) Required Qualifications and Experience
A bachelor’s degree in a related field and a minimum of five years of experience in stewardship, fundraising, donor communications or a related field. Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation will be considered an asset.
Values equity, diversity, inclusion, equity and Indigenous reconciliation (EDIIR)Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of fundraising activities, donor motivations, and donor stewardship practices, donor accountability, and familiarity with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Code of Ethics and Four Pillars of Donor Relations.Management experience, and ability to lead, and motivate staff.Strategically develop and implement donor stewardship programs and activities.Excellent verbal and written communication skills.Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively and as a team player.Ability to plan, manage, and monitor multiple projects simultaneously working within time constraints.Competent problem solving and navigating a complex work environment.Financial reporting specifically relevant to fund reporting and gift impact reports.Strong organizational skills with a demonstrated data and systems approach.Demonstrated ability to compile and interpret data from a variety of sources, analyze, monitor, and communicate impact, emerging trends, and issues.Desired QSA Required Competencies Required Competencies
Leads Transformation :
Anticipates emerging trends and creates opportunities that shape and transform the organization and polytechnic sector in Canada.
Inspires Courage & Innovation :
Models and enables creative thinking, curiosity, and calculated risk taking to create new solutions.
Cultivates Strong Relationships :
Builds strong and trusting relationships and brings a stakeholder and learner-centric mind set and focus to all elements of the organization.
Drives Operational Excellence :
Leverages business insight, financial acumen, and operational rigor to maximize productivity and build long-term, sustainable success.
Builds Leadership & Culture :
Brings authenticity, emotional intelligence, and accountability to develop leadership effectiveness in individuals, teams, and our culture.
