Stewardship and Impact Manager

About North Park
Founded in 1891, North Park University is a Christian university affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church of over 3,200 students from around the country and the world. Located for over 130 years on the land of the Miami and Potawatomi tribes in what is today Chicago’s northside, NPU is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution and is committed to serving diverse populations. Elevating North Park University’s core distinctives of Christian, city-centered, and intercultural, NPU values diversity among its Faculty and is committed to building a racially and culturally diverse intellectual community, and strongly encourages the nomination and candidacies of persons who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color regardless of gender.

North Park University is located in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, one of the most ethnically diverse zip codes in the United States. It is nine miles from downtown Chicago. The North Park campus has often been referred to as an oasis in the heart of the city – a place where students from urban, rural, and suburban backgrounds alike can call home. And all of this within the major metropolitan backdrop of Chicago: one of the world’s largest and most diversified economies, renowned for its museums and music, and voted best large city in the U.S. for four years in a row by Condé Nast Traveler.

Mission

The mission of North Park University is to prepare students for lives of significance and service through education in the liberal arts, professional studies, and theology.

Vision

Building on our core institutional identity—Christian, city-centered, intercultural—our vision is to create a university of uncommon character and enduring excellence, where faith, learning, and service meet.

Position Summary

Working closely with the Senior Director of Engagement and the Events and Communications Manager, the Stewardship and Impact Manager will design and lead a comprehensive donor stewardship program. This role is dedicated to refining the donor and alumni experience, fostering an environment of warmth, gratitude, and genuine connection. A major part of this role will include overseeing the endowed scholarships lifecycle as well as University giving societies. Success in this role will lead to increased donor retention, elevated recognition, and the seamless alignment of stewardship efforts with institutional strategic priorities and campaign goals.

Duties and Responsibilities

Donor Stewardship & Endowed Scholarships

• Strategic Recognition: Implement a comprehensive stewardship plan that prioritizes customized and transparent donor recognition and giving societies.
• Scholarship Management: Direct the stewardship of scholarship donors by coordinating with student recipients, Admissions, the Business Office, and Financial Aid. Manage student-donor relations, endowment reports, and Memoranda of Agreement (MOA). Maximize students where possible in donor stewardship.
• Giving Societies: Strengthen and manage Giving Society engagement by defining clear criteria, recognition benefits, and communication pathways. Ensure donors understand their impact and progression opportunities, and collaborate with Advancement colleagues to deliver consistent, meaningful touchpoints throughout the year.
• Impact Reporting: Develop annual donor impact reports highlighting student outcomes and fund utilization. Identify gaps in reporting and implement data-driven solutions to improve accuracy and efficiency.
• Creative Gratitude: Execute personalized acknowledgment strategies, utilizing video software and other digital tools to express timely thanks to alumni and donors.

Alumni & Donor Pipeline Development

• Crowdfunding Support: Assist in the cultivation and stewardship of prospects for campus-partner crowdfunding initiatives.
• Blue & Gold Day: Support Annual Giving Manager to lead the donor engagement aspect of this signature peer-to-peer campaign. Focus on innovative fundraising strategies to drive record-breaking participation and manage post-campaign follow-up.
• Specialized Communications: Work with the Events and Communications Manager to ensure there are targeted and customized communications to specific donor groups on a regular cadence.

Specialized Stakeholder Groups

• Leadership Societies: Support the President’s Club and Heritage Circle through vetting, tiered benefit planning, marketing, and exclusive events.
• Inclusive Engagement: Develop targeted strategies to recognize and appreciate alumni and donor groups who have been historically underrepresented or less recognized.
• Advocacy Programs: Develop an alumni ambassador program to strengthen the community and gather actionable feedback.
• Maximize Existing Events: Work with Advancement Operations to ensure strategic segmentation of invitations especially for Homecoming, Festival of Lessons and Carols to invite specialized constituent groups. Work with Events and Community Engagement Manager to ensure all event details are executed.
• Student Leadership Integration: Collaborate with the engagement team to involve student leaders in stewardship goals, helping them develop professional skills while connecting them with the alumni community. Cultivate a culture of philanthropy among current students as they prepare to move into being alumni.

Data, Budget, & Analytics

• Financial Oversight: Manage the stewardship budget in collaboration with the Advancement Operations Manager ensuring strategic resource allocation.
• Performance Metrics: Utilize Raiser’s Edge to track engagement and generate reports. Use data analytics and surveys to measure the success of engagement initiatives and identify high-potential donor leads

The salary range for this position is $53,000 - $65,000 depending on experience.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required.

• 1 – 3 years of relevant experience in fundraising, donor relations, or program management.
• High computer literacy in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT and Microsoft 365. Some experience with Canva helpful but not required.
• Proven ability to develop and execute complex strategies.
• Strong interpersonal and project management skills with the ability to meet deadlines in a dynamic environment.
• Experience managing budgets and vendor relationships.
• A deep personal commitment to North Park’s mission of Christian higher education and its identity as an intercultural, urban institution.
• A self-motivated work style with the ability to navigate ambiguity and prioritize effectively

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Prescription Coverage
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefit
• Retirement Plan (403b)
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Personal Days, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Parental Leave
• Training & Development
• Tuition Remission
• Helwig Recreation Center