Position: Senior Manager, Donor Stewardship
Department: Development
Reports to: Chief Development Officer
Location: New York City (Hybrid)
Salary: $90,000 annually
Growth Opportunity: Pathway to Director of Stewardship
Position SummaryStudent Sponsor Partners seeks an experienced, relationship-oriented Senior Manager of Donor Stewardship to lead a best-in-class donor experience that inspires long-term engagement, retention, and increased philanthropy. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this individual will design and execute a comprehensive stewardship strategy that demonstrates the impact of every philanthropic investment. They will ensure donors receive thoughtful, timely, and personalized communications while partnering across the organization to create meaningful touchpoints that deepen relationships with SSP. This is an exciting opportunity to build and scale a stewardship program at a growing organization with ambitious fundraising goals.
Key ResponsibilitiesDonor Stewardship Strategy- Develop and implement a comprehensive stewardship program for individual, corporate, foundation, and endowment donors.
- Design differentiated stewardship experiences aligned with giving levels, donor interests, and strategic priorities.
- Continuously evaluate and enhance the donor experience to strengthen retention, loyalty, and lifetime giving.
Donor Communications & Reporting- Lead the creation and production of compelling stewardship materials, including:
- Student progress reports
- Impact reports
- Endowment reports
- Annual stewardship communications
- Customized donor updates
- Translate program outcomes into clear, engaging stories that demonstrate measurable return on philanthropic investment.
- Ensure communications are timely, accurate, personalized, and aligned with SSP's brand and messaging.
Stewardship Planning & Execution- Build and manage an annual stewardship calendar integrating communications, recognition opportunities, events, reporting deadlines, and key program milestones.
- Oversee donor acknowledgment processes and ensure all stewardship activities are completed with exceptional quality and timeliness.
- Identify opportunities for personalized outreach and meaningful engagement throughout the donor lifecycle.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Partner closely with Development, Programs, Marketing & Communications, and Events to coordinate stewardship activities and donor engagement.
- Collaborate with program staff to gather student stories, outcomes, and impact data.
- Support donor events by developing meaningful stewardship experiences before, during, and after each event.
Data & Continuous Improvement- Track stewardship activities and donor engagement metrics within the CRM.
- Analyze donor participation, retention, and engagement trends to inform future strategy.
- Develop scalable stewardship processes and documentation as SSP continues to grow.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree required.
- 5-7+ years of experience in nonprofit development, donor relations, stewardship, advancement services, or related field.
- Exceptional writing and editing skills with the ability to craft compelling donor communications.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Experience working with donor databases/CRM systems.
- Collaborative mindset with the ability to build strong relationships across departments.
- Passion for education, opportunity, and SSP's mission.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience developing stewardship programs for major gift and endowment donors.
- Experience producing donor impact reports or annual stewardship communications.
- Familiarity with scholarship, education, or youth-serving organizations.
- Experience supporting corporate and foundation stewardship.
What Success Looks LikeWithin the first year, the Senior Manager, Donor Stewardship will:
- Launch a comprehensive tiered stewardship program for SSP's donor community.
- Establish an integrated annual stewardship calendar.
- Create consistent, high-quality impact reporting across all major donor segments.
- Enhance donor communications that clearly demonstrate the outcomes and impact of philanthropic investments.
- Strengthen donor retention and engagement through personalized, meaningful stewardship experiences.
Career Growth: This position offers a clear pathway to Director of Stewardship as the development team continues to expand.
