Donor Relations Specialist

The Donor Relations Specialist reports to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) in the Office of Advancement and Sponsored Programs (OASP). This position maintains the donor database (Raiser’s Edge) for APU including daily gift entry, maintenance of constituent records, and processing of thank you acknowledgments and receipts; provides administrative and program support for events, appeals and in-kind gift solicitation of donations; supports the CAO and Office of Advancement with donor relations; coordinates donor-directed scholarships including coordinating scholarship committee meetings and communications with donors; as well as assists with scheduling of meetings, processing invoices, maintaining office supplies and overseeing mailing lists and mailings. Gift Processing & Acknowledgement • Coordinate cash, pledge, and in-kind gift processing daily to ensure timely entry of gifts into Raiser’s Edge donor database. Record and scan supporting documentation and maintain confidentiality and security of all gifts and credit card information according to procedures. • Maintain donor and gift records by accurately tracking all gift deposits, investigating discrepancies, and ensuring gifts are properly credited in coordination with the Accounting Department. • Coordinate timely recognition of all gifts by pulling Raiser’s Edge reports weekly to generate and send gift receipts and donor acknowledgement letters. • Create and maintain letter templates for acknowledgments and processing mailings. • Create summary reports and pull lists as needed. • Coordinate the set-up of campaigns, funds, appeals, events and other gift and constituent information in Raiser’s Edge. • Create and maintain constituent records in Raiser’s Edge (e.g., phone numbers, addresses, emails, biographical and professional details for donors, alumni, board of trustees, etc.) Donor Relations • Serve as the first point of contact for incoming Advancement calls and interact with donors in response to inquiries to process requests for donor and gift information. • Track and follow up on questions about funds received, ensuring every donation issue is resolved, accurately recorded, and acknowledged. • Update and maintain donor notes, actions, solicitations, and proposals in Raiser’s Edge. • Organize direct mailing process (year-end appeal and other special mailings), with list management, segmentation, and mail preparation. • Assist with coordination of reports and visual presentations. • Support donor relations by coordinating in-person, off-site, and virtual meetings, including reserving rooms, coordinating room set up, ordering, and setting up refreshments if necessary, and prepping meeting materials and presentation set up. Scholarship Coordination • Assists with the coordination of the Scholarship Committee meetings and all necessary preparation for meetings, including packet development with Advancement and Financial Aid. • Helps prepare meeting agendas and recording of meeting minutes. • Maintains updated Scholarship Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) records and the filing of scholarship recipient documents. • Assists with gathering necessary scholarship data for reporting to Scholarship donors and assists with setting up student thank you documents in Raiser’s Edge. • Helps coordinate scholarship donor and recipient events and communications. Events • Support and assist with the coordination of Advancement events – including fundraisers, donor appreciation events, and alumni events. Serve as a member of the coordinating committees and help with preparation, setup, hosting, and tear-down. • Directly oversee guest management by coordinating guest lists, coordination of invitations, RSVPS, nametags, guest and sponsor recognition. • Help coordinate preparation of marketing and communications materials. Office Support • Order and maintain office supplies, postage, postal accounts, and general inventory and related supplies. Coordinates purchasing and receipt of office supplies via university credit card. • Helps process vendor agreements for events by coordinating approval of documents, receipt of estimates and invoices, and processing check requests or credit card payments. • Coordinates travel arrangements and expense reporting for CAO. • Maintains department record-keeping systems, performing general filing and file retrieval. • Helps prepare department publications, promotional materials, and reports by coordinating internal reviews and approvals before coordinating printing through Marketing or directly with external printing companies. • Promotes a positive image of APU and Office of Advancement and Sponsored Programs and follows professional standards for oral and written communications. • Acts as a liaison between OASP and other departments and external organizations. KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS • Database management experience. • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Microsoft Teams. • Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills. • Excellent ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and a variety of demands. • Initiative and independence in carrying out responsibilities. • Commitment to maintain confidentiality and a high degree of accuracy in donor records. • Desire to collaborate with others and ability to work as a team member. • Ability to work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and promote a positive work environment. • Ability to communicate effectively and relate well to students, faculty, staff, and others while maintaining appropriate confidentiality. • Possess a professional demeanor with staff, board members, constituents, and donors. • Skill in establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with others. • Knowledge of privacy laws and regulations. • Skill in interacting with others on a professional level. • Knowledge of basic purchasing processes. MINIMUM EDUCATION QUALIFICATION Two years’ college coursework and three years progressively responsible experience related to the program specialty, or an equivalent combination of training and experience. MINIMUM EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATION Non-Supervisory: Two (2) years of related administrative experience in an academic or professional setting. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS Ability to obtain an Alaska driver’s license and maintain a safe driving record. APPLY ONLINE: https://www.alaskapacific.edu/career/donor-relations-specialist/