Donor Engagement Officer/Senior Donor Engagement Officer

Posting Details

Dickinson College is a premier four-year residential liberal arts institution chartered in 1783 and widely recognized as a leader in global and sustainability education. Dickinson College is located in Carlisle, named a “most livable city” by Forbes and is minutes from the state capital of Harrisburg. The campus is connected to a vibrant downtown that offers eclectic dining, shopping and entertainment options. Within a two-hour drive are Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; New York City is three hours away.

Dickinson College offers full-time employees a broad range of benefits, including a comprehensive medical insurance plan, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, generous time off, parental leave, homebuyer assistance, and tuition benefits for eligible employees and dependent children under the age of 24. Upon eligibility, the College contributes 8% of an employee’s base salary to a retirement account with an additional .5% matching contribution; all money paid by the college into the employee’s retirement plan is immediately and fully vested in the employee.

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Position Department

Advancement - Donor Engagement

Job Summary/Basic Function

Position Summary

The Donor Engagement Officer (DEO) is a highly organized and self-driven member of the Donor Engagement (DE) team within the Division of College Advancement, which oversees Dickinson’s fundraising and alumni and parent engagement programs.

Reporting to the Director of Donor Engagement, this position serves as a key partner to the Principal and Individual Giving teams, managing and executing meaningful curated engagement experiences for Dickinson’s highest rated donors that are both rewarding for the donor and beneficial to the college.

The DEO serves as the project manager for all identified strategic donor engagement opportunities – both on campus and virtual– coordinating logistics, partnering with faculty and staff across campus, ensuring consistent communication and exceptional execution from concept to completion. The DEO is primarily responsible for coordinating 40-60 high impact engagement (HIE) programs for donors. The DEO also collaborates with the donor engagement team to execute the work of this office including cultivation and stewardship activities like proposal development, gift impact reporting, individualized stewardship plans, special events, donor recognition programs, and other duties as assigned.

The DEO partners with multiple campus offices including the Office of the President, academic affairs, global studies, campus life, athletics and external vendors who support Dickinson’s donor engagement program. This position involves regular engagement with Dickinson’s major donors, trustees, faculty, students, staff, and the college’s community of alumni, parents, and friends.

Evidence of strong project management skills is essential. The successful candidate will also possess exceptional relationship-building abilities and the initiative to collaborate across campus to identify engagement opportunities aligned with donor interest. This individual will become deeply knowledgeable about campus programs and serve as a trusted resource to the Individual Giving team, helping translate fundraising strategies into meaningful donor experiences.

Essential Functions

• High Impact Engagement: Serve as project manager to plan and execute high impact engagement programs in collaboration with relationship managers and campus partners with a focus on customized campus visits and virtual visits for top donors and prospects. Manage all tasks related to the creation and execution of multiple finely detailed programs simultaneously (approximately 5-10 programs at any one time) while ensuring exceptional attention to detail. Develop project timelines, coordinate internal stakeholders, manage logistics, pre-program preparation and day-of execution, monitor expenses, and oversee post-engagement assessment. This involves working regularly with major gift fundraisers and colleagues throughout the Division of College Advancement and across campus. Maintain standards of excellence in donor service while ensuring a seamless experience for all participants.
• Principal Gift and Major Gift Donor Strategies: Support work of the individual giving team by becoming deeply knowledgeable about campus activities. Develop and maintain strong relationships with faculty, administrators, and staff across campus and build a comprehensive understanding of college priorities, academic programs, student initiatives, faculty expertise, and institutional activities. Attend campus events, presentations, and programs to remain informed about current initiatives and engagement opportunities. Identify and cultivate a network of campus contacts who can support donor engagement efforts.
• Donor Recognition Society Engagement and Special Events: The DEO supports special events and communications to engage and recognize donors who are members of the college’s giving societies, namely John Dickinson Society, Mermaid Society, Old West Society and Founders’ Society.
• Proposal Development and Impact Reporting: Work with the DE team, divisional and campus partners annually to create approximately personalized donor endowment and current use gift impact reports using an online report platform. Support senior team leaders in the development of fundraising proposals for principal and major gift donors. This includes collaboration with cross-campus partners and consultants.
• Project Management and Operational Excellence: Develop and implement processes and procedures that improve efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness. Utilize project management tools and systems to monitor progress and manage deliverables. Maintain timelines, communications, and project documentation.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Expectation to staff major all-college event weekends such as Homecoming and Family Weekend, Commencement, and Alumni Weekend.
• Other duties as determined or assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Not responsible for supervising others

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Valid driver's license for the operation of a company-owned, rented or leased vehicle.

Minimum Work Experience

• 1-3 years (Donor Engagement Officer)
• 3-5 years (Senior Donor Engagement Officer)

Independence of Action

• Results are defined; incumbent sets own goals and determines how to accomplish results with few or no guidelines to follow, although precedents may exist; supervisor/manager provides broad guidance and overall direction.

Physical/Environmental Demands

• Office environment
• No specific or unusual physical demands.

EEO/Diversity Statement:    

The College is committed to building a representative and diverse faculty, staff, and student body. We encourage applications from all qualified persons.