Edtech.com's Summary

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is hiring an Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship for the UT Knoxville Tickle College of Engineering. This role manages and executes strategies for annual giving, digital fundraising, and donor stewardship to grow and retain the college's donor base and enhance philanthropic engagement.

Highlights

Coordinates gift acknowledgment, student thank-you letters, and donor impact reporting to strengthen donor relationships.
Leads annual giving campaigns, giving days, and digital fundraising initiatives to increase donor participation and retention.
Develops and implements stewardship strategies for non-endowed funds and manages donor engagement projects.
Collaborates with college departments and UTFI partners to improve stewardship processes and donor experiences.
Analyzes fundraising data to identify trends, growth opportunities, and presents reports to advancement leadership.
Requires a bachelor's degree and at least 3 years of relevant experience in fundraising, donor relations, or related fields.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to learn CRM and digital fundraising platforms.
Valid driver’s license required due to travel responsibilities.
Preferred qualifications include knowledge of higher education advancement and experience in multi-channel digital fundraising campaigns.
Benefits include paid leave, flexible work arrangements, education benefits, retirement plans, comprehensive insurance, and employee discounts.

Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship Full Description

Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship, TCE

Knoxville, TN, United States

Job Description
The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. (UTFI) invites applications and nominations to fill the position of Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship for the UT Knoxville Tickle College of Engineering (TCE). Reporting to the Senior Director of Advancement Operations and Donor Experience, the Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship is responsible for coordinating and executing annual giving, digital fundraising, and donor stewardship strategies designed to grow and retain TCE’s donor base and strengthen philanthropic engagement.

The purpose of this position is to strengthen donor engagement and build long-term philanthropic relationships through annual giving, digital fundraising, and meaningful stewardship strategies. This role will lead key donor stewardship efforts, including gift acknowledgments, student thank-you communications, donor impact reporting, and donor engagement initiatives, while also coordinating annual appeals, giving days, digital fundraising campaigns, and college- and department-specific fundraising projects.

Responsibilities
Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Manages and executes TCE’s gift acknowledgment process, ensuring donors receive timely, accurate, and meaningful recognition, including personalized communications on behalf of college leadership (weekly & monthly).
Oversees the college’s student thank-you letter process, coordinating with scholarship recipients and campus partners to manage communications, timelines, review, and distribution to donors.
Develops ad-hoc donor impact reports, stewardship communications, and other donor-facing materials that demonstrate the impact of philanthropy on TCE students, faculty, programs, departments, and priorities.
Identifies, develops, and executes meaningful stewardship strategies for donors supporting TCE non-endowed funds and accounts.
Coordinates additional college-wide and department-specific stewardship projects, recognition efforts, and donor engagement initiatives as needs and opportunities arise.
Supports the coordination of donor-scholarship recipient lunches, meetings, and other engagement opportunities.
Collaborates with TCE Advancement, college departments, and central UTFI partners to strengthen and improve stewardship processes, consistency, and the overall donor experience.
Coordinates and executes TCE’s annual giving program, including annual appeals, giving days (Big Orange Give, Big Orange Family Campaign, etc.), targeted campaigns, and other broad-based fundraising initiatives designed to increase donor participation, retention, and philanthropic support.
Develops and implements TCE’s digital fundraising strategy, identifying new and innovative opportunities to engage donors and prospects through digital channels, targeted outreach, and emerging fundraising tools.
Partners with TCE Communications and central UTFI colleagues to execute digital campaigns, evaluate performance, and continually refine strategies to grow donor engagement and giving.
Leads strategies to grow the College Fund for Tickle College, monitoring activity, analyzing year-over-year performance and giving trends, identifying opportunities for growth, and developing and presenting monthly reports and recommendations to TCE Advancement leadership and development officers.
Partners with TCE departments and development officers to coordinate department-specific annual giving campaigns, digital fundraising initiatives, and special fundraising projects aligned with departmental and college priorities.
Manages project timelines, responsibilities, and deliverables across multiple stakeholders to ensure annual giving, digital fundraising, and special projects are executed effectively and on schedule.

Qualifications
The candidate who fills the Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship position is required to have:

Bachelor’s degree.
3 or more years of progressively responsible experience in annual giving, fundraising, donor relations/stewardship, digital fundraising, marketing/communications, higher education advancement, nonprofit development, or a related field.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to create effective donor communications and collaborate with multiple partners.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines with strong attention to detail.
Ability to develop creative annual giving, digital fundraising, and donor engagement strategies that increase participation and retention.
Ability to analyze fundraising data, identify trends and opportunities, and communicate results and recommendations.
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn CRM and digital fundraising platforms.

A valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record is required due to travel responsibilities of the position. UTFI reserves the right to consider all appropriate circumstances. In general, any significant driving offense less than 12 months old will eliminate the application from consideration for the position.

Note: Candidates holding a graduate degree must have at least one year of experience.

Preferred Education and Experience

In addition to meeting the required qualifications, the preferred candidate will have:

Bachelor’s degree.
Knowledge of higher education advancement, annual giving, and donor stewardship practices.
Experience with digital fundraising, multi-channel campaigns, and donor communications.
Experience developing donor acknowledgment, recognition, and impact-reporting initiatives.

Application Process: Applications must include a completed candidate profile, cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without explicit permission of the candidate.

When determining minimum qualifications, only information entered into the candidate profile can be considered. Please ensure your candidate profile is completed in its entirety as it relates to qualifying education/work experience.

Questions about the search may be directed to [email protected].

Target Start Date: Fall 2026

Benefits: The Foundation’s greatest asset is our team. Foundation employees are eligible for a comprehensive suite of benefits that includes:

Generous paid leave, accruing up to 24 days of vacation and 12 days of sick leave annually, plus 14 paid holidays and administrative closing days
Flexible work arrangements, offering a hybrid schedule to most team members
Education benefits for employees and their dependents at UT System campuses
Retirement and deferred compensation plans, including 401(k), 403(b), etc.
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans
Employee discounts to attractions, services, and goods

_________

The Foundation: The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that serves as the preferred channel for private contributions benefiting students and faculty within the UT System. With a vision of being one of the top-performing advancement organizations in higher education, UTFI is committed to enhancing the educational landscape across the University of Tennessee campuses.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been advancing knowledge and enriching lives since its founding in 1794. Tennessee’s flagship public research university, UT Knoxville is a diverse community whose shared commitment to discovery, creativity, and education combines with a tradition of service and engagement to carry the Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. UT’s campus—home to more than 36,000 students and 9,000 faculty and staff members—is part of the vibrant city of Knoxville, located on the Tennessee River with the Great Smoky Mountains nearby.

The UT System: The University of Tennessee System is comprised of campuses at Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and the Health Science Center at Memphis; the Institute of Agriculture; and the Institute for Public Service.

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.

Job Info

Job Identification
10057
Job Category
Advancement
Posting Date
09/22/2026, 09:42 PM
Job Schedule
Full time
Locations
823 Neyland Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, US

EEO/AA STATEMENT / NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The University of Tennessee is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution in the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.

Inquiries and charges of violation of Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 (disability), ADA (disability), ADEA (age), sexual orientation, or veteran status should be directed to the (EEO). Requests for accommodation of a disability should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the EEO office.

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