Assistant Director, Law School Donor Relations (Senior Stewardship Coordinator)

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Be You.

The Duke University School of Law is seeking an experienced Assistant Director of Law Donor Relations to join the Alumni and Development Office. In this highly collaborative role, you will help strengthen relationships with alumni, donors, and friends of the Law School by creating meaningful stewardship experiences that recognize philanthropic support and demonstrate its impact on students, faculty, programs, and strategic priorities. This position reports to the Assistant Dean for Alumni and Development and serves as a key partner in advancing the School's donor engagement and stewardship efforts.

As a strong writer, thoughtful strategist, and relationship builder, you will develop and implement donor stewardship initiatives that communicate gratitude, celebrate donor generosity, and highlight the outcomes made possible through philanthropic investments. Your work will include creating personalized donor communications, managing scholarship and professorship stewardship programs, coordinating recognition events, and partnering with advancement colleagues across Duke to ensure a positive and impactful donor experience.

This role offers the opportunity to collaborate with development professionals, faculty, students, and senior leadership while helping the Law School cultivate a culture of donor engagement and appreciation.

Minimum Requirements

• Work requires communications, analytical, and organizational skills normally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.
• Two years of experience in fundraising, alumni affairs, public relations, student activities, program administration, or a related field.
• Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with the ability to tailor communications to diverse donor audiences.
• Experience developing and implementing donor relations, stewardship, alumni engagement, or fundraising initiatives.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive donor information with discretion and professionalism.
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills with the ability to build collaborative partnerships.
• Experience preparing impact reports, donor communications, acknowledgments, or stewardship materials.
• Experience working with fundraising and donor database systems, including Duke's DADD and Enquire or similar advancement platforms.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and developing effective stewardship practices.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends to support events and donor engagement activities.

Other Requirements

• Ability to attend donor events, alumni programs, scholarship celebrations, commencement activities, board meetings, and other Law School events as needed.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Experience maintaining confidential donor and university information.

Be Bold.

In this role, you will:

• Design and implement a comprehensive donor stewardship strategy that strengthens engagement with the Law School's philanthropic supporters and aligns with the Dean's strategic priorities.
• Develop meaningful donor recognition experiences through impact reports, recognition events, donor publications, campus visits, special gifts, and other stewardship initiatives designed to demonstrate donor impact and encourage continued investment.
• Manage the Law School's lifetime giving societies, including recognition activities for milestone achievements and collaboration with development officers to support donor engagement opportunities.
• Partner with Regional Directors, Annual Giving, and university advancement colleagues to create customized stewardship plans for key donors while ensuring coordinated and efficient donor engagement efforts.
• Oversee scholarship and fellowship stewardship programs, serving as the primary liaison for scholarship selection and pairing processes, facilitating donor and student communications, coordinating introductions, and producing stewardship reports.
• Lead named professorship stewardship efforts by tracking professorships and recipients, coordinating donor and faculty engagement, preparing impact reports, and supporting recognition events and celebrations.
• Write, design, and produce gift acknowledgment communications, including personalized correspondence for leadership-level donors, while maximizing timeliness and efficiency.
• Conduct donor research and gather strategic information to create thoughtful, customized acknowledgment letters and stewardship messages that recognize donor generosity and strengthen relationships.
• Develop campaign-specific donor recognition strategies and support special stewardship initiatives that align with fundraising priorities and campaign objectives.
• Document and improve stewardship processes, including impact reporting, acknowledgment communications, scholarship notifications, and donor recognition workflows to ensure consistency and effectiveness.
• Represent the Law School in university-wide donor relations and stewardship communities, sharing best practices and contributing to collaborative advancement initiatives.
• Participate in major Law School events, including Board meetings, Alumni Reunion Weekend, Commencement, scholarship celebrations, fellowship
• events, and other donor-focused programs.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties.

Choose Duke.

Duke University School of Law is one of the nation's leading law schools, recognized for academic excellence, innovative scholarship, and a strong commitment to public service. The Alumni and Development Office plays a critical role in advancing the Law School's mission by fostering meaningful relationships with alumni, donors, and friends whose support makes transformational opportunities possible for students and faculty.

Join a collaborative team dedicated to strengthening donor engagement and demonstrating the impact of philanthropy through thoughtful stewardship and strategic communications. Your work will directly contribute to scholarships, professorships, academic programs, and initiatives that shape the future of legal education.