Associate Director, Strategic Donor Communications

District of Columbia, USA (Hybrid)

$72K/yr – $99K/yrSenior Level2+ years expFull time

Posted 4 months ago

Top 1% of applicants do these two things.

The other 99% submit and hope. You're about to do something different.

Job Summary

Drive donor communications leadership at GW by owning messaging, stewardship reporting, and multi-channel donor engagement.

  • Own strategic donor messaging and organization-wide acknowledgment processes.
  • Must-have: Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years in donor communications.
  • Standout: Experience producing impact reports and leading donor-centered communications across channels.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Strategic donor communications: Lead the creation of high-impact donor messaging and content creation across all giving levels, ensuring alignment, consistency, and donor-centric voice across every touchpoint. Oversee the acknowledgment process organization-wide, managing content, systems, and strategy to ensure timely, meaningful expressions of gratitude. Craft senior executive acknowledgments, event talking points, and other strategic communications that build trust, deepen relationships, and encourage donor loyalty.
  • Multi-Channel Donor Engagement: Design and manage a proactive donor relations and communications calendar in collaboration with marketing and communications, annual giving, planned giving, and principal giving leadership. Develop and execute relationship-building touchpoints, including seasonal messages and giving society welcome packages, that reinforce gratitude, strengthen institutional engagement, and align with the appropriate phase in the donor’s philanthropic journey.
  • Stewardship Reporting: Lead strategy, content development, and project management for the annual Philanthropy Impact Report and other campaign-related stewardship reports as directed. Produce custom impact reports for principal donors and prospects in collaboration with prospect managers and the Donor Relations team’s stewardship reporting leadership.
  • Additional Duties: Perform other related duties as assigned. Flexibility is required as duties may evolve in response to organizational needs.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization plus 2 years of relevant professional experience, or, a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant area of study. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position. Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Preferred

  • Proficiency with fundraising software, donor databases, and Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Word, Excel).
  • Exceptional writing, editing, and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Proven track record in writing and managing donor-centered communications across multiple channels and audiences.
  • Strong customer service orientation and ability to work collaboratively across departments.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-phase projects and successfully meet tight deadlines.
  • High degree of discretion and sensitivity when handling confidential donor information.
  • Experience in data-informed messaging, impact reporting, and donor journey mapping
  • Experience engaging with major and leadership-level donors.

Benefits

  • Healthcare Benefits GW offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, life & disability insurance, time off & leave, retirement savings, tuition, well-being and various voluntary benefits. For program details and eligibility, please visit.
The George Washington University logo

The George Washington University

The George Washington University, an independent academic institution chartered by the Congress of the United States in 1821, dedicates itself to furthering human well-being. The University values a dynamic, student-focused community stimulated by cultural and intellectual diversity and built upon a foundation of integrity, creativity, and openness to the exploration of new ideas.The George Washington University, centered in the national and international crossroads of Washington, D.C., commits itself to excellence in the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge.To promote the process of lifelong learning from both global and integrative perspectives, the University provides a stimulating intellectual environment for its diverse students and faculty. By fostering excellence in teaching, the University offers outstanding learning experiences for full-time and part-time students in undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs in Washington, D.C., the nation, and abroad. As a center for intellectual inquiry and research, the University emphasizes the linkage between basic and applied scholarship, insisting that the practical be grounded in knowledge and theory. The University acts as a catalyst for creativity in the arts, the sciences, and professions by encouraging interaction among its students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the communities it serves.The George Washington University draws upon the rich array of resources from the National Capital Area to enhance its educational endeavors. In return, the University, through its students, faculty, staff, and alumni, contributes talent and knowledge to improve the quality of life in metropolitan Washington, D.C.

Washington, District of Columbia, USA
12K employees (517 in marketing)

Traffic Signals

Monthly Google Ads Budget
$504.1K

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~11.8K

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
366 (3% of company)
Median Career Experience
13 years
Median Tenure
4.8 years
Marketing Roles Posted (Last 30 Days)
2

Funding

Total Funding
$9.4M
Last Raise
$630K
Grant, 9 months ago

Funding History

  • Jun 2025
    Grant • $630K
  • Jul 2019
    Grant • $5M
  • May 2016
    Grant • $2.1M

Recent News