Description

Background:

National Brain Tumor Society is the largest non-profit organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to the global brain tumor community. We are fiercely committed to our mission of finding better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for brain tumors. We’ve seen unprecedented progress and momentum to find better treatments. This is an exciting and deeply satisfying time to be part of our agenda for change and a strong, caring community. For over twenty-five years, dating back to the origins of our organization, we have been a strategic funder, advocate, and catalyst for advancing research, improving public policies, and helping all those diagnosed today and anyone who is diagnosed in the future. Some of the most important discoveries in brain tumor research have been attributable at least in part to NBTS, and over the past six years NBTS has achieved a number of victories on the public-policy front that in turn improved the landscape for research to advance. Going forward, NBTS aims to achieve even greater impact toward the goal of delivering medicines to patients who deserve far greater survival and quality of life than they are currently experiencing from time of diagnosis. Organizationally, we have a highly collaborative workplace and believe that teamwork and a great culture are essential to success.  

Summary:

The Associate Director, Philanthropic Giving Stewardship is a key member of the National Brain Tumor Society’s Development team, responsible for designing and delivering meaningful stewardship experiences that deepen donor engagement and demonstrate the impact of their giving. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Philanthropic Giving, this role leads both the Individual Giving team’s stewardship strategy as well as NBTS’s broader, organization-wide stewardship efforts. The Associate Director will create and execute multi-channel, mission-centered touchpoints that recognize and inspire donors across all segments, including annual, major, planned, and Brain Tumor Investment Fund supporters. With a strong emphasis on impact-focused storytelling and timely project management in execution of stewardship initiatives, this role ensures that every donor feels valued and connected with NBTS, as well as motivated to continue their partnership. The ideal candidate will have the ability to exercise good judgment and professionalism in a variety of situations, with strong written and verbal communication, project management skills, organizational and people skills, and the ability to balance overlapping project lifecycles from conception to completion.

Supervision Exercised:  No supervisory duties required.   

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

This is a representative list of the general duties the position may be asked to perform and is not intended to be all-inclusive.

Stewardship Campaigns, Project Management & Execution:

• Lead the planning and project management of all donor-specific, giving society, tent pole, annual, and seasonal stewardship touchpoints, and work cross-departmentally to execute.
• Manage stewardship calendars and ensure timely delivery of donor touchpoints aligned with fundraising campaigns and major milestones.
• Conduct regular audits of stewardship touchpoints to ensure all donor segments receive appropriate, timely, and personalized engagement.
• Collaborate with Major Gifts, Annual Giving, and Marketing teams to align stewardship efforts across the organization.
• Support Major Gifts with personalized stewardship efforts as needed. 

Donor Communications and Stewardship Writing:

• Write compelling donor-facing content across stewardship channels, including emails, texts, mailed materials, giving society newsletters, scripts, and handwritten notes for the new donor experience as well as organization-wide donor stewardship activities.
• Maintain a consistent voice and tone that builds emotional connection with donors and reflects the NBTS brand, and collaborate with programs, communications, and events teams to ensure stewardship messaging is integrated, accurate, and mission-aligned.
• Work with leadership and programs teams to develop custom mission-driven content and impact reports for major donors and key partners when appropriate.
• Draft annual and quarterly tax acknowledgement letters and project manage their approval, distribution, and upload into relevant systems.
• As requested and in partnership with the Marketing and Communications team, support the creation of personalized stewardship templates/toolkits for board members, Exec leadership, and the wider development team to use in their outreach efforts.

Data Coordination, Integrity, and Reporting:

• In partnership with the Director of Development, support the segmentation strategy for all stewardship activities by defining inclusion and exclusion criteria aligned with donor level, giving history, and engagement.
• Partner closely with the Director of Development and CRM team to communicate list requirements for each stewardship initiative and review them for accuracy.
• Track and report on stewardship activities and engagement results.

Stewardship Experiences & Events:

• In partnership with the Director of Development and AVP of Individual Giving, support the planning and execution of applicable donor-facing digital experiences and in-person cultivation/stewardship events that showcase NBTS impact, programming, and leadership.

Organizational Stewardship Strategy:

• Support the continued growth and recognition strategy of NBTS’s giving societies through regular touchpoints and acknowledgment efforts.
• Develop and maintain donor journey maps to ensure tailored stewardship strategies for various donor segments, including first-time donors, monthly donors, lapsed donors, and legacy/planned giving supporters.

Innovation and Technology:

• Support the development of new donor recognition and engagement strategies that strengthen retention and inspire increased giving.
• Ideate fresh ways to tell stories of impact through both written and visual content.
• Stay up-to-date on best practices in donor stewardship and bring creative ideas forward to elevate donor experience.
• Identify and implement new donor stewardship tools to enhance engagement and automation opportunities to optimize stewardship workflows, ensuring efficiency without compromising personalization.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent prior work experience required.
• 2-5 years experience in nonprofit development, donor stewardship, or communications required.

Required Skills, Knowledge, & Abilities: 

• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to think strategically, execute plans to completion, and manage multiple projects with overlapping deadlines and life cycles.
• Solid understanding of best practices related to Annual Fund, Planned Giving, and Donor Relations from past experience.
• Excellent writing and editing skills with a portfolio of donor or public-facing content preferred.
• Proven understanding of storytelling and creative approach to audience engagement.
• High attention to detail, particularly with donor names, timelines, and details.
• Ability to work cooperatively and cross functionally, and to communicate effectively in a virtual team environment.
• Strong computer competency, including all MS Office and data-gathering tools as well as familiarity with Salesforce (or equivalent CRM)
• Proven flexibility to effectively respond to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of records and information, diplomacy, tact, and professionalism.
• Valid driver's license and access to a vehicle required. This role involves travel to staff and stewardship events requiring access to a car.

Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Location: Hybrid, Boston-based
• This position routinely requires several days per month onsite at the NBTS Boston office for necessary in-person touch points with the local team. Only candidates local to the Boston area will be considered.
• Offsite/remote work will be performed virtually in a home office environment. Remote work must be performed in the state of Massachusetts.
• Valid driver's license and access to a vehicle required.
• Hours: Normal hours for this role are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Occasional attendance at NBTS events or meetings may be required on the weekend or outside of normal hours.
• Travel: Domestic travel by car and/or plane is required up to 20% of the time. Travel may be inclusive of day travel for meetings, overnight travel for events or a combination of both.
• This role is largely sedentary and requires sitting or standing in a stationary position for extended periods of time. This role frequently involves communicating on the phone and operating a computer for at least 70% of the work day.

Total Rewards:

• HMO and PPO Health Insurance, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Employer-funded Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) - medical and dependent care accounts available
• 100% employer-paid Group Term Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability Insurance, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(K) plan with 3% employer match (4-year vesting schedule applies)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Financial Planning and Wellness Assistance Program
• 11 paid holidays per year
• 20 accrued vacation days per year
• 10 accrued sick days per year
• 2 personal days and 2 floating holidays per year, as well as 5 additional personal days after 5 years of service and an additional 5 after 10 years of service.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workgroup
• Employer-paid membership in MassBio, a leading life sciences professional organization
• Flexible work environment with remote and hybrid work options available for most roles
• Positive, collaborative, and transparent organizational culture with a commitment to continuous feedback, high performance, and career development

How to Apply:

To apply for this role, send a cover letter and a resume to [email protected].

NBTS provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.