Kentucky Staffing
Senior Director of Philanthropy
Equal Employment Opportunity/M/F/disability/protected veteran status. Posting Details Job Title: Senior Director of Philanthropy Working Title: Sr. Director of Philanthropy for Communications & Donor Stewardship Department Name: 14000: Office Of Development Work Location: Lexington, KY Grade Level: 50 Salary Range: $81,640-138,798/year Type of Position: Staff Position Time Status: Full-Time Required Education: MA Required Related Experience: 8 yrs Required License/Registration/Certification: None Physical Requirements: Working in front of a computer; Sitting for extended periods of time. Shift: Working hours are Monday - Friday; generally from 8:00am to 5:00pm. As an exempt employee you may be expected to work outside these hours, if necessary, to accomplish tasks of the position. Job Summary
As Senior Director of Philanthropy for Communications & Donor Stewardship, you will lead the charge in shaping how the university connects with its generous supporters. You will provide strategic oversight for all donor communications and stewardship efforts tied to the university's colleges and units with a focus on cultivating major ($100K+) and principal ($1M+) gifts. You will craft and lead high-impact, donor-centered communications strategies across platforms, from custom proposals to campaign materials, ensuring every message reflects the university's brand, values and philanthropic vision. You'll serve as a strategic advisor to the Vice President for Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement and play a key role in advancing future campaign readiness through compelling storytelling and message alignment. In this role, you will: Lead a cross-functional team of philanthropy communications and stewardship professionals. Direct executive-level communications, including proposal development for principal gifts and message preparation for donor engagements. Coordinate stewardship strategy that deepens donor relationships and drives retention. Ensure message alignment across all philanthropic communications, partnering with marketing and communications teams university-wide. The culture within the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) is built on our shared core values CoMMIT- Collaboration, Communication, Mission Driven, Mutual Respect, Innovation and Transparency. By applying for a position within UK PAE, you are indicating your commitment and expressing your agreement to our six values. It is important you share these values in order to be part of our committed team! Click Here to find out more about how UK provides exceptional benefits in its commitment to taking care of you. Skills / Knowledge / Abilities: Experience with MS Windows and knowledge of strategic philanthropy communications and donor stewardship; knowledge of multimedia communications and best practices. Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No Preferred Education/Experience: Degree in Communications or Marketing. Deadline to Apply: 10/13/2025 Our University Community: We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus. The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status. Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen. Posting Specific Questions Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*). 1. The Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) recognizes a set of values that guide us in our daily interactions. These values are collaboration, communication, mission driven, mutual respect, innovation and transparency. Please choose one of the PAE values and give a specific example when you exhibited this quality in your professional experience. (Open Ended Question) 2. Where did you first see this position advertised? * UK jobs website* Employee Referral* Print Advertisement* Job Fair* Chronicle of Philanthropy* CASE Career Central* American Marketing Association* Indeed.com* None of the above Applicant Documents Required Documents 1. Resume 2. Cover Letter Optional Documents Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities
Equal Employment Opportunity/M/F/disability/protected veteran status. Posting Details Job Title: Senior Director of Philanthropy Working Title: Sr. Director of Philanthropy for Communications & Donor Stewardship Department Name: 14000: Office Of Development Work Location: Lexington, KY Grade Level: 50 Salary Range: $81,640-138,798/year Type of Position: Staff Position Time Status: Full-Time Required Education: MA Required Related Experience: 8 yrs Required License/Registration/Certification: None Physical Requirements: Working in front of a computer; Sitting for extended periods of time. Shift: Working hours are Monday - Friday; generally from 8:00am to 5:00pm. As an exempt employee you may be expected to work outside these hours, if necessary, to accomplish tasks of the position. Job Summary
As Senior Director of Philanthropy for Communications & Donor Stewardship, you will lead the charge in shaping how the university connects with its generous supporters. You will provide strategic oversight for all donor communications and stewardship efforts tied to the university's colleges and units with a focus on cultivating major ($100K+) and principal ($1M+) gifts. You will craft and lead high-impact, donor-centered communications strategies across platforms, from custom proposals to campaign materials, ensuring every message reflects the university's brand, values and philanthropic vision. You'll serve as a strategic advisor to the Vice President for Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement and play a key role in advancing future campaign readiness through compelling storytelling and message alignment. In this role, you will: Lead a cross-functional team of philanthropy communications and stewardship professionals. Direct executive-level communications, including proposal development for principal gifts and message preparation for donor engagements. Coordinate stewardship strategy that deepens donor relationships and drives retention. Ensure message alignment across all philanthropic communications, partnering with marketing and communications teams university-wide. The culture within the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) is built on our shared core values CoMMIT- Collaboration, Communication, Mission Driven, Mutual Respect, Innovation and Transparency. By applying for a position within UK PAE, you are indicating your commitment and expressing your agreement to our six values. It is important you share these values in order to be part of our committed team! Click Here to find out more about how UK provides exceptional benefits in its commitment to taking care of you. Skills / Knowledge / Abilities: Experience with MS Windows and knowledge of strategic philanthropy communications and donor stewardship; knowledge of multimedia communications and best practices. Does this position have supervisory responsibilities? No Preferred Education/Experience: Degree in Communications or Marketing. Deadline to Apply: 10/13/2025 Our University Community: We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus. The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status. Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen. Posting Specific Questions Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*). 1. The Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) recognizes a set of values that guide us in our daily interactions. These values are collaboration, communication, mission driven, mutual respect, innovation and transparency. Please choose one of the PAE values and give a specific example when you exhibited this quality in your professional experience. (Open Ended Question) 2. Where did you first see this position advertised? * UK jobs website* Employee Referral* Print Advertisement* Job Fair* Chronicle of Philanthropy* CASE Career Central* American Marketing Association* Indeed.com* None of the above Applicant Documents Required Documents 1. Resume 2. Cover Letter Optional Documents Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities