Gift Strategy Associate

Job Description

Role Summary

WaterStone is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented Gift Strategy Associate to work closely with Gift Strategists and other senior leaders who engage directly with donors. This role supports the planning, coordination, and execution of advanced charitable giving strategies for high-net-worth individuals and families contributing complex assets such as real estate, business interests, donor-advised funds, and charitable trusts.

The Gift Strategy Associate is a hands-on contributor who helps carry complex gifts from concept through completion. While not the primary driver of donor relationships or strategy design, this role plays a critical supporting role by ensuring communication is clear, documentation is accurate, and execution is timely and well-coordinated. The work requires juggling multiple active gifts and initiatives at once, with a high degree of care, follow-through, and discretion.

This position offers a unique opportunity to participate directly in sophisticated, tax-efficient charitable planning that helps donors minimize taxes, simplify complexity, and maximize long-term charitable and Kingdom impact, consistent with WaterStone’s mission and approach to generosity.

Key Responsibilities:

Donor, Advisor, and Team Support

·         Support Gift Strategists and other leaders working with donors and advisors on advanced charitable giving strategies.

·         Assist with ongoing communication among donors, advisors, attorneys, CPAs, brokers, and internal WaterStone teams to ensure alignment throughout the lifecycle of a gift.

·         Prepare correspondence, summaries, and follow-up materials that help keep complex transactions moving forward.

·         Participate in donor and advisor meetings as appropriate, supporting strategy discussions and next-step execution.

Complex Gift Coordination and Execution

·         Support the intake, review, and processing of complex assets, including real estate, closely held business interests, and other non-cash gifts.

·         Assist with the preparation, organization, and review of key documents such as deeds, operating agreements, contribution agreements, appraisals, and related materials.

·         Help coordinate logistics related to the sale and liquidation of donated assets, working alongside internal teams and external professionals.

·         Assist with the ongoing administration and oversight of gifted real estate or business interests that may be held for a period of time rather than immediately liquidated.

·         Track multiple active gifts and initiatives simultaneously, ensuring deadlines, requirements, and next steps are identified and followed through.

Financial, Operational, and Detail Management

·         Help maintain accurate records, timelines, and documentation related to complex gifts and charitable strategies.

·         Support financial tracking related to gifted assets, sales proceeds, expenses, and distributions.

·         Assist with preparing internal summaries and reports that support stewardship, compliance, and informed decision-making.

·         Maintain organized files and systems that promote clarity, accuracy, and continuity across complex transactions.

Learning, Growth, and Professional Development

·         Build technical proficiency in charitable planning concepts, including donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, and complex asset giving.

·         Participate in training programs, conferences, and certification opportunities such as Crescendo Gift College and other charitable planning education.

·         Grow in the ability to maintain awareness of active gifts and initiatives and raise questions or concerns as they arise, contributing meaningfully to execution and planning discussions over time.

Travel and Representation

·         Travel periodically to conferences, training events, or donor- and advisor-facing gatherings on behalf of WaterStone.

·         Support WaterStone’s presence at industry and ministry-related events as needed.

Additional Initiatives

·         Support special projects, emerging initiatives, and other responsibilities as needed, with flexibility and sound judgment.

·         Contribute input to the development, refinement, and documentation of policies and procedures as the department grows, drawing on hands-on experience with complex gifts.

Qualifications and Attributes:

·         Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Real Estate, or a related field preferred.

·         Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and moving parts simultaneously in a detail-intensive environment.

·         Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.

·         Clear written and verbal communication skills.

·         Ability to work with discretion, professionalism, and confidentiality in high-trust situations.

·         Comfort working with complex documents, financial information, and cross-functional coordination.

·         Intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn advanced charitable and tax-efficient giving strategies.

·         Alignment with WaterStone’s mission and Statement of Faith, including agreement with and adherence to WaterStone’s core beliefs and values.

Why This Role Is Unique:

·         Direct, hands-on involvement in sophisticated charitable planning with real-world application.

·         Exposure to complex assets such as real estate and business interests used in tax-efficient giving strategies.

·         Opportunity to learn alongside experienced Gift Strategists and organizational leaders engaged with high-net-worth donors.

·         Meaningful participation in work that helps donors simplify giving, reduce tax burden, and create lasting Kingdom impact.

WaterStone serves as a conduit between givers and Kingdom causes, crafting personalized giving plans that honor God by blessing ministries and the people they serve. Our customized giving solutions help minimize taxes and multiply the impact of giving.

WaterStone serves as a conduit between givers and Kingdom causes, crafting personalized giving plans that honor God by blessing ministries and the people they serve. Our customized giving solutions help minimize taxes and multiply the impact of giving.