Assistant Director, Annual Leadership Giving
About The Position
The Assistant Director of Annual Leadership Giving is a key member of the Annual Giving team and is responsible for building meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, friends, and donors through personalized outreach and engagement strategies. This position manages a portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects and donors, with an emphasis on identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individuals capable of upgrading their current level of support or making annual gifts at leadership giving levels of $1,000 - $50,000. Working within a donor-centered fundraising model, the Assistant Director leverages a variety of communication channels, to strengthen constituent engagement and inspire philanthropic support. The position serves as an ambassador for Northern Kentucky University, effectively communicating the university's mission, priorities, and impact while connecting donor interests with institutional needs. Success in this role requires strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, comfort with high-volume personalized outreach, and the ability to manage multiple constituent interactions simultaneously. The Assistant Director must be comfortable with utilizing fundraising databases, communication platforms, and emerging engagement technologies to advance prospects through the donor pipeline and achieve annual fundraising goals.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business, project management, nonprofit management, or a related field.
- Experience in consultative sales, fundraising, customer service, or business development, with the ability to cultivate relationships, effectively communicate value, overcome objections, and secure commitments.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
- Strong editing, proofreading, and quality-control skills.
- Drivers License and reliable vehicle required.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Raisers’ Edge NXT, Give Campus Online and GCGO software a plus.
Responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of prospects and donors, developing and executing individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies to increase engagement and philanthropic support in the $1,000–$50,000 giving range.
- Conduct outreach through phone calls, email, text messaging, video messages, virtual meetings, and personal visits.
- Maintain regular contact to strengthen relationships, increase participation, secure gift upgrades, and achieve fundraising goals.
- Qualify prospects for leadership annual giving opportunities and identify individuals with the capacity and inclination for increased philanthropic investment using predictive analytics and upgrade scoring models.
- Identify, cultivate, and solicit prospects for Founders’ Day match and challenge gifts to support annual participation and fundraising goals.
- Develop engagement, impact and solicitation strategy for high net wealth Parents.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of prospect activity, qualifications, proposals, solicitations, and outcomes in the Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT database.
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of NKU’s priorities, philanthropic opportunities, student impact initiatives, and alumni engagement programs. Use this knowledge to align donor interests with institutional needs, deepen donor relationships, and strengthen the pipeline for future major gift support.
- Support Annual Giving campaigns, projects, and special initiatives, including Founders’ Day and other strategic fundraising efforts.
- Serve a backup to Engagement Center manager, occasionally requiring evening hours.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
