Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

1d • $63,750 - $75,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Advancement Office engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute. The College Development team raises over $100M annually, advancing philanthropic partnerships with key alumni, parents and friends of the College to support the educational goals of its undergraduates. This includes support for financial aid, teaching and research, career development, international study, athletics, and housing. The Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving will play a crucial role in advancing the College’s fundraising goals by managing strategic outreach aimed at securing philanthropic support from alumni around the country. This position involves outreach that fosters alumni engagement and philanthropic support among graduates of the College. The Assistant Director will create and execute targeted fundraising strategies to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward alumni, ensuring a robust pipeline of future donors and leaders. This role implements programs designed to meet fundraising goals for contributed income with moderate guidance. Helps build relationships with alumni, faculty, administrators and organizations with potential to make gifts at the instruction of others. Executes communication strategies for projects. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a track record of successful fundraising, and the ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships with donors. This role offers an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on The College's mission through effective leadership and innovative fundraising strategies.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree.
• A minimum of two years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales or similar professional work experience.
• Knowledge of managing gift prospects.
• Experience in soliciting and closing gifts .
• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to Advancement, including Phoenix, the University's Donor Relationship Management System.
• Proficient in a Microsoft Windows computer environment. especially with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Self-motivated and take initiative.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.

Responsibilities

• Plans and implements a coordinated fundraising strategy for College alumni and leadership gift prospects.
• Manages a portfolio to achieve annual goals of 110 prospect visits, 75 solicitations ($1M in total asks), 45 proposals submitted, $350K raised, and 20 new prospect qualifications.
• Develops and executes short- and long-term cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for donors capable of making gifts between $2,500–$100K over a four-to-five-year pledge period.
• Partners with colleagues across Advancement to support the planning and execution of Leadership Annual Giving outreach, engagement, and solicitation efforts.
• Executes follow-up communications with prospects and donors within established departmental timelines, including customized proposals and stewardship materials.
• Records prospect activity and completes contact reports in the prospect database in accordance with Advancement reporting standards.
• Maintains thorough knowledge of the College giving priorities and annual fund initiatives to effectively represent funding opportunities to prospects.
• Participates in Advancement meetings, prospect strategy sessions, and College events as required to support fundraising efforts.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Identifies and qualifies prospects by aiding in expanding the pool of potential donors and participating in outreach events.
• Manages a portfolio of prospective donors.
• Build relationships with a variety of different individuals within the University in the assigned divisions and departments of those who make charitable gifts.
• Writes timely and strategic correspondences to advance relationships.
• Works with others to maximize prospective donor cultivation.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Benefits

• The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook .

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level