Assistant Director of Development, Southeast Region

University of Denver•Quinte West, ON

1d•$62,000 - $72,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Development, focusing on the Southeast region (primarily Florida and Texas), is responsible for growing and expanding the University of Denver's (DU) philanthropic base of support. This role serves as a university generalist, collaborating with colleagues to qualify, cultivate, and solicit leadership annual gifts (LAG) and major gifts. The position is highly outbound, with a focus on qualifying and retaining leadership annual giving prospects through solicitations of $1,000-$50,000 annually, aiming to grow the major gift pipeline through a donor-centered approach. The Assistant Director will qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects for sustained giving at the leadership annual giving and major gift levels. Key performance indicators include strategic qualifications, visits, LAG solicitations, major gift solicitations, and dollars raised. The role also involves deep engagement in growing DU's donor base across its diverse academic portfolio, emphasizing the intersection of alumni identities with specific academic units. This position partners closely with colleagues in specific schools, colleges, and units to align strategies for regional constituents. The ideal candidate is an early- to mid-career advancement professional motivated by relationship-building and donor engagement, with a strong foundation in constituent relations, development, or relationship-based sales, and the ability to contribute to fundraising in a collaborative, mission-driven environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience. Veterans with an equivalent combination of military certification, education, and experience may substitute for this requirement.
Three (3) years of professional experience, including at least one (1) year of experience in advancement work, donor or constituent relations, or relationship-based sales.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience successfully closing annual gifts up to $5,000.
Fundraising experience in higher education or a similarly complex nonprofit environment.

Responsibilities

Identify, qualify, and cultivate prospects to grow the donor base.
Manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects to build the donor pipeline.
Collaborate with academic and unit partners to align outreach strategies with institutional priorities.
Assist in identifying and qualifying prospects for major gifts.
Facilitate the strategic transition of qualified prospects to appropriate development officers for continued cultivation.
Solicit leadership annual gifts ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 through personalized and multichannel approaches.
Qualify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospects ($50K+) in coordination with unit major gift officers and supervisor.
Liaise with development colleagues to identify and communicate campaign priorities to prospects from across DU.
Support the planning and execution of donor engagement events and cultivation activities.
Partner with alumni engagement colleagues to recruit volunteers for university and school/college based opportunities to deepen constituent involvement.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions and contact reports in the CRM system.
Manage projects and initiatives in alignment with university policies and advancement best practices.
Travel to assigned area(s) to deepen DU connections with prospects.