Assistant Director of Development, OKC

Oklahoma State University Foundation•Oklahoma City, OK

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Development for Oklahoma State University’s OKC team builds and manages strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships with individuals, corporations, and foundations capable of providing gifts. The role creates a pipeline of future major-gift donors and fosters collaboration among university leaders, faculty, and community partners to secure funding aligned with institutional strengths, workforce needs, and long-term goals. The OKC team connects philanthropic goals with priorities across OSU-OKC, the Hamm Institute for American Energy (HIAE), KOSU, and the broader OSU System. The position’s primary focus is fundraising, including managing a portfolio, soliciting gifts—particularly gifts of $25,000 or more—and achieving annual fundraising production of $1,000,000 for the OSU System, with emphasis on Oklahoma City-area priorities. It also develops donor pipelines, manages prospect information and communications, and coordinates donor engagement and stewardship. The role requires at least 140 personal donor and prospective-donor visits and 15–20 funding proposals annually. Occasional evening and weekend work and local, regional, and occasional national travel are required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing and communications, nonprofit management, humanities, or a related field.
At least 2–4 years of experience in fundraising, development, major gifts, or relevant professional work.
Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, and via video conferencing.
Valid driver’s license.
Ability to travel locally, regionally, and occasionally nationally for donor visits, meetings, and university events.
Availability to work occasional evenings and weekends for fundraising events and donor engagement activities.
Ability to perform frequent repetitive motions when using computers, telephones, and standard office equipment.
Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while working at a computer, attending meetings, or participating in events.
Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull materials weighing up to approximately 20 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a higher education setting.
Experience with fundraising and donor management software.
A sense of humor and ability to have fun.

Responsibilities

Develop and manage a portfolio of individual, corporate, and foundation prospects connected to OSU-OKC, HIAE, KOSU, and the broader OSU System.
Solicit and secure gifts, with a focus on gifts of $25,000 or more.
Conduct a minimum of 140 personal visits annually with donors and prospective donors.
Develop and execute cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for assigned prospects.
Submit 15–20 funding proposals annually.
Achieve annual fundraising production of $1,000,000 for the OSU System, focusing on Oklahoma City-area priorities.
Coordinate campus visits and support university leaders during donor meetings and engagement opportunities.
Develop and manage donor engagement and annual giving strategies to identify new donors and advance qualified prospects into major-gift portfolios.
Partner with Pipeline Growth & Readiness, Prospect Development and Research, and campus leaders to develop and implement a pipeline plan for OSU-OKC and other assigned priorities.
Identify new individual, corporate, and foundation prospects throughout the Oklahoma City area.
Coordinate annual giving solicitations and appeals with campus and Foundation colleagues.
Build relationships with industry, foundation, and community leaders who may support Oklahoma City-area priorities.
Track and report fundraising progress using contact reports, prospect management, and other communication tools.
Maintain regular contact with portfolio prospects and document qualification and disqualification activities appropriately.
Learn and follow OSU Foundation data management standards and best practices.
Collaborate with Prospect Development and Research to identify new OSU Foundation donors.
Coordinate donor and prospective-donor events and engagement opportunities with campus and Foundation partners.
Develop and execute engagement and stewardship plans for assigned prospects.
Work with OSU Foundation support teams to provide meaningful stewardship for Oklahoma City-area donors.
Connect donors with university leaders, faculty, students, programs, and impact opportunities.
Perform other duties as assigned.