Assoc Dir Leadership Giving & Engagement

Seton Hall University, New Jersey•South Orange, NJ

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Director of Philanthropic Engagement, the Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving manages upper-level annual giving ($1,000+), focusing on building Seton Hall University's Bayley Society and Reunion Program. Responsibilities include virtual and face-to-face solicitations, supplemented by phone calls, emails, and written communications. The primary audiences are alumni and families, especially those in reunion class years. The role involves high-volume, personalized outreach to maximize donor engagement and requires some travel and event attendance. The Associate Director qualifies, engages, and acquires new donors, encourages current donors to renew and increase their giving, and assesses future major gift capacity. The position supports annual gift efforts across direct mail, social media, crowdfunding, and digital marketing to grow Seton Hall’s donor base, retention rate, and funds raised. Additionally, the role involves all aspects of Alumni Engagement, including communication, digital, experiential, philanthropic, leadership giving, and volunteer engagement, working collaboratively within an integrated engagement team.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 1+ years of experience in fundraising, cold-calling marketing/sales, campaigning and or relevant transferrable skills.
The successful candidate will possess very refined communication skills, is comfortable guiding a conversation along with individuals who are unknown; and must have the ability to be persuasive.
Ability to attend alumni engagement events, which frequently occur at night and on weekends.
Position requires a valid driver's license and access to a reliable vehicle for travel to meet with donors and prospects.

Nice To Haves

Experience with higher education fundraising highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Responsible for the identification and personal solicitations of upper level annual giving ($1,000+), with special attention to building Seton Hall University's Bayley Society, by managing a portfolio. Funds will be raised primarily through both virtual and face-to-face meetings, which are supplemented with phone calls, emails, as well as both written and verbal solicitations. Primary audiences for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship will be alumni and families of the University. Acquire new donors for the university as well as encourage current annual donors to increase their giving over time while assessing future major gift capacity. Build a stronger foundation for philanthropy by helping to create a more robust pipeline of gifts, which can lead to future major gift support. The Officer will deliver high-volume, personalized outreach to hundreds of donors and potential donors using an outreach cadence designed to maximize completed contacts. The individual will be asked to meet with a minimum of 100 individuals per year, with at least 75 of them taking place in person. Fundraising goals will include number of visits, number of donors, and amount of dollars raised, and will be evaluated and adjusted on a semi-annual basis. 70% of time
Work collaboratively with University Advancement and campus partners, and as an integrated member of the Alumni Engagement & Philanthropy team. Participate in all aspects of alumni engagement, including philanthropy, communication, digital, experiential, leadership giving and volunteerism. Build mutually beneficial relationships that inspire loyalty and financial support, strengthen the institution’s reputation, and involve alumni in meaningful activities to advance the institution’s mission. 15% of time
Assist the Director of Philanthropic Engagement with leading annual gift efforts across direct mail, social media, crowdfunding, phone, and digital marketing to reach campaign philanthropic engagement goals on behalf of the University. This will include assisting with designing, writing, and generating solicitation communications via a variety of channels. The Associate Director will help with the implementation of Seton Hall Giving Day, and will assist in overseeing engagement center students, who make phone calls on behalf of Seton Hall for fundraising and engagement purposes. 15% of time