Associate Director, Development Operations

Ithaca College•Ithaca, NY

1d•$65,000 - $68,000

About The Position

Position Summary: This position serves a dual role: supporting two Offices within the Division of Advancement. The role will provide essential operational, administrative, and data management support for the Offices of Donor Relations and Stewardship, and the Office of Gift Planning. This position focuses strongly on gift acknowledgement and stewardship, giving society program support, database use and reporting, and events and donor engagement in both Offices, among other responsibilities. The position collaborates closely with internal stakeholders to ensure accurate reporting, timely communication, and a high-quality donor experience, while contributing to ongoing process improvements and special projects. This role is for someone who excels at project management, attention to detail, creative inquiry and writing, and collaborative partnerships.

Requirements

Associate degree and three years’ experience in a related field required.
Ability to confidently manage multiple tasks simultaneously, keeping essential priorities in focus with excellent attention to detail.
Professional demeanor and ability to convey complex concepts to various stakeholders.
Must demonstrate strong organizational, analytical and financial analysis skills.
Excellent written/verbal communication and listening skills.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision to accomplish department goals, complete gift documentation, reporting, and stewardship efforts.
Experience using CRM database, planned giving software, e.g. PG Calc, PGM Anywhere, favored.
Provide reliable research and content related to gift proposals, documentation, and aggregation of gift data.
Ability to learn and utilize database management tools, gift-specific software, and visualization software to present data and trends in clear and concise reports or other deliverables.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Experience with estate plan designs, probate and intestate law, tax and financial implications of various planned and life-income gift structures preferred.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and support donor gift acknowledgments, including maintaining a systemized gift acknowledgement process for all donors and planned gifts; coordinating with students, staff, faculty and campus leadership; preparing and drafting correspondence; ensure timely documentation and tracking of all interactions in the CRM database
Support giving society programs, including Founder’s Circle, Blue & Gold, and Friends of Ithaca College members through custom coordinated stewardship efforts, consistent communications, engagement, branding, and membership tracking; may include travel, event attendance and participation, personalized outreach with donors; ensure timely documentation and tracking of all interactions in the CRM database.
Utilize CRM and reporting platforms to assist with data and process management, including running and analyzing donor and gift reports; maintain accurate and updated donor records; create and/or update documentation of SOP’s, creating efficiency where appropriate.
Support donor engagement opportunities and events including giving society events, donor visits, and institution wide events, by assisting with planning, coordination, and on-site execution as needed, connecting with donors and volunteers and who have leadership level and/or gift planning related history or have high capacity and inclination to do so.
Stay educated on current and evolving trends in donor relations, gift planning, stewardship and recognition. Connect with peers at other institutions and proactively participate in webinars and conferences that provide professional growth opportunities.
Works independently and collaboratively to provide technical and written document support when necessary, providing the Development staff with supporting materials when soliciting gifts and cultivating donors. This may include information on establishing a fund at the college, giving society membership, or non-traditional gift vehicles such as charitable trusts, gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, charitable bequests.
Monitor contracts with external vendors supporting the Offices of Donor Relations and Gift Planning; serve as a liaison with external vendors
Participate in and support other events sponsored by the Division of Advancement such as Alumni Weekend, Commencement, dedication ceremonies, and individual donor visits
Develop and demonstrate a multicultural awareness and contribute to cultivating an inclusive, diverse and respectful College community. Demonstrate civil and inclusive behavior when interacting with staff, faculty, students and visitors to the College. Promote a flexible, collaborative and inclusive work and living environment and engage in educational opportunities to increase awareness and understanding of diversity and inclusion.
Other duties as assigned.
Collaborate with campus partners in Financial Services and Student Financial Services to assist with compiling details and information for the annual donor fund reports.
Support the audit of donor-related giving including scholarships, program funds, and named spaces, ensuring that all donors who have established funds and/or named a space are being acknowledged and stewarded appropriately.
Coordinate travel schedule and arrangements for the Executive Director of Gift Planning.
Prepare travel authorizations, and reconcile credit card expenses for credit cards, travel for Executive Director of Gift Planning.
Provides and promotes prompt estate settlement, records management, reporting and communication both with internal units including College offices of the Finance, as well as with external clients including insurance underwriters, donor legal counsel and others.