Associate Director of Development (Discovery)

George Mason University•Fairfax, VA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Development (Discovery) is part of the University Priorities team and is responsible for a high-volume of prospect discovery, qualification, and solicitation. Their strategic priority is to rapidly strengthen George Mason University's donor pipeline and raise funds for all areas and priorities in the short-term, while investing in long-term relationship building with prospects to build the foundation for future campaigns.

Requirements

Master’s degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
Some experience designing and executing annual-level donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies
Some (generally one – three years) successful professional advancement and/or fundraising-related experience or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience
Experience with successful collaboration with teams or stakeholders
Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and meeting continuous deadlines
Experience documenting appropriate information in a donor management database system
Experience interacting with a wide variety of constituents, such as, donors, prospects, trustees, and faculty and staff.
Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills
Demonstrated writing skills associated with proposals, solicitation letters, etc.
Ability to interact positively with a wide range of constituencies in person, via phone, email, and in writing
Strong interpersonal skills necessary to build relationships with internal and external constituents
Ability to handle highly personal information and maintain confidentiality
Excellent research, writing, and interpersonal communication skills
Familiarity with CRM fundraising software
Ability to work evenings and weekends
Ability to work independently
Skill in accountability.

Nice To Haves

Experience in fundraising in higher education or nonprofit
Familiarity with Salesforce
Familiarity with MicroStrategy, or similar reporting platform
Possess an understanding and the ability to articulate the accomplishments and goals of a complex organization.

Responsibilities

Executes strategy to discover and qualify as many unique prospects as possible
Raises funds for all schools, units, and priorities by soliciting gifts of $2,500, $25,000, and higher
Aids in the execution of a robust discovery program, helping to establish processes and procedures for the handling of prospects that are willing to take a personal visit or call by a development officer for further engagement, cultivation, and solicitation
Develops, directs, and implements pre-qualification strategies for lead annual gift and major gift prospects through discovery calls, personal visits, virtual engagement, and email
Assists in the strategy and execution of solicitations
Manages a dynamic portfolio of prospects with interest across the university
Works closely with the Prospect Management team and development officers to expand the donor base and build a robust pipeline for major gift support for the university
Collaborates with communications and outreach, annual giving and development officers to ensure consistency of fundraising messages and to enhance the impact of the overall university campaign
Identifies opportunities and coordinates strategies to broaden the prospect's relationship with the university through additional engagement with institutional partners
Maintains data integrity of prospect records, including entering and updating contact entries, next steps, and strategic donor plans and proposals according to established protocols
Supports successful execution of a comprehensive fundraising program that appropriately partners with and leverages resources from the Central Advancement team to accomplish objectives
Coordinates the efforts of those who can assist in fundraising; tracks contacts, asks, and funds raised; drafts proposals and pledge agreements for potential donors; and proposes and coordinates appropriate cultivation and stewardship activities
Travels as necessary for donor outreach and cultivation
Works with offices across campus to coordinate related activities that further the University’s mission and achieve fundraising goals
Finds new and creative ways to engage donors that will enrich the donor experience and add value to the academic life of the University
Works with staff to engage all alumni to advance the percentage of active involvement and increase alumni donations
Engages a wide range of colleagues, alumni, donors, prior faculty and staff, and individuals who might be able to help in pursuing/winning major gifts
Seeks the assistance of a wide range of people in identifying prospects who might make major gifts in the future
Displays good judgment and confidentiality
Coordinates fundraising with other departments and utilizes services as appropriate
Ensures consistent and adequate communication between the school/unit and Central Advancement
Works closely with Central Advancement services including, but not limited to, Planned Giving, Annual Giving, Parents and Family Philanthropy, University Priorities, Alumni Relations, Communications, Systems, Operations, Donor Relations, Gifts and Records, etc.
Performs other related duties as assigned within the scope of the role.