Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving

Come work at QU•Hamden, CT

About The Position

Quinnipiac University seeks an Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving to increase philanthropic support and engagement among alumni, parents, and friends through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of leadership annual giving donors and prospects. The role focuses on expanding alumni participation, improving donor retention, increasing average gift size, and growing membership in the President's Club and PC BOLD giving societies. The officer manages a portfolio of prospects capable of making annual gifts up to $9,999 and solicits unrestricted support for the Quinnipiac Fund. Through strategic outreach, relationship building, and personalized engagement, the position strengthens donor loyalty and advances a culture of philanthropy in support of the university’s mission and priorities. The Associate Director develops individualized prospect plans, conducts in-person and virtual meetings and other outreach, solicits gifts, and collaborates with major gift officers on prospects with major-gift capacity and interest. The role also advances donor retention and long-term investment through recurring gifts and multi-year pledges. Additional focus areas include building President’s Club and PC BOLD membership, increasing alumni participation, supporting annual giving campaigns, maintaining accurate CRM records, analyzing donor trends, and partnering across university advancement and engagement teams.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
Two to three years of fundraising or closely related experience.
Proficiency with Windows-based applications, including Microsoft Office word processing, spreadsheet, and database management tools.
Ability to learn new systems and interpret analytic reports to produce action-oriented results.
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, including diplomacy, tact, discretion, and the ability to maintain confidentiality.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, creativity, and demonstrated success managing multiple projects.
Accuracy and attention to detail.
Time management and prioritization skills for daily operations.
Expertise in communications, from writing to analytics, as they relate to RIO and engagement success.
Experience with email programs and web applications.
Experience handling and tracking program budgets.

Nice To Haves

Higher education or annual giving background.
Experience with CRMs and crowdfunding websites.

Responsibilities

Manage and qualify a portfolio of up to 200 alumni, parents, and friends capable of making annual gifts up to $9,999.
Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans for assigned prospects.
Conduct meetings and meaningful interactions through in-person visits, phone calls, virtual meetings, email, and other engagement strategies.
Solicit leadership-level gifts to the Quinnipiac Fund and other university priorities as appropriate.
Collaborate with major gift officers to identify and transition prospects with major gift capacity and interest.
Secure recurring gifts, including monthly giving commitments and annual fund pledges with terms of three years or longer, to support donor retention and long-term philanthropic investment.
Develop and implement strategies to increase President's Club membership among annual donors giving $2,500 or more.
Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new and renewing President's Club members.
Increase retention and upgrade rates among existing President's Club donors in collaboration with Directors of Development and the AVP for Advancement.
Promote the impact and benefits of leadership-level giving through personalized communications and donor engagement opportunities.
Collaborate with the Associate Director of Annual Giving to expand PC BOLD participation, particularly among alumni who graduated 5–10 years ago.
Identify young alumni with leadership annual giving potential and develop targeted outreach and donor upgrade strategies.
Create stewardship and engagement opportunities that encourage lifelong philanthropic involvement.
Partner with Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement colleagues to increase overall alumni donor participation.
Cultivate, solicit, and secure leadership-level commitments for Bobcat Challenge and Bobcats Unite.
Secure leadership-level gifts for annual hallmark giving campaigns.
Improve donor retention and recapture lapsed leadership annual giving donors.
Analyze donor behavior and giving trends to identify opportunities for greater engagement and long-term donor loyalty.
Serve as a university ambassador and communicate the importance of philanthropy in advancing Quinnipiac’s mission.
Work with Annual Giving, Alumni Engagement, Athletics, Advancement Services, Advancement Communications, and Major Gifts teams on integrated fundraising strategies.
Maintain accurate donor records and activity reports in the CRM system.
Track fundraising, participation, retention, and donor society goals.
Use donor data and analytics to guide portfolio management and strategy development.
Participate in alumni engagement, athletic, and campus events to build relationships with alumni, parents, donors, and friends.