Development Director, Strategic Giving-College of Liberal Arts

University of Central Oklahoma•Edmond, OK

2d•$64,375 - $64,375•Onsite

About The Position

The Development Director, Strategic Giving for the College of Liberal Arts serves as a strategic fundraising partner to the College and the Foundation. The position manages an existing portfolio of College of Liberal Arts donors and develops emerging mid-range donors. It also supports the Foundation’s broader fundraising strategy by establishing, strengthening, and managing new and mid-range donor pipelines university-wide. The Director identifies donors with greater capacity, qualifies emerging prospects, develops upgrade strategies, and cultivates donors toward increasingly significant philanthropic commitments. The role works closely with the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Directors of Development, and the Annual Giving Director to develop and maintain a pipeline of future major-gift donors to the University. The position serves as the primary development professional responsible for advancing philanthropic support for the College of Liberal Arts and develops and implements a comprehensive fundraising plan for the College. It manages major, mid-level, leadership, and emerging major-gift prospects and donors; builds relationships with alumni, friends, corporations, foundations, and other constituents; and works with college leadership to translate strategic priorities into compelling funding opportunities. The role also supports goal setting, metrics, evaluations, fundraising initiatives, and mentorship; conducts donor engagement activities; and coordinates proposals, solicitations, gift agreements, and stewardship plans. As a Foundation-wide resource for mid-range giving development, the Director identifies annual or new donors with capacity and inclination to increase their giving, helps transition donors into mid-range or major-gift giving, and collaborates with development officers on emerging prospects. The role creates opportunities for deeper donor engagement, moves qualified donors into prospective Director of Development portfolios, coordinates introductory meetings, partners across colleges and University priorities, monitors donor pipeline movement, identifies pipeline gaps, recommends strategies, and re-engages lapsed or declining mid-level donors. This is a regular, full-time, salaried, exempt, benefit-eligible staff position based at UCO’s main campus in Edmond, Oklahoma. The typical schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Local and regional travel may be needed, and occasional evening or weekend work is required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least 4 years of progressive experience in fundraising, sales, and/or gift-planning-related roles, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and ability to operate a typical motor vehicle.
Strong understanding of fundraising principles and best practices, including the ability to craft strategies for individual donor development and broad-based appeals.
Ability to develop and maintain relationships with alumni, donors, friends, administrators, faculty, students, and staff.
Demonstrated ability to solicit gifts, including face-to-face direct solicitation.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present effectively to large and small groups.
Excellent organizational and prioritization skills and ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
Ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a community.
Ability to recognize opportunities, work independently or as part of a team, and maintain strong goal orientation.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and ability to learn customized online software applications and basic data analysis.
Ability to evaluate projects and programs effectively and produce comprehensive reports.
Adherence to the ethical standards of the profession.
Ability to travel locally and regionally as needed.
Availability for occasional evening or weekend work.

Nice To Haves

CFRE certification.
Experience with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge or a similar application.
Three to five years of responsible experience in public relations, marketing, or fundraising, preferably at a public or private higher education institution, or comparable volunteer experience.
Fundraising experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary development professional advancing philanthropic support for the College of Liberal Arts.
Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan for the College of Liberal Arts.
Manage a portfolio of major, mid-level, leadership, and emerging major-gift prospects and donors.
Build meaningful relationships with alumni, friends, corporations, foundations, and other college constituents.
Work with the Dean, department chairs, school director, faculty, and college leadership to understand priorities and create compelling funding opportunities.
Work with the Senior Director of Development on goal setting, metrics plans, and progress evaluations.
Collaborate with the Director of Development team on fundraising initiatives, priorities, and mentorship.
Conduct donor meetings, discovery visits, campus visits, lunches, events, and other engagement activities.
Prepare and coordinate proposals, solicitations, gift agreements, and stewardship plans.
Identify annual or new donors with capacity and inclination to increase their giving.
Identify donors ready to move from annual giving to mid-range giving or major-gift donor status.
Develop strategies for emerging prospects with Directors of Development.
Create opportunities for donors to deepen their connection with the University.
Move qualified donors into prospective Director of Development portfolios and assist with scheduling introductory meetings.
Partner with development officers when donors have interests across multiple colleges or University priorities.
Monitor donor movement through the giving pipeline, identify pipeline gaps, and recommend strategies to address them.
Re-engage lapsed or declining mid-level donors university-wide.
Travel locally and regionally as needed to engage key stakeholders.