Director, Annual Giving

University of Louisville•Louisville, KY

15h•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Annual Giving provides strategic leadership for the university's early-stage donor development efforts and is responsible for building a robust pipeline of future major gift donors. The position oversees annual giving efforts, including leadership annual giving programs, while managing the Associate Director of Annual Giving and the Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving. Through data-driven strategies, pipeline management, and team leadership, the Director advances donors through the philanthropic continuum and ensures a sustainable flow of qualified prospects into the major gift program.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a related field and six (6) years of relevant experience.
Related work experience may include: Major giving fund-raising, public relations, communications, and/or management experience, especially in a higher education setting or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated success in building relationships and managing constituent portfolios.
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Experience using CRM systems and donor databases.
Ability to analyze data and translate findings into actionable strategies.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree.
Experience in higher education fundraising or nonprofit development.
Knowledge of major gift fundraising principles and donor lifecycle management.
Experience qualifying prospects and advancing donors through a philanthropic pipeline.
Familiarity with campaign planning and fundraising analytics.
Strategic relationship-building and networking skills.
Strong project and portfolio management abilities.
Data-informed decision making.
Excellent presentation and communication skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams.
Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential information.
Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and constituent-centered engagement.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a proactive multi-year strategy for identifying and cultivating emerging major gift prospects.
Create a portfolio of donors and prospects with the capacity and inclination to make leadership annual gifts between $25,000-49,999.
Identify and transition donors capable of making future major gifts into philanthropy officer portfolios.
Design qualification and engagement pathways that move individuals through the donor continuum.
Establish metrics and benchmarks to evaluate pipeline growth, conversion rates, and donor advancement.
Directly supervise the Associate Director of Annual Giving and the Assistant Director of Annual Giving – Leadership Annual Giving.
Provide strategic leadership, coaching, performance management, and professional development for direct reports.
Establish annual goals, performance metrics, and accountability measures aligned with institutional fundraising priorities.
Foster collaboration among annual giving, alumni engagement, major gifts, advancement services, and constituent experience teams.
Ensure coordinated donor engagement strategies that effectively transition donors from annual giving through leadership annual giving and into major gift portfolios.
Lead regular portfolio reviews and prospect strategy discussions to optimize donor movement throughout the philanthropic pipeline.
Promote a culture of innovation, collaboration, inclusivity, and results-oriented fundraising.
Lead the university's early pipeline fundraising strategy, including leadership annual giving.
Develop annual operating plans and fundraising objectives for supervised staff and programs.
Oversee donor segmentation, prospect qualification efforts, and leadership annual giving strategies.
Monitor performance metrics related to donor acquisition, retention, leadership annual giving growth, qualified prospect generation, and major gift pipeline development.
Partner with development officers, deans, and advancement leaders to align pipeline-building activities with school, college, and university fundraising priorities.
Partner with, Alumni Engagement, Constituent Experience, and Philanthropy Officers to identify and advance prospective donors.
Collaborate with PAE Operations and Prospect Development teams to leverage data-driven prospect identification strategies.
Work closely with schools, colleges, and units to align donor interests with institutional priorities.
Facilitate smooth transitions of qualified prospects to major gift officers.
Monitor pipeline performance and donor engagement metrics.
Prepare regular reports on prospect movement, qualification rates, fundraising outcomes, and portfolio performance.
Utilize data analytics to inform strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
Recommend process improvements that enhance donor pipeline efficiency and effectiveness.