Director of Annual Giving

Findlay•Lexington, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This posting is for a full-time, 12-month, exempt position. The Director of Annual Giving (the Director) is to secure current use unrestricted support for the University from alumni, parents and other friends. A secondary responsibility is to identify and qualify constituents who have the financial capacity to become leadership level donors and recommend them for management by the staff in Leadership Giving. The Director is responsible for conceptualizing and implementing all facets of the Annual Giving program. This includes annual goal setting, fund raising strategy, monthly performance monitoring and reporting, volunteer and staff management, and goal achievement in raising undesignated and designated current use gifts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Three years of professional experience.
Must be a strategic thinker, gifted leader and a bold visionary who flourishes in a fast paced and ever changing environment.
Must be able to utilize strong analytical skills to evaluate the performance of a multi-faceted annual giving program, and confidently deploy limited resources in a manner that produces the greatest financial benefit to the University.
Must be accustomed to managing multiple projects at once and understand how to lead, engage and motivate team members responsible for their respective parts of each project.
Must possess a valid driver’s license and safe driving record.

Nice To Haves

None required for this position.

Responsibilities

Develop an annual work plan that includes fundraising goals, volunteer engagement plans, travel goals for visiting prospects, solicitation visit goals, and plans for receptions and events.
Visit alumni, parents, and friends to solicit leadership-level annual gifts, traveling locally and regionally 3-5 days a month and completing 6-7 solicitation visits per month.
Manage and leverage brand identities for unrestricted giving, specifically the Findlay Fund, Findlay Fund Scholarships, and the Findlay Parents Fund.
Restructure and enhance the University’s leadership giving society to encourage alumni, parents, and friends to make annual leadership gifts at increasing levels.
Develop strategies to increase the number of donors at leadership annual giving levels and upgrade existing donors, including volunteer recruitment, training, and management for peer-to-peer solicitations, planning and execution of leadership donor events, and strategic use of University Administrators in solicitations.
Work with the Donor Relations and Stewardship Manager to launch a new donor loyalty giving society to strengthen recognition of consistent annual donors.
Develop strategies to increase the number of donors to the loyalty giving society and move existing donors to the next level of support, utilizing direct mail, Phonathon, email/mobile/online channels, social media, and collaboration with colleagues.
Work with the Assistant Director of Annual Giving to launch a comprehensive alumni class reunion giving program, focusing on 25th, 40th, and 50th Class Reunions, and promote collaboration between Annual Giving, Alumni Relations, and Leadership Gifts staff.
Work with University Marketing and outside vendors to create compelling solicitation methods using direct marketing, direct mail, social media, telemarketing, and online giving.
Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team within the division of university advancement and contribute to policy and direction setting.
Act as a sophisticated user of donor database systems, drawing donor segments, evaluating performance, and guiding strategy with marketing analytics and predictive modeling.
Actively engage in the qualification and rating of new donor prospects during visits and recommend prospects for Leadership Gift Level management ($25,000 or higher).
Work cooperatively with University colleagues and community volunteer groups to enhance outreach and solicitation for designated current use support of specific university programs.
Develop a strategy for the 100% Oilers Campaign, engaging and soliciting support from faculty, staff, and retirees.
Work with the Donor Relations and Stewardship Manager to develop special stewardship initiatives, including donor recognition letters, Annual Report of Gifts, and donor recognition events.
Exercise oversight of the Annual Giving budget to ensure resources are employed for maximum fundraising return and monitor the budget for a balanced fiscal year.
Ensure completion of monthly activity reports and enter prospect visit details into the division database system, submitting all travel reimbursement paperwork within 30 days of travel.
Perform all other duties deemed necessary for this position.