Director of Annual Giving

University of Redlands•Redlands, CA

20h•$95,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

Under the direction of the Executive Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement, the Director of Annual Giving provides strategic leadership and direction for the University’s comprehensive annual giving program, which encourages philanthropic support from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the University. The Director develops and executes multi-channel fundraising strategies to strengthen donor participation, grow revenue, and advance the University’s mission through unrestricted and designated annual support. This position oversees all aspects of annual fundraising strategy, including direct mail, email and digital campaigns, giving days, student philanthropy, and leadership annual giving programs. The Director partners closely with Advancement colleagues across alumni engagement, stewardship, and major gifts to ensure coordinated messaging, donor pipeline development, and a culture of philanthropy that supports long-term institutional goals. This position requires flexibility to work evening and weekend hours and the ability to travel, as required. The position will be based primarily on the University of Redlands campus.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Minimum of three to five years of fundraising experience, preferably in annual giving and higher education.
A valid California Class C driver’s license with a good driving record is required.
Demonstrated success managing annual giving or related fundraising programs, including digital and direct marketing campaigns.
Proven ability to use donor data, analytics, and reporting tools to inform strategy and measure success.
Experience with CRM databases and comfort leveraging technology to enhance donor engagement.
Understanding of current and emerging tools in AI, marketing automation, and personalized philanthropic communications.
Professional integrity, sound judgment, and the ability to lead, motivate, and inspire a team in pursuit of shared goals.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Strong enthusiasm for fundraising and the mission of higher education, with a solid understanding of advancement, annual giving, and alumni relations.
Proven experience developing persuasive and visually compelling appeals and marketing materials, with strong attention to detail and design.
Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, solve problems effectively, and manage multiple priorities.
Ability to plan, implement, and monitor programs effectively.
Ability to work collaboratively with Advancement staff and campus partners.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and accountability for completing projects efficiently.
Ability to effectively interact with a culturally and ethnically diverse population of students, faculty, and staff.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading multi-channel fundraising campaigns and giving days.
Familiarity with AI-assisted donor modeling, digital stewardship platforms, or machine learning applications in fundraising.
Background in volunteer management and alumni engagement strategies.
Experience managing, mentoring, and developing staff.

Responsibilities

Design and implement a comprehensive annual giving strategy that increases participation and total dollars raised, with a focus on donor retention, acquisition, and upgrades, while achieving established annual targets for the Redlands Fund, Woodbury Fund, and San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) Fund.
Manage all University-wide annual giving campaigns, including direct mail, email, social media, crowdfunding, and giving day initiatives.
Analyze giving trends, establish data-informed goals, and provide regular reports on participation and revenue progress.
Partner with Alumni and Community Relations to integrate annual giving efforts with alumni engagement programming and reunion campaigns.
Leverage donor data, predictive modeling, and segmentation tools to drive participation and giving growth across diverse audiences.
Utilize Slate CRM tools, analytics dashboards, and emerging technologies (including AI-assisted tools) to refine audience targeting, personalize outreach, and improve efficiency.
Partner with Advancement Services and University IT to ensure data integrity, process optimization, and effective tracking of donor engagement.
Apply insights from data visualization and trend analysis to inform strategy, improve donor retention, and identify upgrade opportunities.
Manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects for qualification, cultivation, and solicitation, with an emphasis on growing unrestricted support.
Coordinate donor strategies with senior leadership, major gift officers, and the annual giving team to ensure effective donor pipeline progression.
Recruit, train, and support volunteers to serve as peer-to-peer fundraisers, reunion gift leaders, and giving day champions.
Represent the University and the Advancement Division through presentations, public speaking, and meetings with diverse stakeholder groups, including staffing Alumni Board of Directors meetings and committees.
Supervise, coach, and evaluate members of the Annual Giving team, promoting a collaborative, inclusive, and goal-driven environment.
Foster innovation, professional growth, accountability, and high performance among staff members.
As a member of the Advancement team, participate fully in University activities such as Homecoming, Commencement, Annual Scholarship Luncheon, and Reunion weekends.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned or directed.