Director of Development and Alumni Relations, School of Business

THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT FOUNDATION INC•Mansfield, CT

5d•$85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Development and Alumni Relations is responsible for the planning and execution of fundraising and alumni programs that engage the School of Business’ alumni and contribute to the fundraising priorities. This includes serving as a liaison between the school, the alumni auxiliary groups of the school, Development colleagues, and the Alumni Relations team to support the goals of the School and Foundation through shared resources and collaborative initiatives.

Requirements

Be a champion for inclusive priorities both internally and externally.
High level of motivation, as well as an ability to exercise independent judgment.
Strong interpersonal skills, tact, and diplomacy.
The ability to build productive, beneficial relationships with a broad range of constituencies.
Strong written and verbal communications skills, including ability to effectively communicate University priorities to donors and prospects, and to positively represent the University and Foundation.
Familiar with the use of computers and information management tools, such as CRMs (Blackbaud).
Ability to handle multiple tasks, to assess and order priorities, and to track details in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to engender trust and confidence of donors and prospective donors and to maintain confidentiality of donor information; ability to represent the UConn Foundation to prospects, donors, faculty, administrators, and others.
Ability to work to the demands of the position, which may exceed a 40-hour work week.
Attention to and concern for others.
Requires lifting up to 25 pounds, moving equipment and the ability to move a rolling cart.
Must be willing to travel extensively.
Reliable personal transportation is required for this position.
Must possess a valid driver’s license issued from the state in which the employee resides.
Employees must maintain at their expense, automobile liability insurance coverage in the minimum amount of $500,000 or a combination of umbrella and automobile liability insurance coverage of $500,000.
A certificate of automobile insurance evidencing the limit, must be provided to the Foundation at hire and annually thereafter.
Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred
5+ years of experience in alumni relations, as a major gift fundraiser, and/or relevant transferable skills
Competence in Microsoft Office suite and donor management systems.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

Manage an alumni portfolio of up to 60.
Raise between $150,000 - $300,000 per year.
Approximately 50% of workload is committed to engaging donors, drafting plans for prospect engagement, developing tailored proposals, and staffing the dean and others as needed.
Support the School of Business and campaign priorities by reaching unit fundraising goals and collaborating with the Senior Director of Development for the School, central fundraising teams, and other Foundation departments.
Identify, cultivate and engage Business alumni and current students into new (or existing) programmatic opportunities that lead to increased involvement, strengthened networks, and aid fundraising for the School of Business locally and nationally.
Partner and collaborate with the Senior Director to support engagement activities of the School of Business’s Dean’s Cabinet to assist with their efforts to increase support for the School.
Evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of programs/services, including identification of problems, recommended improvements, and implementation of changes.
Identify opportunities to highlight Business events and achievements in research, teaching, and service, as well as student and alumni achievements through Alumni Relations and school’s communication team.
Monitor annual operating budgets for all related programs; stay on budget while ensuring good return on investment and maximizing the alumni experience.
Collaborate closely with donors, volunteers, and University leaders to identify new prospects.
Perform administrative duties related to advancement work Including documenting activity, writing proposals, inputting engagement plans in relationship management database, and adhering to Foundation policies.
Contribute to the overall productivity and efficiency of the Division/Department’s development staff, by meeting or exceeding goals in a metrics-driven environment.
Develop and support clearly defined and strategic fundraising priorities within the campaign and articulate compelling cases to advance these priorities.
Model and articulate the Foundation’s organizational core values at all times.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Demonstrate the ability to personally solicit gifts of $10,000 and above.
Collaborate with the Prospect Management and Research team to increase and grow the major gift pipeline and overall fundraising success of the unit.
Collaborate and partner with major gift officers in their effort to secure major gifts in support of the Business School.
Collaborate with Stakeholder Engagement to steward donors, engage with alumni, and support events specific to your unit.
Provide visible leadership across the entire organization by engaging in organization-wide activities such as development management meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events.