Director of Development, Parent & Family Giving and Student Experience

University of Denver•Denver, CO

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Development, Parent & Family Giving and Student Experience reports to the Senior Director of Development, PFG&SA. The role is responsible for cultivating and soliciting major and leadership gifts in Colorado and select regions, with a focus on parents and student experience priorities. The Director will develop and mature their assigned portfolio of donors while partnering with institutional leaders, fundraising professionals, and key stakeholders, managing top prospects to meet annual fundraising goals set with the Senior Director. This highly collaborative position requires strong relationship-building skills and the ability to design and implement tailored cultivation and solicitation strategies, as well as foster extensive value-added relationships with Advancement colleagues and campus partners. The Director must effectively engage new constituents and steward early-stage gifts toward major commitments. Performance metrics include donor visits, new major-gift qualifications, solicitations, and dollars raised. The ideal candidate brings the strategic mindset, persistence, and professionalism needed to drive philanthropic outcomes in a mission-driven environment. The Parent & Family Giving and Student Experience team leads relationships with high-capacity DU parents, focusing on campuswide priorities including the 4D Experience, the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus, and undergraduate scholarships. Through personalized cultivation and a deep understanding of the student journey, the team inspires generosity that fuels DU’s mission, ensuring each gift makes a lasting difference in the lives of students and the future of the University.

Requirements

7 years of professional experience, including 5 years of direct fundraising experience
Demonstrated experience closing gifts at the leadership annual giving ($1,000+) and major gifts ($50,000+) level

Nice To Haves

Fundraising experience in higher education or a similarly complex nonprofit environment

Responsibilities

Develop and execute complex fundraising strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gift prospects
Manage a portfolio of donors with capacity to make gifts of $50,000+.
Leverage campaign priorities and university initiatives to inspire philanthropic investment in alignment with donor priorities
Solicit donors for gifts of $50,000+ through a variety of channels, including blended gifts and multi-year commitments.
Represent the university’s breadth of academic programs and initiatives in donor conversations and proposals.
Responsible for raising $1,000,000+ annually, through a combination of leadership annual gifts and major gifts, once the portfolio is mature.
Contribute to annual and campaign goals by securing gifts aligned with institutional priorities and strategic initiatives.
Support top donor/prospect engagement via participation in development of Parent Leadership Council meetings and other experiences
Partner with campus leaders to develop compelling philanthropic proposals in alignment with campaign priorities
Articulate the impact of philanthropy through customized communications, reports, and donor experiences.
Ensure accurate and timely entry of contact reports and donor data in the CRM.
Track and report on key performance indicators such as qualifications, visits, solicitations, and dollars raised.
Manage complex projects and initiatives in compliance with university policies and procedures.
Travel and manage regional outreach, serving as market expert and partnering with colleagues, when appropriate.
Steward budgetary and operational resources to support fundraising success and team efficiency.
Collaborate with central and and unit-based advancement teams to coordinate donor engagement and strategy execution.
Participate in cross-functional planning and strategy sessions to support integrated advancement goals.
Serve as an advancement representative with campus partners.
Provide strategic guidance and mentorship to development team members and support staff.
Prepare, debrief, and coach colleagues and campus partners for donor meetings and solicitations.
Develop market expertise that includes providing support for campus leadership and influencing market strategy in assigned region(s).