Director of Gift Planning

Connecticut College•New London, CT

68d•$110,000 - $125,000

About The Position

This highly organized, highly principled professional will manage all activities related to a comprehensive planned giving program for Connecticut College. This person will also serve as internal adviser to staff and volunteers regarding planned gift commitments from individuals as well as charitable issues associated with tax and estate planning. The Director of Planned Giving is also an advancement officer, managing a portfolio of approximately 75-125 individual planned and leadership gift prospects. The Officer is an integral member of the College Advancement team, working closely with staff from Annual Fund, Alumni and Family Engagement, Leadership Gifts, Donor Relations, Advancement Services and Communications to grow the program. The Director of Gift Planning also manages the Rosemary Park Society, the College's gift planning society, and serves on the College's Art Acquisition Committee.

Requirements

Bachelors Degree and five years of a proven track record soliciting and closing planned gifts and/or leadership gifts from assigned prospects.
Knowledge of planned giving vehicles, including charitable gift annuities and charitable trusts
Ability to gain the confidence of donors and to build relationships.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex principles in a manner easily understood by a potential donor.
Knowledge of PGCalc or other planned giving software.
Proficiency with standard office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and experience in manipulating database information.
Knowledge of planned giving best practices and of current tax law.
Extensive travel required.
Occasional night and weekend responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

J.D. or other advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Solicit and close planned gifts, maintaining a portfolio of 75 - 125 prospects, while continuously stewarding gift planning prospects through meetings and other engagement opportunities.
Manage the entirety of Connecticut College's planned giving program including program marketing, stewardship, the budget, and the Rosemary Park Society.
Provide expertise on complicated gift cases, maintaining the highest levels of knowledge and expertise possible with regard to planned giving techniques, vehicles, tax laws, charitable giving procedures and professional ethics and practices.
Lead trust and estate management at the College for all bequest interactions.
Advise leadership gifts officers ways to integrate gift planning into the gift strategy for all donors.
Create and implement a comprehensive planned giving marketing plan that is multichanneled - print, web, email, etc.
Develop and implement long range strategic planning for growth of the planned giving program
Independently manage a portfolio of prospects capable of making planned and/or outright gifts; this portfolio of prospects for planned gifts will cover a wide geographic area.
Secure 8-10 personal visits per month: conduct personal solicitations, write proposals and maintain alumni records and prospect data by providing up-to-date information on contacts, visits, moves, asks and other activities.
Create gift proposals, PG Calc illustrations, inquiry packets, and acknowledgment letters, or supervise staff assisting with implementation.
Provide strategy and direction for trustees, campaign lead volunteers, college leadership, and members of the Advancement team.
Regularly make informative or training presentations to alumni groups, volunteer and board committees, staff, and others to educate the community and increase program participation.
Guide Leadership Gifts team and other staff on the process for gift acceptance, and work closely with colleagues through the process to secure complex gifts such as real estate and trust gifts.
Collaborate with finance staff, outside legal counsel and others, as appropriate, to ensure the highest standard of accountability and compliance with relevant tax laws and accepted accounting principles for gift recognition.
Serve as liaison between the College and Northern Trust regarding life income gift processing and investment; Manage the internal administration of life income gifts and the bequest program; Maintain regular contact with third party advisors, including estate attorneys and financial planners to build relationships, promote awareness of Connecticut College.
Manage administrative support for planned giving; providing specific job guidance, regular performance feedback, mentoring, formal performance assessment, and professional development to administrative support role(s).
Steward the College's legacy society - Rosemary Park Society - and review the files of the members to ensure that the College has written confirmation of their gift intentions.
Work with donor relations to implement effective donor stewardship for planned giving donors; including holding an annual society event.
Manage any planned giving advisory or volunteer efforts.
In conjunction with Advancement Communications and Donor Relations, coordinate the design and implementation of comprehensive planned giving marketing plan to encourage self identification of prospects and create broad awareness of gift planning opportunities among current donors and prospective donors.
Manage the production of print and electronic collateral, web content, and social media messages.
In collaboration with Alumni Relations and Annual Giving colleagues, market planned gift options to class volunteers, reunion classes, alumni boards, and other annual giving or alumni groups.