Director of Gift Planning - Scripps College
About The Position
Scripps College, a premier liberal arts college for women, is seeking an experienced advancement professional to lead and grow its planned giving program. This is an onsite opportunity in Claremont, California. The Director of Gift Planning will be responsible for helping donors create lasting legacies and expanding awareness of planned giving's impact within the Scripps community. The role involves close collaboration with advancement leadership, frontline fundraisers, trustees, and volunteers to cultivate donor relationships, develop innovative gift strategies, and strengthen a key philanthropic program. This position requires strategic planning, relationship management, marketing, and technical gift planning expertise to inspire transformational giving.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Five or more years of successful fundraising experience in planned giving, major gifts, or comparable advancement leadership.
- Demonstrated ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward philanthropic relationships.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, verbal, and presentation skills.
- Ability to explain complex financial and planned giving concepts in an approachable, donor-friendly manner.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and long-term initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working in higher education or another mission-driven nonprofit organization.
- Training or background in legal, financial planning, estate planning, or related disciplines.
- Understanding of women's philanthropy and the value of a liberal arts education.
Responsibilities
- Lead and continue building a comprehensive gift planning program that educates and inspires alumni, families, trustees, faculty, staff, and friends to make planned gifts.
- Serve as the College's subject matter expert on gift planning strategies, tax-smart philanthropy, and charitable giving vehicles.
- Stay current on gift planning trends, tax law changes, and philanthropic best practices to continually strengthen the program.
- Manage a national portfolio of approximately 150-250 planned giving prospects while developing individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
- Conduct approximately 120 donor visits annually.
- Partner with development officers and College leadership to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward planned gift prospects.
- Prepare customized gift proposals and collaborate with donors and their financial and legal advisors to help complete complex planned gifts.
- Expand awareness of gift planning through strategic communications, direct mail, print, digital marketing, and educational programming.
- Organize financial planning seminars and educational events for alumni, reunion attendees, parents, volunteers, and trustees across the country.
- Train advancement colleagues on planned giving opportunities and blended gift strategies to maximize fundraising success.
- Lead stewardship efforts for The Elm Tree Society, recognizing donors who have established planned gifts or legacy commitments.
- Develop meaningful annual engagement plans that celebrate and retain society members.
- Maintain accurate donor records, contact reports, and prospect strategies within the College's advancement database.
- Collaborate across the External Relations and Institutional Advancement team to support the College's overall fundraising priorities.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, and retirement benefits.
- Generous paid time off and holiday programs.
- Tuition assistance for eligible employees pursuing undergraduate degrees and, in some cases, job-related master's degrees.
- Tuition assistance for eligible dependent children of up to 50% of tuition and required undergraduate fees, subject to program guidelines and scholarship coordination.
- Additional employee wellness and work-life benefits available through The Claremont Colleges consortium.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
