Director of Philanthropy

The University of Memphis•Memphis, TN

6d•$90,000 - $96,000

About The Position

The Director of Philanthropy is a frontline fundraising professional who independently manages a portfolio of individual donors and prospects while collaborating with a team. The position contributes to either the STEAM Team, supporting colleges and units in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, or the Business and Law Team, which advances philanthropy for the Business and Law colleges. The Director develops personalized donor engagement and solicitation strategies, cultivates long-term relationships that align donor interests with university and team priorities, and works with academic leaders and advancement colleagues to develop proposals and solicit major gifts of $50,000 and above. The role also collaborates with planned giving, principal gifts, and other advancement partners to provide a seamless donor experience. The position requires travel for 40% of work time, including occasional overnight travel, and attendance at some evening and weekend donor events. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.; employment visa sponsorship or transfer is not available. This recruitment may result in multiple hires. Existing candidates for this readvertised position need not reapply.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
Seven years of experience in fundraising, preferably in higher education or a complex nonprofit setting.
Ability to cultivate relationships with people interested in supporting The University of Memphis.
Strong critical-thinking and decision-making skills.
Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to travel 40% of work time, including occasional overnight travel, and work some evenings and weekends.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, developing personalized strategies to cultivate relationships and inspire major gift commitments.
Create and implement engagement and fundraising plans aligned with donor interests and university and team initiatives.
Conduct in-person or virtual donor visits, cultivation activities, and stewardship interactions.
Provide joyful, mission-aligned donor experiences.
Meet or exceed annual performance goals, potentially including face-to-face and qualification visits, proposals submitted, gifts booked and closed, and fundraising dollars raised.
Identify and qualify new individual prospects through discovery visits and outreach, assess philanthropic capacity and interest, and transition qualified prospects into the major gift portfolio.
Develop and present proposals for major gifts in support of university priorities.
Collaborate with university leadership to coordinate major gift solicitations and secure commitments.
Share insights and align donor engagement strategies with the philanthropy team.
Build productive partnerships with deans, faculty, and administrative leaders so fundraising strategies reflect academic priorities and instructional goals.
Partner with the director of planned giving to identify blended and planned gift opportunities and assist with related proposals as appropriate.
Work with the senior director of principal gifts on principal gift strategy, including cultivation and solicitation of gifts of $1,000,000 and above.
Coordinate with annual giving, donor success, and alumni relations to support a seamless donor engagement journey.
Participate in team meetings, cross-unit planning, and collaborative initiatives supporting shared performance goals.
Model and activate advancement's core values of Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Excellent Communication.
Use advancement systems and technology platforms to support efficiency, strategic planning, and transparent communication.
Maintain accurate CRM/database documentation of donor interactions, strategies, and outcomes.
Ensure fund agreements and financial commitments are processed accurately and promptly.
Work with Advancement Records and Gifts to maintain donor record integrity and manage gift processing.
Participate in performance management and goal-setting, including Personal Success Plans and annual work plans.
Perform other duties as assigned.