Director of Planned Giving

San José State University • San José, CA

6h

About The Position

The Director of Planned Giving is a key fundraising professional responsible for managing a portfolio of prospective and existing donors of planned and deferred gifts requiring financial and estate planning expertise. Reporting to the Senior Director of Planned Giving, this role works to build and deepen long-term relationships, guiding supporters and their advisors through the process of making significant legacy gifts to the university, including outright gifts, real estate, trusts and all forms of deferred giving (estate planning, bequests and other life income gifts). The Director serves as a subject matter expert on complex gift vehicles and collaborates closely with fundraising colleagues across campus to advance institutional priorities and secure support for strategic campaigns through strategic donor engagement. The incumbent works closely with the Senior Director to market and steward a robust program and serves as the backup resource and lead in the absence of the Senior Director.

Requirements

• Ability to communicate with constituents in a professional and respectful manner
• Demonstrated ability to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects and donors and effectively move them through the development cycle leading to closing six and seven-figure gifts
• Knowledge and understanding of planned giving programs, including charitable remainder trusts and gift annuities as well as gift management and stewardship
• Knowledge of planned giving vehicles, techniques and estate planning concepts
• Knowledge of charitable gift tax law and IRS regulations, as well as financial and estate planning techniques
• Skilled in successfully managing multiple projects on tight deadlines and under pressure in a dynamic and open environment
• Strong interpersonal, oral and written communication skills for both internal and external collaboration
• An organized, detail-oriented, and professional approach, with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information
• Experience in CRM/donor databases, Microsoft Office and gift-tracking tools
• Model high levels of professional ethics and integrity to all campus and external stakeholders
• Strong initiative and self-motivation and ability to work as part of a collaborative team
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• A minimum of three years of successful development, financial planning, asset management and/or fundraising-related experience

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree or certification in fundraising
• Experience in higher education, hospital, and/or related non-profit fundraising environment
• Experience with various gift and estate planning strategies and technical practices
• Experience with California-specific philanthropic landscape or professional advisor networks

Responsibilities

• Identify and cultivate a portfolio of planned giving, major giving and blended gift prospects through regular and direct engagement with high level donors and alumni
• Conduct a high volume of productive donor visits and document all donor contacts and activities in the university’s CRM database to ensure a clear record of engagement.
• Achieve and exceed the annual goals set by the Senior Director and VP of University Advancement
• Solicit and close a variety of planned gifts, including bequests, charitable trusts, charitable gift annuities and gifts of non-cash assets (e.g., real estate, securities) that reach the annual fundraising goals for this position level
• Prepare customized proposals and supporting materials that align with donor interests and explain the financial implications of various gift plans
• Ensure legal recordkeeping requirements are met regarding documentation of planned gifts
• Guide the donor and/or their advisors to complete gift agreements or statements of intent, clarifying objectives and obtaining and recording pertinent information.
• Inform the donor, tax, legal and financial advisors of the university policies regarding planned gifts
• Partner with the Senior Planned Giving Director with all aspects of the legacy group (Heritage Society) and ensure its effective stewardship and growth
• Serve as the primary resource on planned giving vehicles, providing technical advice and support to donors, their professional advisors (e.g., attorneys, accountants, financial planners, bank trust officers, chartered life underwriters) and development colleagues in the design and structure of deferred or planned gifts
• Lead the collaboration with college development directors to identify planned gift opportunities within their portfolios and execute joint cultivation and solicitation strategies
• Collaborate in the development and delivery of training sessions and educational materials for internal staff and volunteers to understand planned giving and the identification of new prospects
• Responsible for the creation of marketing strategies and materials to raise awareness of planned giving opportunities at the university (e.g., educational seminars, Heritage Society newsletters and events, outreach campaigns)
• Build and maintain relationships with estate and financial planning professionals in the community to generate new leads and enhance the university’s network
• Work closely with various campus departments and University Advancement units to ensure seamless gift processing
• Maintain knowledge of current tax laws, regulations and best practices in gift planning by attending conferences, training sessions and online learning opportunities, and subscribing to relevant listservs and blogs
• Participate in and contribute to the formulation of policies and procedures related to gift planning, university fundraising and donor engagement
• Manage database integrity by ensuring that donor and prospect information is current
• Lead front office assignments as necessary
• Serve on university and division-wide committees as assigned by the Senior Planned Giving Director

Benefits

• San José State University offers employees a comprehensive benefits package typically worth 30-35% of your base salary.
• For more information on programs available, please see the Employee Benefits Summary

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director