Executive Director of Development and Alumni Engagement, Josef Korbel School of Global Affairs & Public Policy

University of Denver•Denver, CO

16h•$140,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Executive Director of Development and Alumni Engagement reports directly to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Engagement and works closely with the Dean of the Korbel School. This position plays a key role in developing and enhancing relationships with major and principal gift prospects, discovering their philanthropic passions, and aligning them with the funding priorities emerging from Korbel’s remarkable academic centers and The Denver Difference Campaign. The Executive Director will develop and mature a portfolio of major gift donors in pursuit of individual fundraising goals set annually in collaboration with the Assistant Vice Chancellor and the Dean of the Korbel School. The Executive Director will also collaborate with Advancement leadership, colleagues, and university administrators to establish short- and long-term strategies and monitor progress toward goals. The successful candidate for this important role will possess a deep commitment to elevating the state of democracy in the United States and abroad as well as a demonstrated ability to galvanize support to advance this cause. They will have a keen awareness and appreciation for emerging issues of security, sustainability and the global economy, and a strong passion for the Korbel School’s work in developing a generation of leaders who will address them. The Executive Director will work in partnership with the Dean of the Korbel School to frame these (and other) complex issues and global challenges in ways that resonate with individuals and communities. This position is eligible for hybrid work, will require quarterly travel to key markets outside of Denver, and will support the team with occasional events and evening activity attendance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
9 years of professional experience, including 7 years of direct fundraising experience.
Consistently raise leadership and principal gifts, implement campaign strategies and outcomes, and develop long-term philanthropic strategies for top prospects.
Demonstrated ability to cultivate and close gifts of $1,000,000+ and build transformational donor partnerships.
Serve as team/unit spokesperson both internally and externally.
Author complex and compelling donor proposals.
Demonstrate sound judgment in situations requiring independent decision-making and in handling confidential and sensitive material.
Navigate institutional change and disruption with political acumen.
Build and manage both individual and team portfolios of prospects ensuring proposal activity is robust and positioned to achieve annual and campaign goals.
Align fundraising with institutional priorities and budgets & develop advanced knowledge of the academic budgeting process and financial planning.
Architect and implement long-term fundraising strategies and campaign planning.
Champion data-driven culture to use time and tools most effectively.
Foster effective enterprise-wide collaboration and lead cross-functional initiatives.
Supervise Advancement professionals and manage complex teams, providing coaching and mentoring while holding teams accountable to excellence.

Nice To Haves

Fundraising experience in higher education or a comparably complex nonprofit environment.
Graduate Degree, preferably in a field related to international studies or public policy.

Responsibilities

Raise $3-10M or more annually when the portfolio is fully mature. Achieve Korbel’s annual and campaign dollar goals.
Typical performance metrics include face-to-face visits, major gift solicitations and multichannel asks, and qualification activities for leadership and principal gift prospects.
Cultivate and solicit gifts at the principal, leadership, and high major gift levels with a focus on prospects with the capacity to make gifts of $500K-$1M+.
Identify and qualify major gift rated prospects with a focus on donor-centric approaches and maximizing gift size and impact to the University of Denver.
Manage a portfolio of top prospects at the major, leadership, and principal gifts levels for the Korbel using fast-paced moves management techniques.
Solicit managed prospects for annual gifts as appropriate.
When appropriate, leverage volunteers to facilitate strategic development activities.
Own the creation and execution of unit and interdisciplinary campaign strategies.
Primary advancement professional working with the Dean of Korbel, serving as a key strategist, chief fundraiser, and trusted advisor, making sound decisions on the best course of action for DU in the long term.
Manage and coach a team of one (1) full-time professional fundraiser and one (1) alumni engagement professional, driving productivity through a supportive and accountability-based team culture.
Provide leadership representation for the unit, internally and externally.
Partner with Korbel leadership to create a campaign philanthropic vision and execute that vision.
Staff university leadership and participate in principal gift strategy sessions, when appropriate.
Participate in group strategy discussions, provide project leadership, and share information with colleagues towards the achievement of the overall goals of the academic units.
Engage in Advancement goal-setting processes for fundraising, engagement, and stewardship.
Effectively and responsibly steward budgetary and other resources.
Staff and manage philanthropic boards and councils, including the Social Science Foundation Board.
Develop and implement donor engagement programs, recognition events, and stewardship initiatives.
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, volunteer management, and dollars raised.
Manage complex projects and initiatives in compliance with university policies and procedures.
Manage complex prospects with multiple areas of interest across the university. Model “One DU” approach.
Serve on the Korbel School leadership team.
Serve as unit lead in collaborative goal setting for annual stewardship, annual giving, event, donor relations, and alumni engagement activities.