Gift Planning Executive Director
About The Position
The Gift Planning Executive Director leads the strategy, growth, and execution of RIT’s comprehensive planned and deferred giving program, advancing significant philanthropic investment in support of university priorities. As RIT’s senior subject-matter expert in charitable gift planning, the Executive Director sets program direction, and partners with university and advancement leadership to identify and advance sophisticated gift opportunities. The Executive Director personally manages a portfolio of high-capacity prospects and donors, developing and executing strategies that result in significant outright, blended, estate, and other complex planned gifts. Working directly with donors and their professional advisors, the Executive Director structures and negotiates charitable arrangements while leading consultation with fundraisers across University Advancement on planned giving strategies and opportunities. As a senior leader, the Executive Director is accountable for strengthening RIT’s planned giving pipeline and long-term philanthropic support, integrating planned giving across the donor lifecycle, and collaborating with senior leaders, Trustees, volunteers, and colleagues across RIT to advance institutional fundraising priorities. University Advancement RIT's University Advancement builds meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, friends, corporations, foundations, and other partners whose engagement and philanthropy advance the university's mission. The division is a collaborative, forward-thinking environment that values trust, accountability, innovation, and shared expertise. Advancement professionals have the opportunity to connect supporters with transformative initiatives that fuel student success, groundbreaking research, experiential learning, and programs that shape the future of technology, health sciences, and creative problem-solving.
Requirements
- Knowledge of cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts
- Skill in written and verbal communication
- Ability to network, establish, and foster working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Ability to manage multiple projects, take initiative, and coordinate follow-up
- Ability to collect, synthesize, and process information quickly and accurately
- Bachelor's degree in related field
- 12 years of relevant experience
- Equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered
Responsibilities
- Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards leadership annual gift and major gift donors and prospects in coordination with faculty, staff, and volunteers
- Manages a robust portfolio of prospects, creates fundraising strategies, develops relationships with donors, solicits gifts, and coordinates effective donor stewardship
- Develops an understanding of the educational, research, operational, and financial needs and goals of assigned college
- Cultivates relationships with alumni, parents, companies, and other friends, and collaborates with the teams in planned giving, principal giving, alumni relations, parent engagement, regional advancement, and corporate and foundation relations to encourage donors to support university initiatives
- Plans, coordinates, and directs special events for donors and prospects
- Updates the prospect management database with information related to donor strategies, proposals, contacts, and results
- Other duties as assigned
Benefits
- health insurance
- dental insurance
- vision insurance
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
