Advancement Projects Coordinator

HR Partners; Topeka (KS); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation is seeking an Advancement Projects Coordinator to support fundraising, donor engagement, and membership activities from the Foundation Building office. The role coordinates major development projects, assists with campaigns, and maintains donor records with confidentiality and accuracy, reporting to the Chief of Staff.

Requires an associate degree (Bachelor’s preferred); strong Microsoft Office skills, attention to detail, and the ability to

Qualifications

• Associates degree is required; Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
• Experience in sales and/or customer service environment preferred.
• Knowledge of Washburn University preferred.
• Intermediate Microsoft Office skills, including mail-merge in Word, PowerPoint presentations, and data manipulation in Excel; relational databases preferred.
• Ability to proofread and strong writing skills.
• Ability to organize, multi-task, plan and set priorities with minimal supervision and as part of a team.
• Acute attention to detail and good judgment; strong interpersonal skills.
• Reliable and predictable attendance.

Responsibilities

• Organize and execute major development projects for the university, coordinating solicitations.
• Coordinate donor stewardship strategies and experiences for donors.
• Support annual giving campaigns, including Day of Giving.
• Liaise between Foundation and Board groups and assist with meetings and events.
• Support membership recruitment and stewardship campaigns.
• Manage daily credit card reports and cash deposits, and log deposits.
• Provide front desk coverage and greeting for visitors and callers.
• Maintain donor records and coordinate with data management.
• Prepare correspondence and reports, including non-standard data.
• Maintain confidential files and records with care.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Discretion

Education

Associate degree

Bachelor’s Degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Mail merge in Word

Excel data manipulation

Relational databases

Job description

Company: Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation
Job Title: Advancement Projects Coordinator
Job Classification: Non-exempt, full-time
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, between 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (occasional evening and weekend hours)
Reporting Relationship: Chief of Staff
Work Location: Onsite, Washburn University Foundation Building

Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation is committed to building a community of support to continuously strengthen Washburn University and enhance the educational opportunities and experiences of our students. We build life-long partnerships with alumni and friends, and secure, invest, and steward private financial support.

Primary Accountability: The Advancement Projects Coordinator supports the Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation's(“the Foundation”) fundraising, donor engagement, and membership efforts by coordinating projects, managing administrative office processes, and ensuring timely execution of key initiatives. This position serves as a key member of the administrative support team, becoming a central resource for project execution, tracking and cross-functional collaboration to help achieve the Foundation's fundraising and strategic goals.

Major Duties:

• At the direction of the development team, this person works to organize and execute major development projects in support of Washburn University, Washburn University Institute of Technology, and Washburn Athletics. This includes, but is not limited to, coordinating and following up on in-person, mail, phone, and digital solicitations related to major, planned and annual giving;
• In conjunction with the development and stewardship teams, helps to organize personalized stewardship strategies and experiences for donors;
• Works with the annual giving team to execute major campaigns such as the Day of Giving, Faculty/Staff Campaign, and other annual or special solicitations;
• Works with development directors to serve as liaison between the Foundation and Washburn Women’s Alliance (WWA) Board of Directors as well as the Washburn Women’s Venture Partners (WWVP); including meeting and event coordination;
• Works with the Alumni Association membership team to execute membership recruitment and stewardship campaigns;
• Serves as a co-lead for the daily credit card report and check and cash deposit, communicating significant gifts to the development team in a timely manner and preparing electronic deposit of cash receipts, credit card payments and related logs as needed;
• Is a key team member to the administrative team in helping to provide front office coverage and greeting visitors, answering the main phone line, and directing to appropriate staff person(s) or area;
• Has a thorough understanding of major donors and key stakeholders for the University and who they are working with at the organization to help answer questions as they arise;
• Prepares correspondence, form letters and other reports, sometimes involving non-standardized data or information of a complex nature.
• Prepares and maintains appropriate files and records of a confidential and sometimes complex nature;
• Maintains accurate records in the donor information system and sends updated information to the data management team; and
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Associates degree is required; Bachelor’s Degree preferred;
• Experience in sales and/or customer service environment preferred;
• Knowledge of Washburn University preferred;
• Intermediate level skills required in Microsoft Office software, including ability to perform mail-merges in Word, create presentations in PowerPoint, and manipulate data in Excel. Relational database experience preferred;
• Experience with office practices and procedures;
• Ability to proof-read and above average writing skill;
• Ability to organize, multi-task, plan and set priorities with minimal supervision and participate as part of a team;
• Acute attention to detail is required;
• Ability to exercise good judgment;
• Must exhibit strong interpersonal communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships inside and outside the Foundation and across all levels of the organization;
• Position continually requires demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information and situations; and
• Reliable and predictable attendance.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to sit for extended periods of time;
• Ability to read computer screens and mail; and,
• Ability to unpack and move supplies up to 50 lbs.

Work Environment:

• Professional and deadline-oriented environment in an office setting; and
• Interaction with staff and customers.

Additional Duties:

Additional duties and responsibilities may be added to this job description at any time. The job description does not state or imply that these are the only activities to be performed by the employee(s) holding this position. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related responsibilities as requested by their supervisor.

The Foundation does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, genetic information, military status or membership in other protected groups. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including but not limited to selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.