Annual Giving & Donor Retention Director

Keuka College; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Educational assistance

Life insurance

Generous paid time off

Retirement with matching contributions

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Keuka College is seeking a Director of Annual Giving to lead a comprehensive annual giving program that engages alumni, parents, and friends. This role focuses on donor retention, participation growth, and building a sustainable donor pipeline, with gifts typically ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.

The Director works with advancement colleagues to support fundraising priorities, move qualified prospects into the major gift program, and use data to improve performance and reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required and 5+ years in annual giving or frontline fundraising.
• Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising.
• Proven success in managing comprehensive annual giving programs and securing leadership gifts.
• Strong data analysis and data-driven recommendations.
• Experience in developing and implementing communication and stewardship strategies.
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends for donor events.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive annual giving strategy to grow unrestricted support from alumni, parents, and friends.
• Lead the development, implementation, and achievement of annual goals for donor participation, retention, and revenue growth.
• Coordinate multi-channel fundraising campaigns including direct mail, social media, and giving days.
• Cultivate and solicit leadership gifts typically ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.
• Manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving donors and prospects through strategic relationship-building.
• Identify, research, and qualify prospects through data analysis, events, and discovery visits.
• Design strategies to move donors from participation to leadership support.
• Work closely with Major Gift Officers to transition qualified donors into the major gift portfolio.
• Support coordinated moves management to maximize donor engagement and long-term philanthropic growth.
• Track donor engagement, campaign performance, and pipeline activity using NXT.
• Analyze giving trends and campaign results to refine strategy and improve performance.
• Maintain accurate documentation of donor interactions and fundraising activity.
• Partner with alumni engagement and communications teams to integrate fundraising messaging into engagement opportunities.
• Collaborate with advancement services to ensure accurate reporting, segmentation, and donor stewardship.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Verbal & written communication

Integrity & confidentiality

Data analysis

Technology proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Blackbaud NXT

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Keuka College is seeking a Director of Annual Giving to lead a comprehensive annual giving program that engages alumni, parents, and friends. This role focuses on donor retention, participation growth, and building a sustainable donor pipeline, with gifts typically ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.

The Director works with advancement colleagues to support fundraising priorities, move qualified prospects into the major gift program, and use data to improve performance and reporting.