Annual Giving Lead - Student & Alumni Engagement

University of Detroit Mercy; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Detroit Mercy is seeking an enthusiastic Assistant Director of Annual Giving to lead student philanthropy initiatives, including the senior class gift campaign, young alumni engagement, parent giving, employee giving, the matching gift program, and reunion giving.

The role requires collaboration with the Advancement team to achieve annual fundraising goals, enhance donor engagement, and promote lifelong support for the university.

Qualifications

• Six months to two years of work experience or equivalent.
• Strong interpersonal skills and empathy to engage students and young alumni.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships across diverse groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Familiarity with social media and digital engagement strategies.
• Experience planning events and coordinating programs for student or alumni audiences.
• Analytical mindset with ability to interpret engagement data.
• Proven collaboration across departments and teams.
• Demonstrated leadership and initiative in program development.
• Flexibility to adapt strategies to evolving university priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the senior class gift campaign and alumni engagement initiatives.
• Develop and implement programs to educate students in philanthropy from freshman year onward.
• Coordinate events that promote student giving and recognize student donors.
• Engage young alumni with targeted campaigns and volunteer groups.
• Create and manage events and communications for young alumni.
• Collaborate with Parents Council to engage parents in giving.
• Oversee employee giving program and recognize donor participation.
• Manage the university's matching gift program and promote awareness.
• Coordinate reunion giving and milestone-reunion activities.
• Assist in annual giving campaigns across direct mail, email, and social channels.
• Work with the Director of Annual Giving to cultivate prospective donors using data analytics.
• Maintain donor interaction records in the university CRM system.
• Prepare reports evaluating program effectiveness and suggest improvements.
• Represent the university at events to promote fundraising goals.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Empathy

Relationship building

Communication skills

Social media savvy

Event planning

Analytical and data-driven

Collaboration

Leadership

Adaptability

Job description

University of Detroit Mercy is seeking an enthusiastic Assistant Director of Annual Giving to lead student philanthropy initiatives, including the senior class gift campaign, young alumni engagement, parent giving, employee giving, the matching gift program, and reunion giving.

The role requires collaboration with the Advancement team to achieve annual fundraising goals, enhance donor engagement, and promote lifelong support for the university.