Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving

The University Of Chicago; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 63,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Assistant Director for Leadership Annual Giving to drive fundraising initiatives and engage alumni effectively. This role involves developing and executing strategies to cultivate relationships with potential donors, ensuring a robust pipeline of support for the College's mission. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in fundraising, outstanding communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively within a team. This exciting opportunity allows you to make a significant impact on educational goals while working in a dynamic environment that values innovation and engagement.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Retirement Plans

Paid Time Off

Professional Development Opportunities

Flexible Work Schedule

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of experience in fundraising or related fields.
• Strong leadership skills and ability to engage with alumni.

Responsibilities

• Manage outreach to secure philanthropic support from alumni.
• Execute targeted fundraising strategies for donor engagement.

Skills

Fundraising

Relationship Building

Communication Skills

Strategic Planning

Networking

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Advanced Degree

Tools

Griffin (Donor Relationship Management System)

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving

Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving

Apply remote type Hybrid locations Chicago, IL time type Full time posted on Posted 3 Days Ago job requisition id JR29558

Department

ARD Leadership Annual Giving & Reunions

About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

The College Development team raises $80M-$100M annually, advancing philanthropic partnerships with key alumni, parents and friends of the College to support the educational goals of its undergraduates. This includes support for financial aid, teaching and research, career development, international study, athletics, and housing.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving will play a crucial role in advancing the College’s fundraising goals by managing strategic outreach aimed at securing philanthropic support from alumni around the country. This position involves outreach that fosters alumni engagement and philanthropic support among graduates of the College. The Assistant Director will create and execute targeted fundraising strategies to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward alumni, ensuring a robust pipeline of future donors and leaders.

This role implements programs designed to meet fundraising goals for contributed income with moderate guidance. Helps build relationships with alumni, faculty, administrators and organizations with potential to make gifts at the instruction of others. Executes communication strategies for projects.

The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a track record of successful fundraising, and the ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships with donors. This role offers an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on The College's mission through effective leadership and innovative fundraising strategies.

Responsibilities

• Plans and implements strategies for a coordinated program of fundraising activities for College alumni and leadership gift prospects.
• Plans and executes a target of 100 prospect visits and 75 solicitations, traveling as necessary to visit prospects.
• Develops short- and long-term plans for soliciting and stewarding donors who are capable of making gifts between $2,500-$100K over four-to-five-year pledge.
• Collaborates with internal partners to build a cohesive Leadership Annual Giving strategy.
• Delivers timely and effective follow-up in various forms to prospects and donors, including customized fundraising proposals.
• Generates timely contact reports in prospect database following prospect or donor visits.
• Collaborates with staff throughout Alumni Relations and Development to increase leadership annual gift activity on behalf of the College.
• Maintains expert-level knowledge of the College giving priorities and annual funds.
• Participates in meetings and events as needed.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Identifies and qualifies prospects by aiding in expanding the pool of potential donors and participating in outreach events. Manages a portfolio of prospective donors.
• Build relationships with a variety of different individuals within the University in the assigned divisions and departments of those who make charitable gifts.
• Writes timely and strategic correspondences to advance relationships.
• Works with others to maximize prospective donor cultivation.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of two years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales or similar professional work.
• Knowledge of managing gift prospects.
• Soliciting and closing gifts of $100 or more.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, including Griffin (the University's Donor Relationship Management System), Microsoft Windows computer environment, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Preferred Competencies

• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Self-motivated and take initiative.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.

Working Conditions

• Standard office environment.
• Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Work evenings and weekends.
• This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.
• This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in-office presence.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Alumni Relations & Development

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$63,750.00 - $75,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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