Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving Programs

Holy Cross; Worcester, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Holy Cross, located in Worcester, MA, seeks an Assistant/Associate Director to lead Leadership Annual Giving programs and strengthen donor relationships across campus. You will coordinate fundraising communications, collaborate with Advancement Services, Major Gifts, and Alumni Relations, and help maximize philanthropic impact.

The role partners with the Director of Leadership Annual Giving to refine donor giving societies, track engagement metrics, and stay current with best practices in

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 1–3 years of fundraising/advancement experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to travel and work occasional evenings/weekends.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement leadership annual giving strategies to increase donor participation and retention.
• Coordinate messaging, campaign timelines, and communications with Marketing & Communications.
• Manage multi-channel fundraising campaigns and serve as project manager across teams.
• Assist in planning annual giving initiatives, Giving Day, and donor outreach for 2,500+ donors.
• Collaborate with Class Engagement on engagement of young alumni.

Skills

Relationship building

Communication

Organizational skills

Travel flexibility

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Ellucian CRM Advance

Blackbaud

Salesforce

Job description

At Holy Cross, we are focused on creating a world-class workforce by attracting and retaining employees dedicated to fostering a culture of professionalism, pride, mutual trust, and respect— one that values appreciation and recognition, empowering each of us to flourish both individually and collectively. We seek candidates who are inspired by our mission and values, and who are eager to make a meaningful difference on our campus. Learn more about Life at Holy Cross here. As a collaborative member of the Advancement team, the Assistant/Associate Director works closely with colleagues across Leadership Giving, Communications, Alumni Relations, Advancement Services, and Major Gifts to strengthen donor relationships, enhance leadership giving programs, coordinate fundraising communications, and support the College's philanthropic priorities. Reporting to the Director of Leadership Annual Giving, this position serves as an important connector across departments, ensuring that fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and marketing efforts are aligned to maximize impact.

Job Description Major Areas of Responsibility

• Partner with the Director of Annual Leadership Giving to develop and implement comprehensive leadership annual giving strategies that increase donor participation, retention, and philanthropic support.
• Serve as a primary liaison between the Office of Advancement and Marketing & Communications team to coordinate leadership annual giving messaging, campaign timelines, and communication strategies.
• Collaborate on the development and execution of integrated, multi-channel fundraising campaigns, including serving as a project manager between the Director, the marketing team, and advancement services.
• Assist in the strategic planning and implementation of annual giving initiatives, including Giving Day, fiscal year-end outreach and campaigns, parent giving, leadership giving societies, and targeted donor outreach to strengthen relationships with donors giving $2,500+.
• Collaborate with the Class Engagement team on engagement and solicitation of young alumni.
• Monitor Holy Cross Fund and donor engagement metrics and provide recommendations to improve fundraising results.
• Assist in the development and refinement of donor giving societies, recognition programs, and leadership giving benefits to strengthen donor engagement and retention.
• Partner with Advancement Services to ensure accurate donor segmentation, gift processing, reporting, and campaign tracking.
• Stay informed on emerging trends and best practices in annual giving, donor engagement, and digital philanthropy, recommending innovative strategies to enhance program effectiveness.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• One to three years of professional experience in fundraising, advancement, higher education, nonprofit management, sales, relationship management, or a related field.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships with diverse constituencies.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to analyze information, exercise sound judgment, and maintain confidentiality.
• Willingness and ability to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends for donor visits and College events.
• Valid driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education advancement or nonprofit fundraising.
• Experience managing a donor or client portfolio.
• Familiarity with fundraising databases and CRM systems, such as Ellucian CRM Advance, Blackbaud, Salesforce, or similar platforms.
• Experience collaborating with volunteers or volunteer leadership groups.
• Knowledge of annual giving strategies and donor pipeline development.

Salary

The Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving Programs offers a salary range of $55,000-$60,000 commensurate with education and experience.

Weekly Hours: 40

Additional Information

To review our generous benefits options, please review our detailed information here or check out our Benefits at a Glance. The College also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring process in compliance with law. Please contact Human Resources for questions or to request an accommodation via email at [e-mail], or by calling 508-793-3391. The College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning Equal Opportunity in the workplace. Founded in 1843 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the College of the Holy Cross is among the nation's leading liberal arts institutions. A highly selective, four-year, exclusively undergraduate college of 3,200 students, Holy Cross is renowned for offering a rigorous, personalized education in the Jesuit, Catholic tradition. Holy Cross highly values the unique skills, perspective, talents and passion that each employee contributes to its learning community. To work at The College is to accept an invitation to participate in the growth and development of all campus members, students, faculty and staff. The College's commitment to diversity is an important feature of the Holy Cross education. Informed by the presence of diverse interpretations of the human experience, Holy Cross is building a community marked by freedom, mutual respect, and civility. We seek others who support our values of justice and inclusiveness and encourage all to apply. For the third year in a row, Holy Cross is honored to be a WorkWell winner and a Top 100 Healthiest Employer in America! Learn more about life at Holy Cross on our LinkedIn Life page or view our website to explore our generous benefit offerings.