Assistant Director of Annual Giving

Lafayette College; Easton (Northampton County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Lafayette College is seeking an Assistant Director of Annual Giving to build strategic frameworks, toolkit designs, and messaging for scalable annual giving programs. You will partner with the Executive Director to support premier volunteer cohorts, including Trustee giving and Alumni groups, bridging fundraising strategy with volunteer execution using real-time impact data.

You will lead development of case materials, stewardship content, and volunteer solicitors' resources, receiving intensive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or Event Management preferred.
• 1–3 years in higher education, advancement, alumni relations, or related annual fund experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• High-Value Volunteer Network Support: prepare briefing materials, toolkits, and solicitation content for volunteer leaders and the Executive Director.
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Skills

Strong organizational skills

Excellent communication

Team orientation

Flexible to work evenings/weekends

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Google Suite

CRM platforms

Microsoft Office

Hustle texting

Job description

Assistant Director of Annual Giving

Lafayette College: Human Resources: Staff Positions: Advancement

Location: Easton, PA

Open Date: Aug 13, 2026

Description

The Assistant Director of Annual & Leadership Giving (Campaign Operations & High-Value Networks) is a foundational, fast-paced role designed to build the strategic frameworks, volunteer toolkits, and messaging necessary to scale Lafayette's annual giving program. Serving as a direct operational partner to the Executive Director, this position provides high-level support for Lafayette's premier volunteer cohorts, including Trustee giving, the Alumni Association Board, Affinity Groups, and Regional Councils. This role is responsible for bridging the gap between fundraising strategy and volunteer execution by gathering real-time campus impact data, drafting advanced case-making and stewardship materials, and equipping volunteer solicitors with the resources needed to drive results. This position offers intensive, on-the-job training in elite volunteer management, direct frontline fundraising, and strategic annual giving operations.

Position Responsibilities & Essential Functions

1. High-Value Volunteer Network Support & Partnership (30%)
   • Board Prep & Material Design: Author and prepare sophisticated briefings, volunteer toolkits, presentation decks, and specialized solicitation materials required by volunteer leaders and the Executive Director to drive board giving.
   • On-the-Job Volunteer Mastery: Actively participate in strategic planning sessions and board meetings alongside the Executive Director, developing advanced competencies in peer-to-peer volunteer cultivation, management, and governance.
   • Board & Council Alignment: Coordinate with Regional Council and Affinity Group engagement leads across the division to ensure that broad alumni engagement initiatives are leveraged to identify, track, and support high-potential volunteer fundraising pipelines.
2. Impact Gathering, Case-Making, & Stewardship Messaging (25%)
   • Campus Story Scouting: Build deep partnerships with campus units, faculty, and student groups to gather real-time, concrete examples of how Lafayette College Fund gifts are being deployed on campus.
   • Case & Content Development: Translate campus impact stories into compelling case-making copy, educational materials, and stewardship messaging to shift the college's narrative from passive engagement to active philanthropic investment.
   • Stewardship Delivery: Partner across the team to embed these real-time impact metrics into broad-based and leadership annual giving stewardship channels, showing donors the immediate ROI of their gifts.
3. Volunteer Strategy, Solicitor Toolkits, & Pipeline Coordination (20%)
   • Volunteer Enablement & Toolkits: Design and distribute solicitor toolkits, peer-to-peer outreach templates, and campaign progress updates to volunteer managers and solicitors to keep peer-to-peer campaigns moving efficiently.
   • Administrative Partner Workflow: Collaborate directly with the division's Administrative Assistants to request necessary data pulls, ensure correct gift coding, and confirm that volunteer assignments and board statuses are updated in the CRM.
   • Solicitation Coordination: Monitor volunteer-managed prospect pools to facilitate smooth communication pathways, preventing multi-channel solicitation overlaps and ensuring volunteers are fully supported in their outreach.
4. Frontline Fundraising & Pool Management (20%)
   • Discovery Portfolio: Manage a focused, exploratory portfolio of prospects, primarily utilizing high-value board connections or affinity-based networks to qualify, cultivate, and solicit leadership-level annual fund gifts ($2,500+).
   • The Dual Ask: Practice the "dual ask" methodology under the guidance of the Executive Director, aligning prospect affinities with overarching campaign benchmarks and restricted institutional priorities.
   • Metrics Accountability: Meet or exceed explicit annual metrics established by the Executive Director for qualification conversations, face-to-face/virtual visits, and completed solicitations.
5. Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Qualifications

Education, Experience, and Knowledge:

• Bachelor's degree required; degree in relevant field (such as Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or Event Management) preferred.
• One to three years in higher ed, advancement, alumni relations, volunteer engagement/management, and/or equivalent experience with annual fund/giving preferred.

Key Competencies

• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• High level of energy and a strong team orientation.
• Familiarity with annual fund, volunteer enablement, and alumni engagement strategies and best practices.
• Proficiency in using relevant software and tools (Google Suite, CRM platforms, Microsoft Office, Hustle texting platform, ThankView, digital communication platforms, social media, email marketing tools, etc.).
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends during events as needed.

Working Conditions

• This position requires an individual to be able to work nights and weekends as needed.

Lafayette College does not discriminate, or permit discrimination, on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, disability, religion, age, military or veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or familial status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law in any educational programs and activities it operates, including admissions or employment, as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 (which requires that the College not discriminate on the basis of sex); the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (which require that the College not discriminate on the basis of disability); Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which requires that the College not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin); Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which requires that the College not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin); the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (which requires that the College not discriminate on the basis of age); and other applicable laws and College policies. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Director of Educational Equity/Title IX Coordinator. Copies of relevant policies and procedures can be found at https://sash.lafayette.edu/policies-laws/.