Assistant Director of Development

Marquette University; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Marquette University is seeking an Assistant Director of Development, Leadership Annual Giving, to qualify and cultivate donors, manage a portfolio, and grow annual gifts from $2,500 to $50,000, with potential involvement at $125K+.

Reporting to the Director of Leadership Annual Giving, the role emphasizes high-volume outreach, collaboration with senior teammates, and a hybrid work arrangement with on-campus and remote work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of 3 years of development or related experience with external constituents.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to travel as needed.
• Experience in nonprofit fundraising desirable.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a high-volume outreach, averaging about 200 unique actions per month to secure qualification meetings with prospects.
• Builds a portfolio of prospects through strategic qualification utilizing available resources to identify and develop relationships with alumni, families, and community members with inclination and capacity to make a gift.
• Develops and executes an annual fundraising business plan with strategic qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship steps for prospects.
• Meets regularly and collaborates with manager to assess and divide fundraising priorities, review strategies and track progress toward meeting fundraising performance benchmarks.
• Maintains comprehensive knowledge of university wide fundraising priorities, with a particular focus on current use funds.
• Proactively develops professional fundraising skills using internal and external sources.
• Attends university and university-sponsored events and volunteer meetings, often during the evenings and weekends; represents the university to external constituents.
• Collaborates with internal colleagues to engage regional or affinity-based groups through promoting their attendance as guests at events, identifying volunteer leaders, nominating award winners, etc.
• Participates in Advancement monthly staff meetings/prospect tracking meetings/committee meetings, etc.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Ability to travel

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

JOB REQUIREMENTS: Assistant Director of Development, Leadership Annual

Giving Donor Experience Posting Number: NA01582 Employment Status: Full

Time Job Family: Advancement

Position Overview

The Assistant Director of Development position is responsible for qualifying and disqualifying new prospects, building positive relationships with existing donors in their portfolio, and growing philanthropic support for the University, with a focus on researching, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts of $2,500$50,000. This position will also have the opportunity to collaborate with senior development teammates in securing gifts at the $125K+ level. Primary areas of focus include annual fund, increasing 1881 membership and building the future major gift pipeline. Reporting to the Director of Leadership Annual Giving, the Assistant Director will utilize technology, AI, and strategic resources to focus on high quality and high-volume outreach to drive pipeline development and gift acquisition. This position has the opportunity to work in a hybrid work arrangement with time worked both on campus as well as remotely.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Maintains a high volume of outreach, averaging about 200 unique actions per month to secure qualification meetings with prospects. Meetings will often be virtual but can be in person, using digital tools for both outreach and donor interaction, and will focus on soliciting for annual gifts, multi-year pledges and planned gifts, securing commitments at the leadership annual giving level. The longer-term goal is to continue to build prospect relationships and also renew existing donor commitments.
2. Builds a portfolio of prospects through strategic qualification utilizing available resources to identify and develop relationships with alumni, families, and community members with inclination and capacity to make a gift.
3. Develops and executes an annual fundraising business plan with strategic qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship steps for prospects. Meets regularly and collaborates with manager to assess and divide fundraising priorities, review strategies and track progress toward meeting fundraising performance benchmarks.
4. Maintains comprehensive knowledge of university wide fundraising priorities, with a particular focus on current use funds.
5. Proactively develops professional fundraising skills using internal and external sources.
6. Attends university and university-sponsored events and volunteer meetings, often during the evenings and weekends; represents the university to external constituents.
7. Collaborates with internal colleagues to engage regional or affinity-based groups through promoting their attendance as guests at events, identifying volunteer leaders, nominating award winners, etc.
8. Participates in Advancement monthly staff meetings/prospect tracking meetings/committee meetings, etc.

Other Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum of 3 years of development experience in a non-profit environment or related field (e.g. sales, recruitment, etc.) working directly with external constituencies
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with colleagues in a team
• Environment Ability To Travel Preferred Knowledge, Skills And Abilities
• Previous fundraising experience making personal solicitations

Department: University Advancement

Posting Date: 07/14/2026

Closing Date:

It is the policy of Marquette University to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other applicable federal or state-protected classification.