Assistant Vice President, Development

Lindenwood; St. Charles (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Lindenwood University in Missouri seeks an experienced Assistant Vice President of Development to lead university fundraising functions, including major gifts, annual giving, athletics giving, planned giving, and corporate and foundation philanthropy. This centralized role partners with campus leadership to drive philanthropic growth and a comprehensive campaign.

The AVP will manage a diverse team, curate donor portfolios, and oversee CRM systems while aligning strategies with institutional

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field required or equivalent
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in non-profit fundraising
• Master’s degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for university development functions, aligning fundraising strategies with the university’s priorities and campaign goals
• Leads development and execution of strategies to secure philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations
• Leads and mentors a growing team of professionals across major gifts, annual giving, athletics giving, planned giving, and corporate/philanthropy
• Partners with Deans and academic leaders to advance fundraising initiatives and donor relationships
• Provides leadership for campaigns and other strategic fundraising initiatives
• Maintains a personal portfolio of donor prospects including major, principal, and planned giving prospects
• Serves as the institution’s planned giving officer
• Ensures gift agreements and stewardship plans are properly created, reviewed and executed for all major gifts
• Oversees development’s use of Raiser’s Edge NXT, CRM for opportunities, engagement tracking, reporting, portfolio moves, and productivity tracking
• Builds and oversees fundraising metrics, standards, and reporting to guarantee accountability and revenue expansion
• Orchestrates cross-functional alignment of fundraising with institutional priorities and campaign milestones
• Collaborates with leadership to steward and engage donors after gifts, requalification, and donor relations
• Pioneers donor acquisition strategies using analytics and market insights
• Drives scalable development frameworks to empower academic leadership
• Promotes data-driven decision-making to optimize fundraising ROI
• Stays current on tax rules and planned giving policies
• Sets long- and short-term strategic goals based on data and monitors department metrics
• Manages budget, personnel, prospect research, and proposal development
• Maintains relationships with current and potential donors
• Manages HR for the department and develops staff
• Performs other duties as assigned

Skills

Strong communication, presentation and

Portfolio and moves management

Strategic fundraising leadership

Team leadership and development

Analytics and data-informed decision

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Raiser’s Edge NXT

Raiser’s Edge

Job description

Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee

• Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs (employee and spouse only).
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1).
• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.

Job Title Summary

Job Title: Assistant Vice President, Development

Division: University Advancement

Evaluation Group: Staff Administrator

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Senior Vice President, University Advancement

Positions Supervised: Director, Development; Director, Leadership Annual Giving; Director, Corporate and Foundation Development; Director, Athletics Development; Assistant Development Officer, Athletics

About Lindenwood University Advancement

Located in historic St. Charles, Missouri, Lindenwood University is a premier, independent comprehensive institution known for student-centric focus and innovation. Lindenwood is committed to providing an exceptional, values-driven education that prepares students to thrive in a dynamic world. It is an exciting time to join the Lindenwood Advancement team. As we prepare to launch a comprehensive fundraising campaign, we are aligning our operational infrastructure, building high-impact philanthropic opportunities, and enhancing our engagement with alumni, donors, and regional constituents to support student success, experiential learning, and innovative campus spaces. At Lindenwood, we benefit from working at a picturesque, historic campus, located in a thriving micro-urban community that’s adjacent to a major metropolitan city. In fact, in Business Insider named St. Charles the best college town in Missouri, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recognized Lindenwood University as the Best College/University.

Job Summary

The assistant vice president (AVP) of development provides strategic leadership for Lindenwood University’s development functions, including planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, major and principal giving, and leadership annual giving. This is a centralized position supporting all colleges and units across campus, including athletics. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President for Advancement, this role serves as a key driver of philanthropic growth and a critical partner in preparing for the university's upcoming comprehensive campaign.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Job Responsibilities and Execution

• Provides strategic leadership for university development functions, aligning fundraising strategies with the university’s institutional priorities and campaign goals
• Leads the development and execution of strategies to secure philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations
• Leads and mentors a growing team of professionals focused on a wide range of development functions, including major gifts, annual giving, athletics giving, planned giving, and corporate and foundation philanthropy
• Partners with Deans and other academic leaders to advance fundraising initiatives and donor relationships
• Provides leadership for campaigns and other strategic fundraising initiatives
• Maintains a personal portfolio of donor prospects, including major, principal, and planned giving prospects
• Serves as the institution’s planned giving officer
• Ensures gift agreements and stewardship plans are properly created, reviewed and executed for all major gifts
• Oversees development’s use of Raiser’s Edge NXT, ensuring the CRM is utilized for all development work, including opportunities, substantive engagement tracking, reporting, portfolio and moves management, and performance and productivity tracking
• Builds and oversees clear fundraising metrics, performance standards, and reporting processes that guarantee accountability and fuel continued revenue expansion

Leadership and Strategic Thinking

• Orchestrates the cross-functional alignment of fundraising strategies with long-term institutional priorities, translating high-level vision into actionable campaign milestones
• Collaborates with the AVP of Advancement Operations and the Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations to develop a strategy to steward and engage previous donors, requalify and cultivate prior donors, and ensure all donors receive stewardship touch points after gift closure
• Pioneers innovative approaches to donor acquisition and pipeline expansion, leveraging advanced analytics and market insights to anticipate philanthropic trends and secure transformational support
• Drives institutional agility by designing scalable development frameworks that empower academic leaders and advancement staff to capitalize on emerging opportunities
• Champions a culture of strategic accountability and continuous improvement, deploying data-informed decision-making to optimize resource allocation and maximize return on investment across all fundraising verticals.
• Keeps current on tax regulations and planned giving policies to expertly advise development officers and donors on complex, tax-wise charitable giving strategies
• Establishes long- and short-term strategic goals based on assessment data and ensures standards for the department and its field are met or exceeded
• Manages budget, personnel, prospect research, and proposal development
• Maintains relationships with current and potential donors
• Employee Management and Development Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values Recruits, interviews, recommends, welcomes, observes, and monitors performance of department staff Sets clear performance expectations and holds employees accountable Conducts annual employee evaluations based on evidence, observation, and feedback Manages human resources reporting for the department, including time keeping and other personnel matters Determines metrics used to evaluate performance of advancement officers Job may require other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• – An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be designated by position.
• – Bachelor’s degree in related field
• – Minimum of 5 years’ experience in non-profit fundraising
• – Master’s degree preferred
• – Experience utilizing Raiser’s Edge NXT or another Advancement CRM for portfolio management, reporting, etc.
• – Proven experience with major and principal giving cultivation, solicitation, and closure
• – Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
• – Campaign experience preferred
• – Experience with planned gift and non-cash gift solicitations preferred
• – Experience developing strategic fundraising plans and managing donor portfolios and relationships preferred
• – Experience in comprehensive fundraising reporting, goal setting, and performance management preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

May be representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform this job competently. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures Comprehensive knowledge of comprehensive advancement concepts and principles Ability to drive strategic direction Management skills Strong verbal and written communication skills, including persuasive communication skills Portfolio and moves management skills Knowledge of general office hardware and Microsoft Office Suite Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge fundraising software Excellent creative, interpersonal, and organizational skills Ability to exercise good judgment, think critically, and multitask Strong professional integrity and ability to maintain strict confidentiality Ability to understand and implement general principles of accounting and best practices in gift management Ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, alumni, students, community, and media partners

Work Environment

Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of this job’s functions. Please click here to view Lindenwood University’s flexible work designation descriptions. General office setting Some travel required Evening and weekend work required as needed Non-Standard Flex

Physical Abilities

Physical Abilities – The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Ability to work effectively at a computer for extended time daily Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time Adequately mobile in order to travel to visit donors as well as to attend events on and off campus Ability to carry up to 20 pounds, set up, work, and break down events Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment. The Human Resources Division's purpose is to support the University's efforts in providing a quality education and experience for all Lindenwood students. We achieve this by facilitating and supporting the selection and retention of highly qualified and diverse employees to serve our students and by providing for the professional success and the personal wellness of our employees.