Assistant Vice President for Advancement

Concordia University, Wisconsin; Mequon (WI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Retirement Pension Plan

Retirement 403(b) Savings Plan

Life Insurance

Job summary

Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor seeks an Assistant Vice President for Advancement to provide strategic leadership for major gift fundraising, campaigns, and donor relations. You will build a network of alumni and donors, personally qualifying, cultivating, and soliciting gifts of $25,000+ while supervising key advancement professionals.

Reporting to the VP for Advancement, you will advance university priorities, manage a 60–80 donor portfolio, and represent the university with integrity

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred.
• Minimum ten years in advancement, development or related field with success in major gifts.
• Experience fundraising in Lutheran or Milwaukee communities preferred.
• Experience supervising staff at director level preferred.
• Must understand donor databases and prospect management best practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in planning, execution, and evaluation of major fundraising campaigns (comprehensive, capital, endowment, and special initiatives).
• Supervise director-level positions within the Advancement office, providing accountability and coaching.
• Cultivate and qualify major gift prospects, with emphasis on community connections and regional outreach.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 60–80 major gift donors/prospects.
• Plan qualification, cultivation, and solicitation visits with key alumni, parents, and community leaders.
• Collaborate with VP for Advancement and other offices to align donor interests with institutional priorities.
• Represent Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor to internal and external audiences.

Skills

Major gift fundraising

Campaign strategy

Donor cultivation

Staff supervision

Alumni relations

Prospect management

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Donor database systems

Job description

Concordia is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and in the world.

Position Summary

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) for Advancement will provide strategic leadership and operational support for the Office of Advancement, with a particular emphasis on major gift fundraising, campaign execution, alumni and donor engagement, and the supervision of key advancement professionals. The AVP for Advancement will build a network of CUWAA constituents, to include alumni, donors, donor prospects, past or current parents, church and community leaders. The AVP for Advancement will personally participate in prospect qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major, planned, and estate gifts, focusing on solicitations of gifts or pledges of $25,000+.

This position reports directly to the Vice President for Advancement and serves as a senior leader within the Advancement office. The Assistant Vice President for Advancement will serve as an ambassador for development and alumni relations efforts, representing Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor with integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to Christian values and principles.

This is a full-time position located on the Mequon, Wisconsin campus.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in the planning, execution, and evaluation of major fundraising campaigns within higher education, including comprehensive, capital, endowment, and special initiative campaigns.
• Serve as the supervisor for various director-level positions within the Advancement office, providing accountability, coaching, and support in alignment with University goals.
• Cultivate existing major gift donors and qualify new major gift prospects for Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor, with an emphasis on connections within the community and select regions nationally.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 60-80 major gift donors and donor prospects.
• Establish and manage a schedule of qualification, cultivation, and gift solicitation visits, especially among key alumni, parents, university friends, and Milwaukee-area community leaders.
• Work closely with the Vice President for Advancement and AVP for Advancement Services to develop and implement strategies that advance the priorities of the department and the goals of the University at large, connecting donor interests with institutional needs. Be open to other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the vice president.
• Represent the mission, values, and priorities of Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor to internal and external audiences, as well as serve as an ambassador for development and alumni relations efforts. Build relationships that allow for navigating the university structure to gain assistance from other departments and personnel.
• Support cross-functional tasks across the Advancement department, including collaboration with major gifts, annual giving, alumni relations, donor relations, advancement services, events, communications, and church relations.
• Assist in the planning and execution of special events related to major gift fundraising, alumni relations, donor stewardship, campaign activity, and community outreach.
• Conduct all activities within the budget established by the University.
• Other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated understanding of development techniques, major gift fundraising, campaign strategy, and donor cultivation best practices to meet high performance and accountability standards. Preferred knowledge of and/or experience fundraising within the Lutheran community and/or Milwaukee-area community.
• Experience conducting major fundraising campaigns within higher education
• Build lasting relationships with prospects, donors, university colleagues, community and church leaders
• Possess the management skills to supervise, mentor, and lead director-level staff members in a collaborative and mission-focused environment, committed to Christian values and principles.
• Interpersonal skills using tact and patience through oral and written communication
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality
• Available and willing to accommodate evening and weekend work multiple times monthly
• Willingness to travel both locally (weekly) and outside of Wisconsin (quarterly)
• Supportive of the mission and values of Concordia University Wisconsin/Ann Arbor and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS)

Education and Experience

• A bachelor's degree is required, a master's degree is preferred.
• At least ten years of progressively responsible experience in advancement, development, fundraising, sales, external relations, or a related field is preferred, with demonstrated success in major gift fundraising.
• Experience fundraising within the Lutheran community and/or the Milwaukee community is preferred.
• Experience conducting major fundraising campaigns within higher education is required. Supervisory experience is preferred, particularly with professional-level or director-level staff.
• Must be computer literate with an understanding of development or fundraising techniques, donor database systems, prospect management, and best practices in advancement.

Physical Demands/Equipment

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt (salary) staff position. The starting wage may be determined upon education and/or experience. Concordia University benefit options include, but are not limited to the following:

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Personal Spending Account, Flexible Spending Account, and/or Health Savings Account
• Disability and Survivor Plan
• Retirement Pension Plan
• Retirement 403(b) Savings Plan
• Basic Life and Supplemental Life Insurance
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Coverage
• Critical Illness and Accident Insurance
• Tuition waiver benefits (available for employees and their qualified dependents)

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of CU to provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The University will not discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, national origin (including ancestry), citizenship status, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, gender, veteran or military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

However, CU is an institution of the LCMS and, to the extent allowed by law, CU reserves the right to give preference in employment based on religion. In addition, preference in holding certain employment positions is given to ordained or rostered ministers of the LCMS. Based on a religious tenet, CU recognizes only male, LCMS ordained Ministers of the Gospel, but recognizes both male and female LCMS Rostered Ministers of the Gospel.

The Human Resources Department has been appointed to manage the equal employment opportunity program, including all equal employment opportunity activities, as required by federal, state and local agencies. If any employee or applicant for employment believes this policy has been violated, he/she must contact the Director of Human Resources.

Concordia University is a HLC accredited, co-educational, liberal arts school offering more than 72 undergraduate majors, over 35 master's degree programs, and 5 doctoral programs. There are also a variety of accelerated evening and e-learning programs