Associate Director, Gift Acceptance and Fund Management

Northwestern University; Evanston (IL); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

The Gift Acceptance and Fund Management (GAFM) team within Northwestern's Alumni Relations & Development focuses on compliance, due diligence, and risk management to ensure charitable funds are accepted, administered, and monitored in line with donor intent and university policy.

As Associate Director, you will review due diligence, evaluate gift-versus-grant questions, support federal reporting, and help build review criteria and training.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 4 years of operations, administration, development or equivalent experience.
• Ability to analyze complex information and communicate clear findings and recommendations.
• Ability to manage detailed reviews, competing priorities, and sensitive information.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Sound judgment and the ability to distinguish routine matters from issues requiring escalation.

Responsibilities

• Supports due diligence reviews of prospective donors and gifts, evaluating risk and next steps.
• Reviews proposed gifts and agreements for gift-versus-grant classification and donor control.
• Supports oversight of charitable funds, developing review criteria and monitoring use of funds.
• Supports federal and institutional compliance including foreign gift reporting and disclosures.
• Monitors developments and recommends practical operational responses.
• Develops compliance resources, procedures, playbooks, and training materials.
• Tracks activity and recommends improvements to workflows, governance, reporting, and AI usage.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Judgment/decision making

Handling sensitive information

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

AI-enabled tools

Job description

Department: Alumni Relations & Development
Salary/Grade: EXS/9
Job Summary:

The Gift Acceptance and Fund Management (GAFM) team collaborates within its department-Alumni Relations and Development (ARD)- and across campus to help Northwestern structure, evaluate, document, and administer philanthropic gifts in ways that honor donor intent and meet University, legal, financial, and regulatory requirements. The team's work spans the full gift lifecycle, including gift proposal, gift agreements and acceptance, fund establishment and administration, due diligence, federal reporting, and oversight of donor-restricted funds. GAFM partners across ARD and the University to translate philanthropic commitments into practical, sustainable structures that can be administered and monitored over time.

Within that broader mission, the Associate Director focuses on compliance, due diligence, and risk management activities that help ensure charitable funds are accepted, administered, and monitored appropriately. The position reviews and may perform due diligence research, evaluates gift-versus-grant questions, reviews corporate and foundation funding arrangements, supports federal reporting processes, and helps oversee the appropriate use of charitable funds.

Reporting to the Manager of Gifts and Endowment Compliance, the Associate Director works with colleagues across Alumni Relations and Development and the University to identify concerns early and develop clear review processes, guidance, monitoring tools, and training. The Associate Director turns complex information into practical recommendations. This role is well suited to an analytical and intellectually curious professional who enjoys solving complex problems, navigating ambiguity, and building sustainable processes that help philanthropy achieve its intended impact.

The target budgeted salary for this position is $78,500 - $84,000 annually. Offers will be based on candidate experience and education, as well as equity within Northwestern University.

Please note: This role is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, up to two days remote and three onsite.

Specific Responsibilities

• Supports due diligence reviews of prospective domestic and international donors. Reviews research summaries prepared by Prospect Research and Management for gifts ARD solicits, may perform direct due diligence research for outright gifts, evaluates risk, recommends next steps, and identifies matters requiring consultation or escalation.
• Reviews proposed gifts and external agreements for gift-versus-grant classification, donor control, research-related concerns, and other institutional risks.
• Supports oversight of charitable funds by developing review criteria, coordinating recurring reviews, monitoring follow-up, and working with schools and units to support the appropriate spending and use of funds.
• Supports federal and institutional compliance, including foreign gift and contract reporting, research-related disclosures, antidiscrimination requirements, and other evolving obligations.
• Monitors legal, regulatory, policy, and higher-education developments and recommends practical operational responses.
• Develops compliance resources, including procedures, checklists, playbooks, templates, review frameworks, escalation pathways, training, and recordkeeping standards.
• Tracks program activity, emerging risks, and unresolved matters and recommends improvements to workflows, governance, reporting, technology, automation, and the responsible use of AI.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Successful completion of a four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree, or an appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 4 years operations, administration, development or the equivalent experience is required.
• Ability to analyze complex information and communicate clear findings and recommendations.
• Ability to manage detailed reviews, competing priorities, and sensitive information.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex requirements to non-specialist audiences.
• Sound judgment and the ability to distinguish routine matters from issues requiring consultation or escalation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or relevant training in law, compliance, risk management, public policy, higher education administration, accounting, finance, information science, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education, advancement, sponsored research, a nonprofit organization, or another complex and regulated environment.
• Experience conducting due diligence or other risk-based reviews, including reputational, sanctions, conflicts-of-interest, or restricted-party reviews.
• Familiarity with charitable giving, donor restrictions, gift-versus-grant analysis, foreign-funding requirements, research compliance, or nonprofit governance.
• Experience developing practical policies, procedures, training, decision guides, monitoring tools, or compliance playbooks.
• Experience conducting research using public records, online sources, subscription databases, and other information resources to support due diligence, compliance, risk management, or strategic decision-making.
• Experience using, evaluating, or developing AI-enabled tools to improve research, analysis, reporting, training, process design, or other knowledge-based work.

Benefits:

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parentalleave;tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.