Associate Director, Major Gifts, Regional Advancement West

The University of Chicago; United States; Remote; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a passionate individual to manage fundraising programs aimed at achieving significant contributions to the University. This role involves strategizing and implementing engagement activities for high-capacity donors, building relationships with alumni and friends, and developing tailored plans to inspire philanthropic support. The successful candidate will be a key player in a dynamic team, contributing to the University’s mission while enjoying the flexibility of a remote work environment. If you are driven by results and have a knack for relationship-building, this position offers an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

Benefits

Health Benefits

Retirement Plans

Paid Time Off

Professional Development Opportunities

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in fundraising, development, or related fields.
• Bachelor's degree required, with a focus on nonprofit management preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage fundraising programs to meet University goals.
• Cultivate relationships with alumni and potential donors.

Skills

Fundraising Strategies

Relationship Building

Communication Skills

Project Management

Donor Engagement

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Phoenix (Donor Management System)

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Department

ARD Regional Advancement and Individual Giving (West Coast)

About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

The Regional Advancement and Individual Giving Team, comprised of four distinct regionally focused teams: West, Central, East, and Global, leads comprehensive and collaborative campus-wide strategies and programs that deeply engage the UChicago community with a focus on raising significant philanthropic support for the University’s top priorities, academic units, and faculty and students. The team works closely with university and academic leadership, academic divisions, and colleagues across ARD, and is responsible for developing, executing, and coordinating the university’s strategic regional advancement program with a goal of significantly growing philanthropic activity and building a robust and sustainable donor pipeline through curated meaningful engagement opportunities.

Job Summary

This role manages programs designed to meet University fundraising goals for contributed income. Serves as strategist of efforts to secure gifts and build relationships with alumni, faculty, administrators, and organizations with potential to make gifts. Develops communication strategies for projects.

Plan and implement strategies for a coordinated program of fundraising and engagement activities for Western States. Identify, cultivate and solicit alumni, parents and friends who have the capacity to make financial commitments $100,000 and up. Responsible for developing and implementing tailored engagement plans for a portfolio of assigned prospects.

Responsibilities

• Identifies, qualifies, cultivates, solicits and stewards alumni, parents and friends who have the capacity to make financial commitments of $100K-$4.9M to the University of Chicago.
• Develops and implements compelling engagement strategies to inspire high net worth individuals to maximize their philanthropic engagement with the University.
• Develops and manages a portfolio of major gift prospects (~100-140), building philanthropic relationships benefitting a wide range of the University’s units, schools and Divisions.
• Builds and manages a prospect pipeline that could yield as much as 24 major gift solicitations, and $3 million in booked gift commitments at steady state.
• Achieves personal fundraising and activity metrics around visits, qualifications, and solicitations.
• As a generalist fundraiser, builds knowledge and the ability to represent University history, programs, priorities, initiatives, and impact.
• Builds internal relationships with colleagues throughout Alumni Relations and Development and the University in support of advancement goals.
• Contributes to development and execution of regional philanthropic community building strategy. Develops regional expertise and serves as an advisor on regional engagement to internal partners. Serves as general representative of the University at alumni events and other regional activities.
• Provides scheduled and ad hoc updates to manager and senior leaders on progress and strategies and enters timely contact reports.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Establishes fundraising goals and priorities based on department objectives, designs strategies to meet those goals, and monitors progress against goals.
• Identifies, analyzes, and qualifies donor interest to maximize giving. Helps with overall planning efforts for the University's most important prospects. Works independently to develop communication strategies for projects, including publications and public presentations.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications: ---

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.

Experience:

• Minimum five years of professional experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales or similar professional work experience; including one or more years of frontline development or sales and marketing experience.
• Proven record of accomplishment in devising cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Background providing timely and effective follow-up to prospects and donors, crafting compelling fundraising proposals, and creating clear, concise briefing materials for development and academic leadership.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, including Phoenix (the University's Donor Relationship Management System), Microsoft Windows computer environment, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Preferred Competencies

• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively. Explain complex ideas clearly and simply.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Self-motivated and take initiative.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.

Working Conditions

• This position is based remotely.
• Remote workspace must be safe and appropriate, have access to sufficient and reliable internet capacity, and be without interruptions or distractions.
• Maintain a professional representation of the University in terms of visual backgrounds, attire, ambient sound, and phone/video etiquette.
• Work evenings and weekends as needed.
• Travel domestically. This role will require regular travel throughout the assigned geographic region, Western United States, as well as periodic travel to Chicago.
• This position is located on the West Coast.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Alumni Relations & Development

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$95,000.00 - $125,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

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