Associate Director of Development, College of Natural Sciences

Colorado State University; Colorado; Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking an Associate Director of Development for the College of Natural Sciences. This role involves cultivating donor relationships and generating substantial philanthropic support. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in fundraising, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. You will work collaboratively with a dynamic team to enhance the college's fundraising initiatives. Join a thriving community dedicated to transforming lives through education and research, where your contributions will make a lasting impact.

Benefits

Robust benefits package

Collaborative atmosphere

Focus on work-life balance

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in fundraising or related fields.
• Bachelor's degree required; strong communication skills essential.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and solicit donors for major gifts of $25,000+.
• Manage a portfolio of 80-100 donors and create successful strategies.

Skills

Fundraising

Communication Skills

Relationship Building

Project Management

Diversity and Inclusion

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

SalesForce

Raiser’s Edge

Job description

Associate Director of Development, College of Natural Sciences

Working Title: Associate Director of Development, College of Natural Sciences

Position Location: Fort Collins, CO

Work Location: Position qualifies for hybrid/in-office work

Research Professional Position: No

Posting Number: 202500410AP

Position Type: Admin Professional/ Research Professional

Classification Title: Prof/Indiv Contrib II

Number of Vacancies: 1

Work Hours/Week: 40

Proposed Annual Salary Range: $72,000 - $85,000

Employee Benefits: Colorado State University is not just a workplace; it’s a thriving community that’s transforming lives and improving the human condition through world-class teaching, research, and service. With a robust benefits package, collaborative atmosphere, and focus on work-life balance, CSU is where you can thrive, grow, and make a lasting impact.

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by 11:59pm (MT) on 04/27/2025.

Description of Work Unit: Colorado State University, Associate Director of Development, College of Natural Sciences, University Advancement.

The Office of Advancement in the College of Natural Sciences at Colorado State University is seeking an Associate Director of Development.

Who We Are: Located in the beautiful town of Fort Collins, Colorado, CSU is a premier land-grant university with world-class programs in education, outreach, and research. CSU has a student body of 33,000 students, 7,500 employees, 250,000 living alumni, and annual research expenditures exceeding $456 million. Guided by the five supporting Principles of Community: Inclusion, Integrity, Respect, Service, and Social Justice, the University constantly pursues its mission and vision of access, research, teaching, service, and engagement.

The College of Natural Sciences (CNS) is a nationally recognized leader in scholarship, education, and discovery in the sciences. It is one of the largest colleges at Colorado State University and is comprised of eight academic departments: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, and Statistics.

Approximately 4,000 undergraduate students and 700 graduate students are enrolled in the College. Faculty in the college garner more than $30M in research dollars annually, and the college has successfully raised approximately $8M on an annual basis. True to the land-grant mission, the College of Natural Sciences balances strong research with excellence in undergraduate and graduate education and meaningful service and engagement.

The CNS development team dual reports to the Division of University Advancement and the CNS Dean. The team’s role is to coordinate efforts to raise funds for the College and support all departmental fundraising initiatives.

Position Summary: The Associate Director of Development (ADOD) will work in a dynamic team environment with the CNS development team, Dean of the College, University Advancement Partners, dean’s office staff, and College of Natural Sciences academic units to cultivate new donor relationships, generate financial philanthropic support, and steward gifts to the College of Natural Sciences.

The Associate Director of Development’s primary responsibility is to identify, cultivate, and solicit donors capable of making $25,000+ gifts in support of the College of Natural Sciences.

The ADOD serves as a key member of the development team by building relationships and deploying best practices to grow and develop the CNS donor pipeline and deepen the CNS donor experience. The ADOD will manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and present comprehensive proposals that match the fundraising priorities of the College of Natural Sciences.

The ADOD must be results-oriented with professional characteristics that include leadership, attention to detail, commitment to confidentiality, flexibility, team-orientation, and commitment to cultivating long-term relationships. This person will infuse diversity and inclusion into all aspects of their role to contribute to inclusive excellence and to ensure colleagues and donors of all backgrounds feel represented and included.

Required Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s from an accredited university by employment start date.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in fundraising as a development officer or major gifts officer in an institution of higher education or equivalent complex organization such as sales, banking, client management, or marketing.
• Demonstrated success in face-to-face solicitation, cultivation, and closing multiple gifts at $25,000 or above, or equivalent success with project management and/or other complex transactions in organizations/industries such as sales, banking, client management, or marketing.
• A demonstrated ability to engage and effectively communicate with diverse audiences.
• Ability to travel in and out of state and work non-standard hours, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends.
• Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate, close, and steward major gifts.
• Understanding of fundraising principles, techniques, and proposal development and delivery.
• Proven ability to successfully identify and build relationships and connect donor/client interests with opportunities in a complex organization.
• Demonstrated knowledge of all facets of fundraising, such as annual fund, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, stewardship, major gift fundraising, etc.
• Successfully manage multiple complex projects from start to finish.
• Ability to exercise considerable initiative, independent judgment, self-motivation, and discretion.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience working in a CRM or other relational database such as SalesForce, Ellucian Advance, or Raiser’s Edge.

Job Duties:

• Execute 20+ strategic interactions and/or 13 visits per month with prospective donors to determine whether they have the capacity and inclination to make a major gift.
• Responsible for managing a donor portfolio of approximately 80-100 donors and prospective donors, and creating successful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for them.
• Document all quality contacts and moves management strategies using the prospect tracking system (Ascend).
• Present 2-3 major gift solicitations per month after an initial period of building relationships with prospective donors.
• Write, prepare, and present persuasive proposals that match the donor’s interests with the College’s fundraising priorities.
• Negotiate donor contracts and fund agreements with the CSU Foundation and with donors, bringing them to full closure.
• Maintain a high degree of confidentiality and adhere to the policies and procedures for accepting, recording, and acknowledging gifts.
• Travel up to 40% of the time, including overnight and occasional weekends.
• As a representative of the College, travel to meet prospects for the purpose of effective, coordinated, and efficient cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Collaborate with central University Advancement teams to enhance awareness of college-level fundraising priorities and partner on initiatives.
• Solves advanced problems and identifies new funding opportunities with nonstandard solutions as they relate to development work in the College of Natural Sciences.

Conditions of Employment: Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires), Valid Driver’s License, Travel.

Search Contact: Ray Beresford: [e-mail]

EEO: Colorado State University provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.