Associate Director of Philanthropy

Northern Illinois University; DeKalb (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Illinois University seeks an Associate Director of Philanthropy to secure major and planned gifts and to manage a portfolio of donor prospects aligned with university priorities.

You will build relationships with alumni, friends, and partners, tailoring engagement to demonstrate the tangible impact of generosity across NIU’s students, faculty, and programs.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 125+ major gift prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle, including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, closure, and stewardship, with a focus on advancing prospects toward meaningful philanthropic engagement and investment.
• Develop and execute strategic cultivation and solicitation plans to secure major and planned gifts of $10,000 or more.
• Through personalized donor engagement, build meaningful relationships that align donors’ philanthropic interests with university and college priorities, resulting in transformational support for NIU.
• Consistently achieve established fundraising performance metrics, including portfolio activity, donor visits, meaningful contacts, proposals submitted, gifts closed, dollars raised, and pipeline growth.
• Leverage data, prospect insights, and ongoing portfolio analysis to drive fundraising success and maximize philanthropic outcomes.

Job description

Are you ready to help shape the future by investing in the success of the next generation of students?

Northern Illinois University is seeking an Associate Director of Philanthropy to inspire transformational giving and advance the university’s mission. In this dynamic role, you will connect the passions of alumni, donors, and friends with opportunities that create lasting impact for students, faculty, and programs across the university.

The Impact You Will Make

In this role, you’ll do far more than manage a portfolio—you’ll build the relationships that turn generosity into real-world change. As a frontline fundraiser, you will connect alumni, friends, and partners with the causes they care about most, driving major support for Northern Illinois University’s students, faculty, and programs.

What You’ll Drive

Meaningful Support: Craft strategies to secure major and planned gifts ($10,000+) aligned with university priorities.

Lasting Connections: Build genuine relationships through direct donor visits, campus experiences, and tailored engagement.

Visible Impact: Keep donors connected to the tangible difference their generosity makes across the campus community.

This is a fundraiser position that works within the Gift Planning Team to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of individual major gift prospects. The primary responsibility is to obtain private major and planned gifts at the highest level. This individual also supports the priorities identified by the university. While the highest priority is to generate charitable gift revenue, this position will focus on securing major gifts of $25,000 or more.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 125+ major gift prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle, including identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, closure, and stewardship, with a focus on advancing prospects toward meaningful philanthropic engagement and investment.
• Develop and execute strategic cultivation and solicitation plans to secure major and planned gifts of $10,000 or more.
• Through personalized donor engagement, build meaningful relationships that align donors’ philanthropic interests with university and college priorities, resulting in transformational support for NIU.
• Consistently achieve established fundraising performance metrics, including portfolio activity, donor visits, meaningful contacts, proposals submitted, gifts closed, dollars raised, and pipeline growth.
• Leverage data, prospect insights, and ongoing portfolio analysis to drive fundraising success and maximize philanthropic outcomes.}