Associate Director of the Bellarmine Fund

Bellarmine University; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Bellarmine University in Louisville seeks an Associate Director of the Bellarmine Fund to design and execute a comprehensive annual giving program, increasing participation and donor retention. You will lead multi-channel campaigns across direct mail, email, digital fundraising, and events, collaborate with partners, and use data analytics to optimize performance and growth.

This role requires strong writing, project management, and the ability to build relationships with volunteers, colleagues,

Qualifications

• Knowledge of annual giving and fundraising principles, including donor acquisition, retention, stewardship, segmentation, and pipeline development.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to develop donor-centered fundraising and stewardship messages.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data and fundraising metrics to evaluate performance and inform strategy.
• Demonstrated creativity, initiative, resourcefulness, and willingness to test new approaches to donor engagement and fundraising.
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive annual giving strategies across direct mail, email, web, digital, social media, phone, and peer-to-peer channels.
• Lead major annual giving initiatives including significant fundraising campaigns and giving days.
• Identify opportunities to expand use of emerging technologies and digital platforms to acquire donors and strengthen relationships.
• Collaborate to create donor recognition, stewardship, and engagement opportunities that boost annual giving.
• Utilize donor data and analytics to develop targeted solicitation strategies and improve fundraising performance.

Skills

Fundraising knowledge

Donor communications

Analytics

Project management

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM systems

Donor databases

Microsoft Office

Email marketing platforms

Job description

About Bellarmine University: BellarmineUniversity is a dynamic, growing university with a strongliberal arts focus in the Catholic higher education tradition and abold vision for the future. Bellarmine has undergraduate andgraduate enrollment of approximately 3,200 students and continuesto add new academic programs while maintaining small class sizesand personal attention to students. Bellarmine is listed in thePrinceton Review's Best 387 Colleges and is recognized as a topU.S. university in rankings published by U.S. News & WorldReport and Forbes. In a survey by The Princeton Review, studentspraised Bellarmine as a place that is "welcoming to every singleperson and makes an effort to include everyone." Bellarminestudents, faculty and staff engage in more than 25,000 cumulativehours of service each year, in Louisville and around the nation andworld.

SmartAsset ranked Louisville among the top 25 U.S. cities for bestwork-life balance, while workplace insights platform kununu.comnamed Louisville one of the top five U.S. cities for happyemployees. Glassdoor recently recognized Louisville as one of thetop 15 cities for jobs, based on hiring opportunity, cost of livingand job satisfaction. ZipRecruiter calls Louisville a top 10 cityfor job seekers, thanks in part to its central location and lowunemployment. Louisville is within a day's drive of two-thirds ofthe U.S. population.

Deeply embedded in the heart of Louisville, Bellarmine is anengaged partner expanding learning opportunities, enhancing careernetworks and economic growth, and advancing equity and quality oflife for its neighboring communities. By connecting the campus, thecommunity, and the curriculum through engaged scholarship andaction, we enhance social and civic engagement, including faculty,staff, and student-led, asset-based initiatives.

Job Description

Reporting to the Director of the Bellarmine Fund and President'sSociety and serving as a key member of the Development and AlumniRelations team, the Associate Director of the Bellarmine Fund playsan important role in developing and executing a comprehensive,multi-channel annual giving and donor engagement program designedto increase participation, strengthen donor retention, growphilanthropic support, and build the pipeline for future majorgifts.

The Associate Director will help lead annual giving strategiesacross direct mail, email, digital fundraising, crowdfunding,giving days, peer-to-peer campaigns, social media, and otheremerging channels. The position will be particularly responsiblefor developing innovative digital fundraising strategies,strengthening annual giving donor relations and stewardship,managing key annual giving initiatives, and using data andtechnology to improve donor acquisition, retention, renewal, andupgrades.

The Associate Director will collaborate extensively withDevelopment and Alumni Relations colleagues, campus partners,volunteers, students, and external vendors to create compellingphilanthropic experiences that connect donors to BellarmineUniversity's mission and demonstrate the impact of theirsupport.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive annual giving strategiesacross direct mail, email, web, digital, social media, phone,peer-to-peer, and other emerging fundraising channels.
• Lead major annual giving initiatives including Bellarmine'sAnnual Day of Giving, Giving Tuesday, Reunion Class Giving,Athletics Month of Giving, crowdfunding campaigns, and othertargeted fundraising initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to expand Bellarmine's use of emergingtechnologies and digital platforms to acquire new donors,reactivate lapsed donors, engage younger alumni, and strengthenrelationships with existing supporters.
• Partner with Development and Alumni Relations colleagues tocreate donor recognition, stewardship, and engagement opportunitiesthat strengthen relationships and encourage continued and increasedannual giving.
• Work in collaboration with the Director of the Bellarmine Fund& President's Society on the planning, coordination, andexecution of stewardship initiatives for President's Societydonors, ensuring meaningful engagement and recognition.
• Help develop a strong pipeline of annual giving donors who mayultimately transition into development officer gift portfolios andother deeper philanthropic relationships with Bellarmine.
• Utilize donor data, giving behavior, segmentation, and campaignanalytics to develop targeted solicitation and engagementstrategies and continually improve fundraising performance.
• Establish, monitor, and report key annual giving metrics,including donor acquisition, retention, reactivation,participation, average gift, upgrades, digital engagement, campaignconversion, and return on investment.
• Work closely with Development Operations to develop constituentlists, audience segmentation, campaign reporting, data analysis,and performance dashboards.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Communications and internalcreative partners to develop compelling annual messaging,storytelling, digital content, solicitation materials, and donorcommunications.
• Serve as a primary content writer for annual givingsolicitations, donor communications, stewardship messages, digitalcampaigns, and related fundraising materials.
• Manage and maintain annual giving web content and online givingexperiences in partnership with appropriate campus colleagues.
• Operationalize the annual giving communications andsolicitation calendar, coordinating multiple campaigns and ensuringprojects are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Participate in campus events, alumni programs, and otheractivities supporting annual giving, donor relations, andDevelopment and Alumni Relations priorities.
• Support and effectively communicate the mission, values, andpriorities of Bellarmine University.
• Contribute actively to a positive, collaborative, innovative,and donor-centered Development and Alumni Relations culture.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Knowledge of annual giving and fundraising principles,including donor acquisition, retention, renewal, stewardship,segmentation, and pipeline development.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with theability to develop compelling, donor-centered fundraising andstewardship messages.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data andfundraising metrics to evaluate performance and informstrategy.
• Demonstrated creativity, initiative, resourcefulness, andwillingness to test new approaches to donor engagement andfundraising.
• Self-motivated with the ability to think strategically, managemultiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, andcommitment to quality.
• Ability to work independently while developing strong,collaborative relationships with colleagues, campus partners,volunteers, donors, and vendors.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with donordatabases, CRM systems, email marketing platforms, online givingplatforms, or related fundraising technology.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and handle confidentialdonor and institutional information with care and discretion.
• Ability and willingness to attend campus and donor events andwork occasionally in the evenings and weekends as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous fundraising, annual giving, advancement, marketing,communications, alumni relations, or related experience in highereducation or a nonprofit environment preferred.
• Experience with digital fundraising, crowdfunding, giving days,peer-to-peer fundraising, email marketing, online giving platforms,or related digital engagement strategies preferred.
• Strong understanding of digital communications and an interestin emerging fundraising technologies, platforms, and trendspreferred.

Physical and Working Conditions

• Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periodswhile working at a computer.
• Constantly operates standard office equipment such as acomputer, phone, copier, and printer.
• Must be able to occasionally move through the office to accessfiles, supplies, and meeting areas.
• Requires ability to lift to 10-20 pounds occasionally (e.g.,files, office materials).
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by phone, andelectronically
• Regular business hours, with occasional evening or weekend workbased on departmental needs.
• The noise level in the work environment is typicallymoderate.