Associate Director, Student and Young Alumni Philanthropy

The University of Chicago; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks an Associate Director for Student Philanthropy to innovate and lead student engagement in philanthropy at a prestigious institution. This role involves developing comprehensive strategies to foster a culture of giving among students, ensuring they understand the impact of philanthropy during their academic journey and beyond. You will collaborate with various campus partners to implement creative programs, manage fundraising efforts, and cultivate relationships that last a lifetime. Join a dynamic team dedicated to making a significant impact on the university community and shaping the future of its alumni relations.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Retirement Plans

Paid Time Off

Professional Development Opportunities

Flexible Work Schedule

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in nonprofit management or alumni relations.
• Strong understanding of fundraising and event planning.

Responsibilities

• Develops strategies to enhance student philanthropic engagement.
• Oversees Senior Class Gift campaign and builds donor relationships.

Skills

Fundraising

Event Planning

Alumni Relations

Public Relations

Communication Skills

Data Management

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Advanced Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Donor Relationship Management System

Database Software

Job description

Department

ARD Student Advancement & Reunions

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 College Development team works with parents, alumni, friends, and students, encouraging them to actively engage with and support the College, thus helping to fulfill the Dean of the College’s vision and priorities. The team works with key campus partners, including Admissions, Career Advancement, and the Dean of Students Office, as well as internal partners in Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving and Regional Major Gifts.

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Student Philanthropy will lead the development and execution of a comprehensive plan for the philanthropic engagement of students throughout their four years at the College. This role will chart a new standard for educating and rallying students around the importance of philanthropy, building a foundational pipeline of donors, and setting the stage for giving back to the University throughout their lives as alumni.

This role uses best practices and knowledge within Alumni Relations and leads a program designed to engage the alumni community worldwide, increase participation, and advance the objectives of the Alumni Association and the broader University. Researches, executes, and implements best practices in alumni relationship management. Works with the Alumni Board of Governors to create and implement guidelines to govern shared interest groups.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements strategies and programs to increase philanthropic opportunities and engagement for current students under the direction of the Executive Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy.
• Contributes to the formation and implementation of Senior Class Gift donor fundraising goals from a minimum of 300 fourth year donors annually and leads the Senior Class Gift Committee to meet these goals through targeted programming peer-to-peer solicitations.
• Builds a fourth-year culture of philanthropic support to areas that mean the most to them at UChicago by implementing various strategies toward an annual $25K+ fundraising goal.
• Identifies, recruits, trains, and motivates Senior Class Gift Committee members to engage and solicit their peers.
• Develops and implements creative strategies throughout the four-year undergraduate student experience to enhance the culture of philanthropy on campus and build life-long philanthropic relationships.
• Successfully implements fundraising challenges.
• Works closely with the Student Philanthropy Club to recruit and educate students from their first year in the College about the value of philanthropy and giving back to the institution.
• Implements programs throughout the year with 1st – 3rd-year students that educate and inspire them around the role philanthropy plays in their education.
• Oversees the annual undergraduate Senior Class Gift campaign, which aims for the broadest participation from students, developing a pipeline for strong young alumni engagement and giving.
• Develops and strengthens key relationships with campus and student life partners, including the College Programming Office, to create and execute philanthropy education initiatives and to engender a culture of philanthropy into the student experience.
• Collaborates with key stakeholders on the Alumni and Volunteer Experience Team in developing strategic student experiences.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions and with an eye towards broadly diversifying the advancement profession.
• Assists in leading and coordinating the planning, organization, and management of events, programs, and services designed to cultivate and maintain ties between the University of Chicago and key constituent groups. May assist in or individually create a marketing plan to maximize participation and engagement of alumni, parents, and friends.
• Has a deep understanding of strategic planning, data management, the creation and tracking of metrics, and the creation and implementation of new constituent relations programs worldwide. Measures, tracks, and reports participation and success of initiatives.
• 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 or advanced degree.

Experience:

• Minimum five years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales, or similar professional work.
• Minimum one year of volunteer engagement experience.
• Background working with students and young alumni.
• Planning and executing events.

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 the University's donor relationship management system and the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Proficient in fundraising, contact management, or other database software.

Preferred Competencies

• A strong commitment to personal and professional development, and foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.
• Self-motivated and take initiative.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.

Working Conditions

• This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.
• Standard office environment.
• Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Work evenings and weekends as needed.
• This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (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

$72,250.00 - $85,000.00

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 equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, 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.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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