Development and Alumni Engagement Officer

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation; Oxford (MS); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance stipend

Holiday time & vacation

Mentorship with President

Job summary

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, based in Oxford, MS, seeks a Director of Development & Alumni Engagement to grow philanthropic support from alumni and manage engagement strategies that align with the Foundation's mission.

The role blends direct fundraising with alumni engagement, requiring comfort asking for gifts, regular communication, and a plan-driven approach to building a growing program. Remote options exist for qualified candidates with travel as needed.

Qualifications

• 2 to 5 years of professional fundraising or development experience.
• Comfortable and confident asking donors for financial support.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills, written and verbal.
• Experience working within a CRM or donor database.
• Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable managing multiple relationships and priorities without close daily oversight.
• A builder's mindset. Comfortable shaping a growing program rather than following an established manual.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow the Foundation's annual giving program, including donor acquisition, renewal, retention, and reactivation.
• Build and actively manage a pipeline of alumni and individual donor prospects, moving relationships from discovery through cultivation to a direct ask to stewardship.
• Personally solicit gifts, with year-one emphasis on discovery and cultivation and a growing solicitation caseload as relationships mature.
• Develop and execute annual fundraising calendars, campaigns, and stewardship communications.
• Support the President in select donor meetings and solicitations as needed.
• Track pipeline activity, gift results, and donor retention, and use that data to refine strategy.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Alumni engagement

CRM experience

Communication skills

Pipeline management

Moves management

Tools

Salesforce

Blackbaud

Neon One

Bloomerang

Job description

The Director of Development & Alumni Engagement is a foundational role on the Sullivan Foundation team, responsible for growing philanthropic support from alumni and building the relationships that make that support possible. The Foundation is growing its development operations and has laid real groundwork over the past several years, including a new CRM – Neon One, an annual appeal, and personal outreach to prospects. The Foundation is looking for someone who is energized to build upon that foundation.

This role combines direct fundraising, from donor cultivation through the ask itself, with alumni engagement strategy: creating meaningful ways for alumni to reconnect with the Foundation's mission of service above self, which in turn deepens their excitement to give. The ideal candidate is comfortable asking for money, embraces regular communication and accountability, and is inspired by the career growth that comes with building something rather than inheriting a finished playbook.

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation is a service-focused organization honoring individuals who embody service above self. Founded in 1930 and rooted in an award established decades earlier in memory of 19th-century New York lawyer and philanthropist Algernon Sydney Sullivan, the Foundation now partners with 70+ colleges and universities across the South. Past honorees include Eleanor Roosevelt, Fred Rogers, and Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell. The Foundation is headquartered in Oxford, Mississippi.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and grow the Foundation's annual giving program, including donor acquisition, renewal, retention, and reactivation.
• Build and actively manage a pipeline of alumni and individual donor prospects, moving relationships from discovery through cultivation to a direct ask to stewardship.
• Personally solicit gifts, with year-one emphasis on discovery and cultivation and a growing solicitation caseload as relationships mature.
• Develop and execute annual fundraising calendars, campaigns, and stewardship communications.
• Support the President in select donor meetings and solicitations as needed.
• Track pipeline activity, gift results, and donor retention, and use that data to refine strategy.

Alumni Engagement & Relationship Management — 30%

• Develop and execute an alumni engagement strategy that builds lasting connections to the Foundation's mission and programs.
• Create opportunities for alumni to get involved as speakers, mentors, volunteers, and program participants, using that involvement as a pathway to philanthropic engagement.
• Invite and personally communicate with alumni for Foundation events and gatherings (event logistics, venue, and vendor management are handled separately by Foundation staff).
• Maintain an annual alumni communications and engagement calendar.
• Identify highly engaged alumni who may become volunteers, donors, event participants, or future Foundation advocates.

Reporting & Accountability — 15%

• Provide the President with regular, structured reporting on pipeline activity, cultivation progress, and engagement outcomes, on a cadence and format set jointly at the start of the role.
• Participate in setting clear 90-day and annual goals with the President, appropriate to a growing portfolio.
• Track progress against agreed goals and flag obstacles proactively rather than after the fact.

CRM & Communications — 15%

• Maintain accurate, current donor and alumni records in the Foundation's CRM.
• Use CRM data to segment audiences, identify prospects, and track engagement over time.
• Develop donor and alumni communications, including annual appeals, newsletters, and stewardship messages, in coordination with Foundation leadership.

Qualifications

Required

• 2 to 5 years of professional fundraising or development experience, with direct, hands-on experience soliciting gifts from individuals.
• Comfortable and confident asking donors for financial support.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills, written and verbal.
• Experience working within a CRM or donor database.
• Highly organized, self-directed, and comfortable managing multiple relationships and priorities without close daily oversight.
• A builder's mindset. Comfortable shaping a growing program rather than following an established manual.

Preferred

• Experience in mission-driven advancement environment.
• Familiarity with moves management, prospect research, and stewardship practices.
• Experience with CRM platforms such as Salesforce, Blackbaud, Neon One, or Bloomerang.

Location & Remote Work

This position is based at the Foundation's home office on the historic Oxford, MS square. Remote candidates with at least 3 years of development experience will also be considered, who are based in Asheville, Charlotte, or Atlanta, with a preference for the greater Asheville area.

Some regional travel is required regardless of location.

Salary range: $65,000 - $75,000. Compensation includes a base salary plus an annual performance bonus tied to a set of shared goals, such as pipeline progress and alumni engagement, established jointly with the President.

• $400 per month health insurance stipend.
• Approximately one month of built-in holiday time (two weeks at end of December, one week at Thanksgiving, and five additional scheduled holidays throughout the year), plus two weeks of vacation.
• Direct mentorship and regular access to the Foundation's President.