Development Officer

Seward County Community College; Liberal (KS); On-site; USD 52,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Seward County Community College Foundation is seeking a Development Officer to advance its fundraising mission by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and prospects to support scholarships, programs, and capital needs of the college. You will work closely with the Executive Director and Foundation Board to grow philanthropic support and deepen community engagement.

Applicants should have 2–4 years in fundraising, strong communication, and experience with CRM systems; a

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of experience in fundraising, development, or donor relations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with fundraising databases/CRM systems and Microsoft Office.
• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects to secure financial support for scholarships, programs, and capital needs.
• Work with the Executive Director and Foundation Board to implement strategies that grow philanthropic support.
• Engage the community and align fundraising with college priorities through coordination with campus leaders.
• Support donor engagement and stewardship activities to strengthen long-term giving.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Major gifts

Communication skills

CRM systems

MS Office Suite

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, or related field

Job description

Seward County Community College is a two-year institution offering 45 programs of study, including Adult Basic Education, certificate programs and Associate of Arts, Science, General Studies and Applied Sciences degrees. Ranked in the top 5% of more than 1,100 accredited community colleges in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute, SCCC serves a student body of 2,500+ students ranging in age from 15 to 85, in a county with the highest foreign-born percentage population in the U.S., and a rural service area of about 50,997 in seven Southwest Kansas counties as well as neighboring counties in southeastern Colorado, the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles.

Role

The Development Officer plays a critical role in advancing the mission of the Seward County Community College Foundation by supporting fundraising, donor relations, and stewardship efforts. This position is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and prospects to secure financial support for scholarships, programs, and capital needs of the college. The Development Officer works closely with the Executive Director and Foundation Board to implement strategies that grow philanthropic support and deepen community engagement.

Qualifications

Develop and manage a portfolio of prospects capable of making significant (major) gifts in order to secure major gift commitments sufficient to meet or exceed determined and agreed-on campaign and giving goals. Promote and collaborate with the Foundation, board of trustees, alumni engagement boards. Cultivate existing and new donor relationships with the intent of sustaining and increasing donor engagement, support and overall philanthropic giving to the College. Manage the College’s philanthropic culture including coordination with campus departments, leadership (deans, vice presidents, etc.), and Booster Club to assure alignment of fundraising goals and strategies. Assist in the development and implementation of Foundation objectives and goals through their board of directors. Assist the College President, Foundation Board members, Executive Team, and Campus Deans in working with the public/private officials and organizations to enhance programs of the college. This effort supports the facilitation and growth of our philanthropic culture.

Knowledge And Skills

Experience Minimum of 2 to 4 years of experience in fundraising, development, or donor relations. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Proficiency with fundraising databases/CRM systems and Microsoft Office Suite. Education: Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, communications, business, or related field.

Interpersonal Skills Work involves extensive personal contact with members of the Board of Trustees, community leaders, business leaders, and internal managers. Motivating others or getting them to do things that they might not do otherwise is a key to success for incumbents in this position. External contacts are vital, not only for the success of the position, but the success of the goals of the college overall.

Other Skills Knowledge Of

Managements principles involved in fundraising, resource allocation, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources. Experience in higher education or community college fundraising. Familiarity with grant writing and proposal development. Knowledge of local philanthropic and business communities.

Skills

Proficiency in a variety of software applications to include MS office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook). Strong interpersonal, listening and communication skills. Strong writing skills. Strong complex problem solving skills. Strong organizational skills. Excellent judgment and decision making skills. Excellent critical thinking skills. Strong customer service skills. Excellent self‑starter.

Ability To

Work with a donor-centered approach and high degree of professionalism. Manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines. Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Team player with a collaborative spirit and commitment to the mission of community colleges. Maintain confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information. Demonstrable initiative and a strong work ethic

EOE/Drug Free Campus

Other information

• Clery Act Campus Safety and Security Report
• FMLA English
• FMLA Spanish