Development Officer

Cornell College; Mount Vernon (IA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

Tuition remission

Retirement plan (403(b))

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, operates with the Ingenuity curriculum and a One Course At A Time schedule, shaping a thoughtful, original, inventive liberal arts education. The college serves alumni, parents, and friends across the U.S.

and world, with a strong emphasis on experiential learning and student access. The Senior Director of Development oversees a major gift program; the role involves travel, donor meetings, and coordinating with college partners to advance priorities while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent.
• 2-5 years experience in higher education fundraising or related field.
• Willingness to travel and valid driver's license.
• Understanding of liberal arts education.
• Face-to-face fundraising or sales experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manages a major gift portfolio of approximately 125-150 prospects and donors who can give $50,000+.
• Develops and implements strategies for cultivating and soliciting gifts including pledges and planned gifts.
• Travels regionally with about 12 monthly face-to-face meetings and schedules travel.
• Documents interactions in contact reports within 10 days of each visit.
• Participates in alumni events and coordinates with campus partners for solicitations.

Skills

Fundraising

Travel willingness

Communication

Teamwork

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Google Suite

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Summary

Reports to the Senior Director of Development and serves as a key frontline gift officer for the development team. This position oversees a portfolio of 150-200 major gift prospects among alumni, parents, and friends in designated geographic regions, securing gifts, pledges, and planned giving commitments to forward the college’s priorities.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manages a major gift portfolio of approximately 125-150 prospects and donors who can make a gift of $50,000 or greater.
• Develops and implements strategies for cultivating and soliciting prospects. These strategies will include soliciting outright gifts, pledges, and planned gifts when appropriate, as well as furthering the prospect's level of engagement with the college.
• Travels to assigned geographic regions, making an average of 12 monthly face-to-face meetings. This involves initiating regular prospect meetings, setting up appointments and travel schedules, and maintaining timely follow-up and stewardship with prospects and donors.
• Document all interactions in contact reports within 10 days of each visit. Contribute actively to prospect management meetings, discussing strategies and solutions to advance prospective donors.
• Participants in class reunions, alumni events, Homecoming weekend, and additional fundraising events as needed.
• Works with campus partners across the college to coordinate or support major gift fundraising and solicitations.
• Other duties as assigned

Work Relationships

Reports directly to the Senior Director of Development. Regular contact with college staff and alumni; occasional contact with faculty and Trustees.

About Cornell College

Cornell College is a selective liberal arts college distinguished by our Ingenuity curriculum that builds on the strengths of our One Course At A Time schedule. This combination encourages the qualities of being thoughtful, original, and inventive, using the strengths of a liberal arts education to apply ideas to solve problems and meet challenges through hands-on experience in learning. Academic immersion, Division III NCAA athletic teams, and unparalleled flexibility attract an ambitious student body from across the U.S. and worldwide. We are located in Mount Vernon, Iowa, an urban fringe community located in the heart of the ICR Iowa region.

Qualifications And Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, along with 2-5 years of relevant professional experience, preferably in higher education fundraising.
• Ability and willingness to travel. Valid driver's license and insurability for travel.
• Demonstrated understanding of the liberal arts education.
• Experience in face-to-face fundraising or sales is preferred.

Preferred Skills

• Proficiency in fundraising and development best practices.
• Ability to communicate effectively, interact professionally, maintain confidentiality in various situations, and be an articulate spokesperson on behalf of Cornell College.
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and computer skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, contributing to a collaborative environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft applications: Google Suite and relevant organizational software.

Working Conditions

• Cornell employees enjoy a fantastic benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, HSA & FSA accounts, a TIAA 403(b) retirement account, and tuition remission and exchange for employees and dependents.
• The college also offers life insurance, disability insurance, travel insurance, and accident insurance.
• And, all full-time staff begin with a 4-week vacation accrual along with 14.5 paid holidays per year.
• The hiring pay range for this position is $60-70K.

The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Cornell is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from underrepresented groups. Cornell complies with Iowa's Smoke-free Air Act. Cornell utilizes E-Verify and requires the satisfactory completion of a background check.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.