Director, Annual Giving

University of Louisville; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Louisville is seeking a Director of Annual Giving to provide strategic leadership for the university's early-stage donor development and to build a robust pipeline of future major gift donors at Belknap Campus in Louisville, KY.

You will oversee annual giving programs, manage leadership annual giving and the leadership annual giving portfolio, and collaborate with advancement teams to move donors through the philanthropic continuum using data-driven strategies and portfolio

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree and significant fundraising leadership experience.
• Experience in major gift fundraising and donor lifecycle management is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage donor portfolios.
• Strong communication and data-informed decision making are essential.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee strategic donor pipeline initiatives to identify emerging major gift prospects.
• Supervise and coach the Associate Director of Annual Giving and the Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving.
• Lead portfolio reviews and prospect strategy discussions to optimize donor movement.
• Collaborate with schools, colleges, and units to align donor interests with fundraising priorities.
• Monitor performance metrics and prepare regular donor engagement reports.

Skills

Strategic planning

Team leadership

Project management

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

CRM systems

Donor databases

Job description

Location

Belknap Campus

Time Type

Full time

Worker Type

Regular

Job Req ID

R109453

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a related field and six (6) years of relevant experience. Related work experience may include: Major giving fund-raising, public relations, communications, and/or management experience, especially in a higher education setting or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Grade 9 (Salaried)

Position Description

The Director of Annual Giving provides strategic leadership for the university's early-stage donor development efforts and is responsible for building a robust pipeline of future major gift donors. The position oversees annual giving efforts, including leadership annual giving programs, while managing the Associate Director of Annual Giving and the Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving. Through data-driven strategies, pipeline management, and team leadership, the Director advances donors through the philanthropic continuum and ensures a sustainable flow of qualified prospects into the major gift program.

Duties & Responsibilities

Donor Pipeline Strategy and Management

• Develop and implement a proactive multi-year strategy for identifying and cultivating emerging major gift prospects.
• Create a portfolio of donors and prospects with the capacity and inclination to make leadership annual gifts between $25,000-49,999.
• Identify and transition donors capable of making future major gifts into philanthropy officer portfolios.
• Design qualification and engagement pathways that move individuals through the donor continuum.
• Establish metrics and benchmarks to evaluate pipeline growth, conversion rates, and donor advancement.

Leadership and Supervision

• Directly supervise the Associate Director of Annual Giving and the Assistant Director of Annual Giving - Leadership Annual Giving.
• Provide strategic leadership, coaching, performance management, and professional development for direct reports.
• Establish annual goals, performance metrics, and accountability measures aligned with institutional fundraising priorities.
• Foster collaboration among annual giving, alumni engagement, major gifts, advancement services, and constituent experience teams.
• Ensure coordinated donor engagement strategies that effectively transition donors from annual giving through leadership annual giving and into major gift portfolios.
• Lead regular portfolio reviews and prospect strategy discussions to optimize donor movement throughout the philanthropic pipeline.
• Promote a culture of innovation, collaboration, inclusivity, and results-oriented fundraising.

Team and Program Leadership

• Lead the university's early pipeline fundraising strategy, including leadership annual giving.
• Develop annual operating plans and fundraising objectives for supervised staff and programs.
• Oversee donor segmentation, prospect qualification efforts, and leadership annual giving strategies.
• Monitor performance metrics related to donor acquisition, retention, leadership annual giving growth, qualified prospect generation, and major gift pipeline development.
• Partner with development officers, deans, and advancement leaders to align pipeline-building activities with school, college, and university fundraising priorities.

Collaboration with Advancement Teams

• Partner with, Alumni Engagement, Constituent Experience, and Philanthropy Officers to identify and advance prospective donors.
• Collaborate with PAE Operations and Prospect Development teams to leverage data-driven prospect identification strategies.
• Work closely with schools, colleges, and units to align donor interests with institutional priorities.
• Facilitate smooth transitions of qualified prospects to major gift officers.

Data Analysis and Reporting

• Monitor pipeline performance and donor engagement metrics.
• Prepare regular reports on prospect movement, qualification rates, fundraising outcomes, and portfolio performance.
• Utilize data analytics to inform strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
• Recommend process improvements that enhance donor pipeline efficiency and effectiveness.

Occasional travel and weekend work may be required.

Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement is committed to creating campus environments that support the success of all students and employees. We believe that employees who feel valued and respected will create policies, programs, practices, research agendas, and services that effectively meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our student population.

Benefits - The University of Louisville has an exceptional benefits package; to learn more about our benefits, please visit HERE

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• Experience in higher education fundraising or nonprofit development.
• Knowledge of major gift fundraising principles and donor lifecycle management.
• Experience qualifying prospects and advancing donors through a philanthropic pipeline.
• Familiarity with campaign planning and fundraising analytics. Strategic relationship-building and networking skills.
• Strong project and portfolio management abilities.
• Data-informed decision making.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across teams.
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and constituent-centered engagement.

Competencies

• Demonstrated success in building relationships and managing constituent portfolios.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience using CRM systems and donor databases.
• Ability to analyze data and translate findings into actionable strategies.

Compensation will be commensurate to candidate experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Louisville is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The University strives to provide equal employment opportunity on the basis of merit and without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or pregnancy. In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act of 1974, the University prohibits job discrimination of individuals with disabilities, Vietnam era veterans, qualified special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans. The University acknowledges its obligations to ensure affirmative steps are taken to ensure equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of the University that no employee or applicant for employment be subject to unlawful discrimination in terms of recruitment, hiring, promotion, contract, contract renewal, tenure, compensation, benefits, and/or working conditions. No employee or applicant for employment is required to endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, or promotion.

Consistent with applicable law, demographic information is collected for aggregate reporting requirements. Demographic information provided through this application is not available to hiring managers/committees and is not considered in hiring or employment decisions.

Assistance and Accommodations

Computers are available for application submission at the Human Resources Department located at 2315 South First Street Walk, Room 02C - Louisville, Kentucky 40292.

If you require assistance or accommodation with our online application process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] or by phone [phone].