Director, Development

Lindenwood University; Saint Charles (MO); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible in-office/remote days

Job summary

Lindenwood University seeks a Director of Development to secure private philanthropic support by aligning donor interests with university priorities. The role focuses on gifts of $25,000+ and major campaigns, collaborating across campus to grow the donor pipeline.

The successful candidate will travel regionally, build influential relationships, and drive engagement with alumni and friends. Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred; three years’ major gifts experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of three years of experience soliciting major donors and gifts.
• Experience in a higher education environment, ideally including participation in a comprehensive campaign, capital campaign, or fundraising initiative for capital projects.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manages a portfolio of major donor prospects capable of gifts of $25,000+, with focus on qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and gift closure.
• Coordinates with senior leadership and colleagues to meet annual and campaign fundraising goals.
• Meets with donors through travel, on-campus visits, calls and videoconferences, including some evenings and weekends.
• Prepares donor proposals, reports, and crafted communications tailored to donor interests.
• Develops strategies for units to increase major gifts in partnership with leadership and other teams.
• Collaborates with units to understand programs and identify private support opportunities.
• Maintains knowledge of major-gift best practices and evolving giving vehicles.

Skills

Prospect discovery

Donor lifecycle

Storytelling

Pipeline analysis

Proposal writing

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

Job description

Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee:

• Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s(employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs(employee and spouse only).
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, lifeinsurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break(Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1).
• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free mealon Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman DiningHall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.

JOB TITLE SUMMARY

Job Title: Director, Development

Division: University Advancement

Evaluation Group: Staff

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Assistant Vice President, Development

Positions Supervised: N/A

Job Summary

The director, development secures private philanthropic support by aligning donor interests with institutional priorities. This position identifies, qualifies, cultivates, and solicits donor prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more, with an emphasis on gifts of $100,000 or more. The successful candidate will be a collaborative and innovative team member who, through strategic work and relationship-building, will help Lindenwood grow its donor pipeline and expand its philanthropic reach. Development officers travel throughout their assigned regions while also serving as liaisons to designated colleges and units across campus.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Job Responsibilities and Execution

• Manages a portfolio of major donor prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more, with a focus on qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and gift closure.
• Coordinates with the assistant vice president, development, development colleagues, and prospect researcher to develop and implement strategies to meet annual and campaign fundraising goals.
• Meets with donors and donor prospects 25%–50% of the time through travel, on-campus visits, phone calls, and videoconferences, including some evenings and weekends.
• Prepares donor proposals, reports, draft agreements, and communications tailored to donor interests.
• Develops and executes strategies for assigned units that support philanthropic priorities and successfully increase major-gift support in partnership with Advancement and Academic leadership and other advancement colleagues.
• Develops and maintains close, collaborative partnerships with assigned units to gain a strong understanding of their programs and initiatives and identify opportunities for private support.
• Maintains expertise in major-gift best practices, contemporary philanthropic trends, and evolving giving vehicles, translating industry insights into innovative strategies for prospect engagement and complex gift structuring.
• Collaborates with stewardship and engagement colleagues to develop strategic engagement plans for key alumni and donors.
• Utilizes Raiser’s Edge to document all activities, interactions, and other relevant data.
• Participates in advancement meetings and events, assists colleagues, and supports ongoing programs and operations as needed to help meet institutional engagement and fundraising goals.

Service Excellence

• Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence.
• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values.
• Conducts meaningful and authentic donor acknowledgment and stewardship activities.
• Cultivates strong relationships with individual donors, alumni, and friends of the University.

Communication, Teamwork, and Collaboration

• Advises division leaders on internal and external constituency relations.
• Provides leadership to campus constituents regarding current and effective fundraising techniques.
• Mentors other members of the advancement team in industry best practices.

Job may require other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Master’s degree preferred
• Minimum of three years of experience soliciting major donors and gifts
• Experience in a higher education environment, ideally including participation in a comprehensive campaign, capital campaign, or fundraising initiative for capital projects
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures
• Deep understanding of the principles that drive fundraising success, including prospect discovery, donor lifecycle, storytelling, and pipeline segmentation and analysis
• Experience in writing proposals and gift agreements
• Demonstrated ability to effectively build relationships and alliances with internal and external audiences
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
• Knowledge of the field’s best and current concepts, practices, and procedures
• Proven track record of securing major gifts of $25,000 and above OR comparable results within a business-to-business (B2B) or inside sales setting
• Knowledge of planned giving techniques and vehicles
• Skilled in providing attention to detail
• Empathetic listener with corresponding excellence in verbal and written communication
• Ability to maintain accuracy under time pressure with multiple priorities and deadlines
• Ability to provide discretion with confidential information

Work Environment

Please click here to view Lindenwood University’s flexible work designation descriptions.

• Flexible work environment consisting of regular in-office and remote workdays as assigned by supervisor
• Occasional night and weekend work
• Serves as regional representative for Lindenwood Advancement; regular travel to assigned region to conduct donor visits and alumni engagement events
• Standard Flex

Physical Abilities

• Ability to work effectively at a computer for up to eight hours daily
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time
• Ability to lift/carry items commonly found in an office setting including, but not limited to, documents, laptops, etc.
• Adequately mobile to attend events on- and off-campus
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment.