Director Leadership Annual Giving

Augusta University; Augusta (GA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 106,000; Full time

Job summary

Augusta University seeks a Director of Leadership Annual Giving to drive strategic engagement across the university landscape. This role will supervise a team of gift officers and manage a portfolio of leadership prospects to cultivate mid-level gifts, ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.

A proactive, strategic approach to donor motivations and personalized donor experiences is essential. The successful candidate will lead and mentor staff, develop stewardship and retention strategies, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; 3+ years in annual giving or development.
• Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Experience with donor segmentation and fundraising strategies.
• Ability to travel for donor visits and regional events.

Responsibilities

• Develop fundraising plans for leadership donors and support major gift strategies.
• Participate in leadership annual giving program growth and solicitation efforts.
• Manage a portfolio of prospects and personally solicit leadership gifts.
• Mentor and supervise leadership annual giving officers; set goals and track metrics.
• Collaborate with colleagues to retain, renew, and upgrade leadership gifts.

Skills

Relationship-building

Strategic planning

Communication

Project management

Donor stewardship

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Director Leadership Annual Giving

Job ID: 303527

Location: Augusta University

Full/Part Time: Full Time

Regular/Temporary:

About Us Augusta University is Georgia's innovation center for education and health care, training the next generation of innovators, leaders, and healthcare providers in classrooms and clinics on four campuses in Augusta and locations across the state. More than 12,000 students choose Augusta for educational opportunities at the center of Georgia's cybersecurity hub and experiential learning that blends arts and application, humanities, and the health sciences. Augusta is home to Georgia's only public academic health center, where groundbreaking research is creating a healthier, more prosperous Georgia, and world-class clinicians are bringing the medicine of tomorrow to patient care today. Our mission and values https://www.augusta.edu/about/mission.php make Augusta University an institution like no other.

Augusta University's distinct characteristics in education and research include real-world experiences and community engagement, as well as a culture of building community, corporate and government partnerships that address health, security, economic and societal concerns locally and across the state.

The University System of Georgia https://www.usg.edu/hr/orientation/welcome_to_the_board_of_regents_university_system_office is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

Job Summary

The Director of Annual Philanthropy will drive strategic engagement across the collaborative Augusta University landscape, leveraging strong partnership and relationship building skills to cultivate and secure philanthropic support from key mid-level prospects. They will supervise and mentor a team of gift officers and manage a small portfolio of their own leadership prospects with which to cultivate and solicit mid-level gifts ($10,000-$25,000). Success in this role requires a proactive and strategic approach to relationship-building, a deep understanding of donor motivations, and a strong commitment to delivering personalized and meaningful donor experiences.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic fundraising plans for annual leadership donors including custom mailing/email segments. Work with major and planned giving fundraisers to have the leadership annual giving team support their overall solicitation strategy as it pertains to the annual giving strategies for their prospects. In collaboration with the PAE staff, lead strategic handoff of prospects at appropriate levels and giving types: leadership, major, principal, planned, and/or foundation gifts as well as help develop repeatable processes for pipeline management.
• Actively participate in the growth and enhancement of the leadership annual giving program as a thought partner with the Director of Annual Giving and PAE senior leadership. Engage in leadership annual gift solicitations that 1) retain current and re-engage lost donors, 2) increase giving levels of current donors, and 3) acquire new donors.
• Manage a portfolio of prospects through sustained interactions and prospect development. Ensure successful gift solicitation of key prospects. Makes personal solicitations annually. Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership annual gifts.
• Partner with colleagues across PAE to develop stewardship and retention strategies for leadership annual giving donors.
• Supervise and mentor a team of leadership annual giving officers, setting goals and tracking metrics, this includes hiring, training, development, workflow, and performance management of the team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and at least 3 years documented experience in annual giving or development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
• At least 5 years' experience in annual giving of development.
• Experience with solicitation segmentation strategy is preferred.
• Previous professional experience in a higher education, academic medical center or non-profit organization.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Ability to take initiative, work both independently and collaboratively, and be personally accountable for work.
• Strategic planning, purposeful implementation, and detailed documentation of new ideas and processes.
• Strong communication (oral and written), relationship-building, and active listening skills.
• Ability to develop interpersonal relationships to collaborate effectively with varied constituencies.
• Strong organizational, time management, and project management skills.
• Ability to travel for donor visits and occasional regional PAE events.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback, coaching, and direction as needed.

Shift/Salary/Benefits

Shift: Days/M-F (work outside of normal business hours will likely be required of an employee in an exempt level position).

Pay Band: B15

Salary Range: $82,800/annually - $105,600/annually

Salary to be commensurate with qualifications of the selected candidate within the established range (generally minimum-midpoint) of the position.

Recruitment Period: 9/14/26 - Until Filled

Augusta University offers a variety of benefits to full-time benefits-eligible employees and some of our half-time (or more) employees.

Benefits that may be elected could include health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, Teachers Retirement System (or Optional Retirement Plan), as well as earned vacation time, sick leave, and 13 paid holidays.

Also, our full-time employees who have been employed with us successfully for more than 6 months can be considered for the Tuition Assistance Program.

Conditions of Employment

All selected candidates are required to successfully pass a Background Check review prior to starting with Augusta University.

If applicable for the specific position based on the duties: the candidate will also need to have a credit check completed for Positions of Trust and or approved departmental Purchase Card usage.

Motor vehicle reports are required for positions that are required to drive an Augusta University vehicle.

For Faculty Hires: Final candidates will be required to provide proof of completed academic degree(s) as well as post-secondary coursework in the form of original transcript(s). Those candidates trained by a foreign institution will also be required to provide an educational/credential evaluation.

All employees are responsible for ensuring the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of sensitive [patient, student, employee, financial, business, etc.] information by exercising sound judgment and adhering to cybersecurity and privacy policies during their employment and beyond.

Other Information

This position is also responsible for promoting a customer-friendly environment and providing superior service to our patients, students, faculty, and employees. "Augusta University is a patient-and family-centered care institution, where employees partner every day with patients and families for success."

Augusta University is a tobacco-free environment, and the use of any tobacco products on any part of the campus, both inside and outside, is strictly prohibited.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Augusta University is proud to be an equal opportunity employer welcoming applicants from underrepresented groups, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.