Director of Development, CEPS

CP02 University of New Hampshire Foundation; Durham (NH); Hybrid; USD 84,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of New Hampshire Foundation seeks a Director of Development for CEPS to lead major gift fundraising and manage a Development team. The role focuses on gifts of $100,000+ across alumni, families, friends, and faculty, driving CEPS priorities and the university’s strategic plan.

You will collaborate with the CEPS Dean and University Advancement, building donor relationships, crafting proposals, and guiding campaigns that elevate philanthropy and program caliber at UNH.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years fundraising experience or equivalent.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major and principal gifts and build donor relationships.
• Make 120+ personal visits and 10–20 solicitations annually.
• Develop solicitation strategies and funding proposals with key partners.
• Qualify/disqualify prospects and move them through the major gifts pipeline.
• Steward donors to maximize lifetime giving.
• Support alumni participation campaigns and annual giving initiatives.
• Utilize CRM and data tools to manage and expand the portfolio.
• Lead and mentor the Development team; plan and evaluate performance.
• Plan multi-year CEPS major gifts strategies with the Dean and leaders.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Relationship management

Major gifts

Communication

Team leadership

Donor stewardship

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM software

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Director of Development (DoD) leads major gift fundraising efforts on behalf of UNH’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS), the University’s interdisciplinary home for mathematics, the physical sciences, computer science, and engineering. The incumbent will manage a portfolio of prospects capable of making philanthropic contributions (focused on the $100,000+ level) from various constituencies (alumni, parents/families, friends, faculty, staff, etc.) to support the priorities of CEPS. They will also manage a Development team, providing effective motivation and mentorship that strengthens performance and drives goal-oriented outcomes. The DoD will strengthen the CEPS major gift team’s results and lead the planning and decision making that connects Development with the evolving vision and priorities for CEPS. To be successful in this role, the DoD must work closely with dynamic academic leadership and other key stakeholders in CEPS (primarily the Dean), while also collaborating with colleagues and leadership across Development and University Advancement. The DoD will instill a heightened level of engagement with donors, prospects, and board members, setting the tone for the highest levels of fundraising achievement and program caliber that reflects the University’s culture, mission, and evolving strategic plans. The Director of Development, CEPS will join the University of New Hampshire Foundation at an exciting time, as the institution advances an ambitious comprehensive fundraising campaign. The incumbent embraces goal-oriented outcomes and is an entrepreneurial, strategic, and creative thinker who is passionate about the major gift potential for CEPS, and capable of building and expanding relationships with constituents in ways that have a quantifiable impact on philanthropic achievement. The DoD will have a proven track record in closing major gifts while possessing outstanding interpersonal competencies, ability to effectively manage projects/priorities, and be highly motivated, organized and detail oriented.

Duties/Responsibilities

Front-Line Fundraising (80%)

Manage a robust portfolio of major, principal, and planned gift prospects capable of making philanthropic contributions to CEPS, maintaining frequent contact with these individuals and organizations to build relationships that will increase philanthropic support.

Conduct 120 or more personal visits with prospects and donors each fiscal year and facilitate 10-20 major gift solicitations annually, including six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts. Meeting this activity goal will require travel across the state, region, and, on occasion, the U.S. These visits should be planned strategically and leverage the CEPS Dean and other leadership when appropriate.

Craft systematic and effective solicitation strategies and funding proposals for major, principal, and planned gift prospects. This will require collaborating with key partners across University Advancement and other Development team members.

Qualify and disqualify prospects for major gift potential by conducting a series of steps that deem their affinity and inclination to engage philanthropically at that level, and facilitate pipeline movement across the Development spectrum when prospects should be transitioned to or from a major gift portfolio.

Steward prospects and donors through their philanthropic journey with CEPS/UNH, with the goal of maximizing their donor potential.

Assist the entire Development team with achieving alumni participation goals, overall for the university and for CEPS specifically. This will require engagement in key campaigns such as the annual (603) Challenge and year-end pushes.

Utilize CRM database, reports, and other available technologies to efficiently manage, engage and expand prospect portfolio.

Management, Planning & Coordination (20%)

Manage a Development team and act as an active mentor/coach; drive annual planning, goal setting, and performance evaluation for the CEPS major gift team.

Work closely with the Managing Director of Development to strategize on key prospects/projects and to develop/implement a comprehensive multi-year plan for CEPS major gifts to significantly increase results each fiscal year and throughout the campaign.

Plan strategic fundraising and engagement opportunities for CEPS that align with the Dean’s vision/priorities and with UNH’s overall case for support and strategic plans.

Involve the CEPS Dean in key solicitations and leverage other faculty and staff expertise to execute successful fundraising activities.

Oversee preparation of reports, proposals, brochures, and other materials for various internal and external stakeholders.

Recruit and manage volunteers around various fundraising efforts and provide guidance as needed; this will include advisory boards and fundraising committees.

Requirements

• Minimum Acceptable Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of 5 years of fundraising experience or equivalent (sales, business development, account/relationship management, marketing and/or public relations).
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: Demonstrated understanding of the relevance of philanthropy and thorough knowledge of Development principles and a record of accomplishment in managing a major gift program. Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, about fundraising support. Exceptionally strong interpersonal skills and experience interacting with internal and external constituents who are diverse in characteristics such as age, education level, race, gender identity and expression, ability, and socioeconomic backgrounds in a culturally competent and supportive manner. Very strong organizational skills and ability to juggle and prioritize many projects/tasks. Very strong analytical skills and experience working in a metrics-driven environment. Proven success in managing a prospect portfolio through a disciplined moves management strategy, and soliciting/closing outright gifts, pledges, blended gifts, and preferably planned gifts. Familiarity with estate planning instruments, products, principles, and marketing programs, and success integrating gift and estate planning into a comprehensive major gifts program.
• Orientation as a team player and demonstrated strength at partnering with peers, management, and leadership and collaborating across diverse university units and departments, while also having the discipline to work independently.
• Experience collaborating with academic and administrative leadership to define funding projects and initiatives, drafting strong cases for support, developing engagement experiences, etc., and demonstrated prowess translating the vision and direction of institutional leadership into actionable plans, goals, and strategies for the major gifts program.
• Experience with board member and/or volunteer management.
• Reputation for collegiality and collaboration, and a high level of professional maturity, judgment, and decisiveness to motivate fellow staff and to inspire confidence among donors/prospects.
• Respect and support for reporting structures and lines of communication.
• Demonstrated understanding of the responsibility to maintain sensitive information and appreciation of ethics and compliance.
• Commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and advancement.
• Proficiency in fundraising database technologies and Microsoft Office.
• Other Requirements: Openness to travel on behalf of UNH for donor/prospect visits or as the university’s representative.
• This is a hybrid position.
• The expectation is that employees reside within reasonable distance to the Durham, NH campus (under three two hours) so they are available to come to campus as often as business needs dictate.
• The hiring manager will clarify exact expectation of in-person versus remote working time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Knowledge of the fundraising profession and its theories, standards, policies, and systems.
• Familiarity with a university setting and fundraising campaigns.
• Familiarity with engineering and the physical sciences disciplines.
• Experience with portfolio and/or volunteer management.

About the UNH Foundation (UNHF) and UNH Development: Established in 1989, the UNHF exists to build private philanthropic support for the university with the goal of strengthening programs and supporting students, faculty and staff. The UNH Development team is the fundraising arm of the UNHF, working to advance the mission of the university by inspiring giving among alumni, parents/families, friends, employees, corporations, and foundations. Our donor-centered approach connects stakeholders’ passions and philanthropic goals to funding opportunities at UNH, resulting in meaningful and lasting impacts across the university. The Development team is structured to ensure every level of the donor pyramid is poised for growth and success in the short and long-term, with staff focused on annual giving, leadership giving, major giving, principal and planned giving, and foundation relations. Further, most team members are assigned to fundraise for a specific area of the university, supported by Development leadership and operations staff who work across the various teams. Our team is ambitious about the potential of our fundraising outcomes, embraces diverse perspectives, commits to professional growth, operates with integrity and collaborates in every way possible.

Hybrid Workplace Expectation

University Advancement has implemented a hybrid work model, and this is a hybrid position. The expectation is that employees reside within reasonable distance to the Durham, NH campus (under three hours) so they are available to come to campus as often as business needs dictate, which vary depending on the position and assigned areas. The hiring manager will clarify exact expectation of in-person versus remote working time for each specific position.

The University of New Hampshire is an R1 Carnegie classification research institution providing comprehensive, high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs of distinction. UNH is located in Durham on a 188-acre campus, 60 miles north of Boston and 8 miles from the Atlantic coast and is convenient to New Hampshire’s lakes and mountains. There is a student enrollment of 13,000 students, with a full-time faculty of over 600, offering 90 undergraduate and more than 70 graduate programs. The University actively promotes a dynamic learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.

EEO Statement

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

Compensation Pay Range

Pay Range: $84,220.00 - $150,920.00 The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations. More information on benefits can be found here: USNH Employee Benefits | Human Resources

Location

Durham

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The University System of New Hampshire is the largest provider of postsecondary education in the Granite State. With approximately 30,000 enrolled students annually and more than 90,000 alumni living in state, the institutions of the University System - the University of New Hampshire - Durham, the University of New Hampshire School of Law, the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, Plymouth State University, and Keene State College - have a direct impact on hundreds of thousands of New Hampshire citizens every year.