Director of Development & External Relations

Enterprise State Community College; Montgomery (AL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Trenholm State Community College in Montgomery, Alabama, seeks a Director of Development and External Relations to lead fundraising, grant development, alumni engagement, and donor relations efforts that advance the college’s mission and student success.

The role provides strategic leadership for development initiatives, including identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts from alumni, corporations, and foundations, with collaboration across college leadership and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Three (3) years of successful fundraising experience in a college or nonprofit 501c-3.
• Experience with alumni relations and/or volunteer development.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities.
• Effective oral and written communications skills.
• Ability to work in an automated work environment.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements a comprehensive fundraising strategy aligned with the college's priorities.
• Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards donors through annual giving and major gifts.
• Manages donor portfolios and coordinates cultivation with College leadership.
• Maintains donor and alumni databases; analyzes fundraising data and reports.
• Collaborates with the College Foundation and supports governance activities.
• Supports accreditation, compliance, and institutional effectiveness initiatives.

Skills

Fundraising

Alumni relations

Donor stewardship

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Administrative software

Job description

The Director of Development and External Relations works under the direct supervision of the President. This position works collaboratively with the College leadership, the College Foundation, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners, and external funding organizations to secure financial resources that advance the College's mission, vision, strategic priorities, and student success. The Director provides strategic leadership for the College's institutional advancement efforts by developing and managing fundraising, grant development, alumni engagement, and donor relations initiatives, including the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of annual, major, and planned gifts from alumni, individuals, corporations, foundations, and other public and private funding sources. This position will also serve as the development liaison and provide support to other college fundraising special projects.

Salary Schedule: C3

The continuation of the position is contingent upon grant renewal.

1. Develops, implements, and evaluates a comprehensive institutional advancement and fundraising strategy aligned with the College's mission, strategic plan, and institutional priorities.
2. Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards individual, corporate, foundation, and public-sector donors through annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, endowments, sponsorships, memorial gifts, and special fundraising initiatives.
3. Establishes fundraising priorities and manages a portfolio of donor prospects while coordinating cultivation and solicitation strategies with the President and College leadership.
4. Develops and maintains strong relationships with donors, alumni, community leaders, corporations, foundations, sponsors, volunteers, and other philanthropic partners.
5. Monitors fundraising performance and prepares reports that measure progress toward fundraising goals and institutional objectives.

1. Research local, state, federal, corporate, and private funding opportunities that support College initiatives and strategic priorities.
2. Assists College departments in identifying external funding opportunities and coordinates grant development activities to increase institutional resources.
3. Collaborates with internal stakeholders to support proposal development, grant compliance, reporting requirements, and post-award stewardship.

1. Develops, implements, and manages a comprehensive alumni relations program designed to strengthen alumni engagement, volunteerism, and philanthropic support.
2. Maintains and expands an accurate alumni database and develops strategies to increase alumni participation and communication.
3. Recruits and coordinates alumni volunteers to support College programs, events, and institutional initiatives.
4. Plans, coordinates, and evaluates special events, donor recognition activities, alumni programs, and community engagement initiatives that promote the College and strengthen external relationships.

1. Collaborates with and provides administrative and strategic support to the College Foundation in accordance with Board policy and established governance practices.
2. Assists the Foundation Board and President in advancing fundraising priorities, donor stewardship, and community partnerships.

1. Maintains accurate, confidential, and secure donor, alumni, fundraising, and departmental records in accordance with College policies and applicable regulations.
2. Develops and maintains donor and prospect databases to support fundraising, stewardship, reporting, and relationship management.
3. Analyzes fundraising data and prepares regular reports for College leadership, the Foundation, granting agencies, accreditation, and other internal and external stakeholders.

1. Maintains current knowledge of best practices, emerging trends, and legal and ethical standards in fundraising, philanthropy, alumni engagement, and grants management.
2. Represents the College through professional organizations, community activities, conferences, and meetings at the local, state, and national levels.
3. Serves on College committees and participates in institutional planning, accreditation activities, and special projects as assigned.

1. Maintains the highest standards of confidentiality, professionalism, and ethical stewardship of institutional and donor information.
2. Supports accreditation, compliance, and institutional effectiveness initiatives by maintaining required documentation and records.
3. Performs other duties and special assignments as assigned by the President.

Required Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
2. Three (3) years of experience in successful fundraising in a college or non-profit 501c-3 organization.
3. Experience with alumni relations and/or volunteer development.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

1. Ability to work well under pressure.
2. Ability to handle multiple priorities.
3. Effective oral and written communications skills.
4. Ability to function in an automated work environment.
5. Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and manage complicated tasks.
6. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and administrative computing systems.
7. Ability to communicate by using PC, telephone, and written, media.

Trenholm State Community College is an equal opportunity employer. It is the official policy of the Alabama Community College System that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, disability, gender, religion, creed, national origin, or age, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program, activity, or employment. Trenholm State Community College will make reasonable accommodations for qualified disabled applicants or employees.

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory criminal background investigation.

This employer participates in E-Verify.

SUMMARY ABOUT US:

H. Councill Trenholm State Community College (Trenholm State) is a comprehensive two-year community college in Montgomery, Alabama. The College offers associate transfer degrees, associate degrees, and certificates that lead directly to the workforce. Additionally, the College provides adult learning opportunities, civic, social, cultural, and personal development; business and industry training; and support for economic development in the central Alabama region. Trenholm State is part of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS), governed by the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees. The College operates multiple instructional sites, including the Trenholm Campus, the Patterson Site, and several off-campus instructional locations offering credit, non-credit, adult education, and dual enrollment programs. Trenholm State delivers additional educational and training services for Montgomery and the surrounding areas. For more information, please visit http://www.trenholmstate.edu.