Institutional Advancement Graduate Assistant

North Central College; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 20,000 - 28,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Graduate tuition benefits

Stipend provided

Job summary

A prominent educational institution in Naperville, Illinois, is seeking a part-time Institutional Advancement Graduate Assistant. This role involves supporting fundraising efforts, engaging with alumni and donors, and coordinating various initiatives. Ideal candidates are graduate students with strong communication skills, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and a keen interest in fundraising and higher education. The position offers tuition benefits and a stipend, with an expected commitment of around 20 hours per week.

Qualifications

• Must be enrolled in a graduate program at the College.
• Comfort interacting with alumni, donors, and external partners.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience with CRM or fundraising databases preferred.
• Interest in fundraising, nonprofit management, higher education, or athletics administration is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assist in identifying and qualifying potential sponsors.
• Support planning for annual giving initiatives and donor engagement.
• Coordinate athletics fundraising events.
• General Advancement Support – event coordination for donor receptions; data entry and gift processing; participate in meetings and professional development; represent IA office at events.

Skills

Strong interpersonal skills

Excellent written and verbal communication

Organizational skills

Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Interest in fundraising

CRM experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Enrolled in graduate program

Tools

CRM or fundraising databases

Fundraising databases

Microsoft Office

Job description

Institutional Advancement Graduate Assistant

Position Title: Institutional Advancement Graduate Assistant

Department: Institutional Advancement

Reports To: Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Employment Status: Part-Time, Graduate Assistantship

Position Summary: The Graduate Assistant for Institutional Advancement supports the College’s fundraising and external relations efforts. This position plays an active role in sponsorship solicitation, annual giving donor cultivation, and athletics fundraising initiatives. The Graduate Assistant will work closely with advancement staff to strengthen donor relationships, enhance the visibility of the institution, and contribute to securing resources that support student success and institutional priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Sponsorship Solicitation
  • Assist in identifying, researching, and qualifying potential corporate and community sponsors.
  • Draft sponsorship proposals, presentations, and customized partnership materials.
  • Support outreach to prospective sponsors through email, phone calls, in-person meetings, and event participation.
  • Maintain accurate records of sponsorship activity, agreements, and stewardship actions.
  • Collaborate with campus departments and event organizers to fulfill sponsorship benefits.
• Annual Giving – Donor Cultivation and Solicitation
  • Support planning and execution of annual giving initiatives, including digital outreach, ThankView videos, Day of Giving planning, and GiveCampus pages.
  • Engage with alumni, parents, friends, and community members to build relationships and encourage philanthropic support.
  • Conduct donor thank‑you calls, follow‑up communications, and stewardship touches.
  • Assist with segmentation, donor research, and prospect strategy development.
  • Help manage giving data, track results, and prepare reports for internal stakeholders.
• Athletics Giving
  • Partner with athletics staff to engage donors, fans, and alumni in supporting athletic programs.
  • Assist in organizing athletics fundraising events (e.g., golf outings, booster events, alumni games).
  • Help solicit gifts for athletics priorities, including team funds, facilities, and scholarships.
  • Maintain strong communication with coaches and athletics leadership to align fundraising needs and messaging.
• General Advancement Support
  • Provide event coordination support for donor receptions, alumni gatherings, and institutional celebrations.
  • Assist with database entry, gift processing support, and overall data integrity.
  • Participate in strategic meetings, training sessions, and professional development activities.
  • Represent the Institutional Advancement office in a positive and professional manner at events and meetings.

Work Schedule & Compensation

Hours per week dependent on class schedule; typically 20 hours.

Schedule may include occasional evenings and weekends for events.

Graduate tuition benefits and stipend provided according to institutional assistantship policies.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; must be enrolled in a graduate program at the College.
• Strong interpersonal skills and comfort interacting with alumni, donors, and external partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience with CRM or fundraising databases preferred.
• Interest in fundraising, nonprofit management, higher education, or athletics administration is highly desirable.

Approximate number of work hours per week: 20.

Open Date: 12/12/2025

EEO Statement

North Central College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. North Central College provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need reasonable accommodation, please notify the Office of Human Resources. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case‑by‑case basis.

Posting Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Please select the answer that best describes your student work authorization:
  • I am authorized to work for any US employer and can provide documentation, if hired.
  • I am an international student with a US social security number authorized for campus work.
  • I am an international student and will need to apply for a US social security number, if hired.
  • I cannot provide US work authorization.