Senior Director, Major & Planned Giving

Montclair State University; Montclair (NJ); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Montclair State University is seeking a Director of Major and Planned Gift to advance transformational philanthropy and steward a portfolio of high-capacity prospects. The role leads planned giving strategies and collaborates with university leadership to drive gifts and bequests.

Reporting to the AVP of Major and Planned Gifts, the director will travel, present to boards and donors, and help grow the legacy society while ensuring timely gift realization and compliance with estate planning

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required.
• Minimum seven years of major gift or planned giving experience.
• Experience soliciting and closing gifts of $50,000+.
• Experience structuring and closing deferred gifts (bequests, trusts, gift annuities).
• Proven ability to manage 100+ high-capacity prospects.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a portfolio of 10050 major/planned gift prospects.
• Identify and engage new major/planned giving prospects, including non-alumni and high-net-worth individuals.
• Conduct face-to-face meetings with prospects and travel as needed.
• Develop compelling gift proposals and briefing materials.
• Coordinate activities across schools and departments to align with priorities.
• Oversee estate gift administration and coordinate with legal counsel and the foundation.
• Promote planned giving through marketing/outreach campaigns and legacy society initiatives.

Skills

Major gift fundraising

Planned giving

Donor relations

Strategic thinking

Project management

Persuasive communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university

Advanced degree or related certification (preferred)

Tools

CRM systems (Blackbaud/Ellucian/Salesforce)

Prospect research tools

Job description

Montclair State University is seeking a Director of Major and Planned Gift to advance transformational philanthropy and steward a portfolio of high-capacity prospects. The role leads planned giving strategies and collaborates with university leadership to drive gifts and bequests.

Reporting to the AVP of Major and Planned Gifts, the director will travel, present to boards and donors, and help grow the legacy society while ensuring timely gift realization and compliance with estate planning