Sr. Director, Annual & Special Giving

DePaul University; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,519 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top choice medical, dental, and vision benefits

Retirement plan matching contribution of 8%

Tuition waivers for employees and dependents

Generous paid time off and holidays

Job summary

DePaul University is looking for a Senior Director of Annual Giving and Leadership Annual Giving to oversee a strategic giving program aimed at securing philanthropic support. You will develop strategies to drive donor engagement and manage a team dedicated to achieving annual goals.

The role demands at least 8–10 years of fundraising experience and includes responsibilities for direct outreach and data analysis. Generous benefits and a salary range of $85,519 to $123,000 are offered.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8–10 years in annual giving and leadership fundraising.
• Experience managing budgets and vendor relationships.
• Ability to manage multiple projects under time constraints.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes a comprehensive annual giving program.
• Manages annual giving and leadership annual giving team.
• Conducts data-driven analysis to improve fundraising outcomes.
• Collaborates with other departments on fundraising goals.

Skills

Leadership in fundraising

Data analysis

Project management

Excellent communication skills

Education

BS/BA degree

Tools

GiveCampus fundraising platform

Job description

Highlights

Senior Director (SD) of Annual Giving and Leadership Annual Giving leads and manages a strategic and comprehensive university-wide annual and leadership annual giving program designed to secure philanthropic support from alumni and friends with a focus on gifts under $49,999. The SD develops and implements strategies for acquisition, retention and upgrades to drive donors, dollars and pipeline development for the university to meet yearly and campaign goals. The SD oversees the execution of all aspects of annual and leadership annual giving including traditional direct response outreach, digital philanthropy, one on one solicitations and participation level stewardship. The SD will manage a team of annual giving and leadership annual giving professionals.

What You’ll Do

1. Strategy and Program Management – Develops and executes a university-wide annual and leadership annual giving program to build a strong base of annual support and develop a healthy and sustainable donor pipeline. Executes a multi‑channel annual giving program, including direct mail, email, texting, social media, crowdfunding, digital advertising, giving days and online giving. Develops strategy for and analyzes annual progress of consecutive year donors, retention rates and acquisition rates. Executes a comprehensive stewardship strategy for annual and leadership annual giving donors. Understands and implements best practices in constituent and donor audience segmentation, sequencing and solicitation channels to grow the program and fulfill strategic objectives. Leads the leadership annual giving program with focus on leveraging digital channels designed to bridge the gap between annual giving and major giving, building a pipeline of donors. Leverages new, innovative digital initiatives and emerging technologies.
2. Staff and Portfolio Management – Identifies, qualifies, cultivates, and solicits leadership annual giving prospects to create and grow a pipeline of 1898 Society members and major gift donors. Manages the Annual and Leadership Annual Giving team, including through annual performance appraisals and operating plans. Leads creation and oversees ongoing management of student driven engagement center.
3. Assessment, reporting and data analysis – Conducts data‑driven analysis of the effectiveness of annual and leadership annual giving activities to ensure execution and recommend strategies that lead to growth and successful outcomes. Utilizes results, predictive modeling and other analytic tools to drive future activity. In coordination with leadership, establishes annual goals and utilizes dashboards and reports to monitor progress and share ongoing results.
4. Collaboration – Works with other areas within and outside of Advancement involved with annual and leadership annual giving goals.

Other Responsibilities

• Supervise the annual and leadership annual giving team including all hiring, performance and professional development responsibilities.
• Oversee the supervision of numerous student workers for the engagement center.
• Manage the budget of the annual and leadership annual giving program.
• Monitor income and expenses related to these areas and identify potential future needs as well as areas to save resources.

What You’ll Need

• BS/BA degree, required.
• Minimum 8–10 years in annual giving and leadership annual giving fundraising.
• Experience managing budgets, contracts and relationships with vendors.
• Experience with and understanding of GiveCampus fundraising platform.
• Ability to manage several projects simultaneously and work effectively under time constraints.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Position includes occasional evening and/or weekend work and some travel.

Perks

• Working for a stable and well‑known University.
• Top choice medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Retirement plan matching contribution of 8%.
• Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
• Generous paid time off, sick time, holidays, floating holidays, and more.
• Full‑time benefits.

The anticipated hiring range for this position is: $85,519 to $123,000. The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.

For consideration, please include a resume and cover letter.

Required Background Check: Employment at DePaul University is contingent on passing a background check. Only final candidates who are extended an offer of employment will undergo a background check.

DePaul University is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information or any other legally protected status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local EEO laws.