Strategic Director of Annual Giving & Foundations

AJU; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

American Jewish University (AJU) seeks a Director of Annual Giving & Foundation Relations to strengthen and expand AJU’s philanthropic support. Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, this role drives multi-channel fundraising, cultivates mid- to high-level donors, and oversees grant reporting and foundation relations.

Exceptional communication and project management are essential. The Director will manage a 50–75 donor portfolio, develop grant proposals, coordinate with faculty, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 5-7 years of progressive fundraising or nonprofit development experience.
• Strong grant writing experience with track record of securing foundation funding.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Expertise in working with donor databases/CRM systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive annual giving strategy.
• Plan multi-channel fundraising campaigns across Direct mail, Email, Digital and Social Media.
• Create annual fundraising calendars and appeal timelines.
• Collaborate with internal Communications team to develop compelling donor messaging and fundraising content.
• Analyze campaign performance and recommend strategies to improve donor acquisition, response rates, average gift size, and return on investment.
• Design strategies to recover and re-engage lapsed donors, and increase donor retention.
• Increase participation and revenue from recurring/monthly donors.
• Create donor segmentation strategies based on giving history, interests, and engagement.
• Develop meaningful stewardship communications throughout the donor lifecycle.
• Ensure donors receive timely, personalized, and impactful acknowledgments and recognition.
• Write compelling grant proposals, letters of inquiry, supporting materials and grant reports.
• Lead grant submissions process and ensure timely completion of application requirements.

Skills

Grant writing

Donor engagement

CRM systems

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

American Jewish University (AJU) seeks a Director of Annual Giving & Foundation Relations to strengthen and expand AJU’s philanthropic support. Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, this role drives multi-channel fundraising, cultivates mid- to high-level donors, and oversees grant reporting and foundation relations.

Exceptional communication and project management are essential. The Director will manage a 50–75 donor portfolio, develop grant proposals, coordinate with faculty, and