Director of Annual Giving

University of St. Thomas

Located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota (USA), the University of St. Thomas is a private, liberal arts university that emphasizes values-based education and career preparation. With approximately 10,000 students, it is Minnesota's largest private, nonprofit college or university and offers an associate degree in liberal arts, bachelor's, masters, and doctoral degrees in more than 100 fields of study. Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to advance the common good. The university has three campuses: St. Paul, Minneapolis and Rome, Italy.

https://www.stthomas.edu/

Position Details

Director of Annual Giving
Job
Full-time
Office/WFH
100% remote
4/10/2025
Twin Cities Metro
Minneapolis, MN

JOB SUMMARY:

The Director of Annual Giving plays a key leadership role within the University Advancement Strategic Engagement team, overseeing the development and execution of strategies that drive annual giving of unrestricted and restricted gifts below $50,000. Leading a small, dynamic team, this position is responsible for strengthening lifelong connections between the university and its 120,000+ Tommie alumni while also growing a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic support through multichannel fundraising solicitations. 

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Strategic Engagement, the director will collaborate closely with team members in University Advancement and partners across the university to create a seamless and integrated donor engagement and giving experience. The role requires a balance of high-level strategic vision and hands-on execution, ensuring that annual giving initiatives align with institutional priorities and contribute to philanthropic growth.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Strategic Leadership & Collaboration

    • Develop and implement a comprehensive annual giving strategy that supports the university’s comprehensive philanthropy goals
    • Lead and mentor a small team responsible for annual giving campaigns, including oversight of the Engagement Center and student engagement ambassadors
    • Serve as a key member of the Strategic Engagement leadership team, ensuring collaboration and alignment across Alumni Engagement, Annual Giving, Advancement Communications, Donor Relations and Events
    • Partner with key stakeholders across University Advancement to align giving strategies with broader fundraising, stewardship and communication initiatives
    • Leverage data and analytics to assess program effectiveness and inform strategy refinement
    • Identify opportunities for growth and innovation in giving programs by conducting gap analyses, setting strategic goals, and tracking key performance indicators

    Annual Giving Execution & Pipeline Development

      • Design and oversee multichannel annual giving campaigns, including direct mail, email, phone, and digital fundraising platforms
      • Develop innovative strategies to acquire, retain, steward and upgrade donors, with a focus on leadership annual giving and pipeline development, including the President’s Leadership Giving Society
      • Oversee key initiatives such as Tommie Give Day, student philanthropy education, faculty-staff campaign and reunion giving efforts
      • Partner across Strategic Engagement to create compelling solicitation messaging, segmentation strategies and donor stewardship touchpoints
      • Track and analyze campaign performance, implementing data-driven adjustments for continuous improvement
      • Lead the development of innovative solutions to deepen and enhance comprehensive philanthropy among alumni and friends (time, talent, treasure, testimony and ties)
      • Ensure campus awareness of annual giving vision, programs and impact
      • Collaborate with university partners to connect philanthropic engagement efforts with the university’s strategic priorities and comprehensive campaign
      • Stay apprised of best practices in annual giving

      Operations & Budget Management

        • Manage the annual budget for annual giving programs, ensuring cost-effective resource allocation
        • Identifies opportunities for campaign support and institutional revenue development
        • Oversee vendor relationships and contracts related to annual giving and engagement efforts
        • Develop and maintain strong data integrity and reporting practices, partnering with Advancement Services to leverage CRM and capabilities

        Minimum Qualifications:

        • Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
        • Seven years of experience in annual giving, alumni engagement, advancement or a related field
        • Experience leading teams and fostering a collaborative, results-driven culture
        • Able to work some nights and weekends as needed

        Any equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge skills and abilities who have been acquired may be substituted. 

        Preferred Qualifications:

        • Advanced degree and/or appropriate professional certification (e.g., CFRE)

        JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

        The University of St. Thomas offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program, which includes:

        • Up to 100% tuition remission for employees and dependents upon eligibility
        • Up to 50% tuition remission for spouses upon eligibility
        • A generous Employer retirement contribution of 9.4% of annual salary upon eligibility
        • Medical, dental, and vision options
        • Employer-paid disability, life, and AD&D benefits

        Salary Range: $85,000 to $99,100 

        The University of St. Thomas has provided a salary range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The specific salary offered will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.


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