Director of Development and Major Gifts

This class is the second level in the Foundation Series. Incumbents lead the development of donor relationships. Responsibilities include developing plans to increase monetary donations from alumni and other individuals and/or organizations; identifying opportunities for additional donation funds; identifying approaches for developing partnerships with potential donors; determining appropriate events for soliciting funds; and developing strategies for communicating with current and potential donors.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Develops and initiates plans to increase monetary donations from alumni and other individuals and/or organizations; duties include identifying and implementing approaches to increase corporate sponsorship and build non-profit partnerships; contacting internal and external stakeholders, such as alumni, current and potential donors, and other partners, through meetings or via phone calls; planning and attending events; and creating and maintaining a portfolio of gift prospects from alumni, friends, and other interested constituencies. 
• Plans and organizes college-sponsored, fundraising, in-person, and/or online events to build partnerships, promote the annual giving program, increase current and potential donor engagement, and increase college revenues and profits; duties could include, but are not limited to, determining and selecting the event type; planning approaches and activities to increase student, staff, faculty, alumni, and other interested party engagement, including using web content, social media, and email and print communications; tracking successful events; and determining sponsor levels. 
• Coordinates college staff, advisory groups and volunteers to help them establish relationships with students, identify philanthropic opportunities, and ensure operational efficiency; duties include prioritizing and assigning work; conducting performance evaluations; developing and coordinating training; and implementing hiring, discipline, and termination procedures. 
• Plans and implements alumni development initiatives to increase alumni engagement, build relationships with alumni, and undertake fundraising efforts, including donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship; duties could include, but are not limited to, surveying and meeting with alumni and determining appropriate programs that increase engagement and giving. 
• Continuous improvement of fundraising, including identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding new and existing donors. Managing fundraising campaigns of all sizes and measuring progress and success. 
• Writes private grants to support the priorities of the Foundation and College; researches grant opportunities. 
• Assists with the creation and oversees the execution of strategic planning ideas and the execution of major gift fundraising, giving program, alumni development, external communications, planned giving, corporate relations, and donor recognition. 
• Responsible for the creation of a comprehensive Donor Stewardship Program. 
• Performs other related duties of a comparable level/type as assigned. 
• This job description is intended to represent only the key areas of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the business needs of the department.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Business Administration, Non-profit Leadership/Management or related field and 5 years of equivalent level fundraising experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Master’s degree preferred.

KNOWLEDGE:

• Professional fundraising strategies 
• Computers and related software applications 
• Customer service principles 
• Public relations principles 
• Applicable Federal, State, and Local laws, rules, and regulations 
• Managerial principles 
• Methods of developing program plans

SKILLS:

• Using technology and related software applications 
• Coordinating fundraising programs 
• Identifying, cultivating, and soliciting current and potential donors 
• Analyzing giving patterns 
• Strategizing campaign activities 
• Managing an assigned area 
• Monitoring and evaluating the work of subordinate staff 
• Prioritizing and assigning work 
• Utilizing communication and interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, and others sufficient to exchange or convey information and build relationships with donors.

Salary Range: D61 $64,582.13 - $93,645.30

BENEFITS/SERVICES:

Our comprehensive benefit package includes the following and much more:

• Health Insurance 
• Dental Insurance 
• Life Insurance 
• Long-Term Disability 
• Health Savings Account 
• Health Club Access 
• Wisconsin Retirement System Contribution 
• On-campus day care (hourly rate charged)