Job Description:
Location: Wooster, OH Category: Staff Posted On: Thu Nov 7 2024 Job Description:
Summary:
The Assistant Director of Annual Giving works as part of a team to secure financial support for College through philanthropic efforts. The individual will be responsible for managing a portfolio of donors with a particular focus on building and cultivating a pipeline of donors to encourage increased philanthropic support at a leadership level ($3,000+) from Wooster alumni, families, and friends. The Assistant Director of Annual Giving position will oversee programmatic responsibilities related to the Annual Giving department, including our annual Giving Days for our annual fund and the annual athletics fund. The successful candidate will be a proven fundraiser with demonstrated ability in fundraising, program management, communications, and teamwork.
Essential Departmental Duties and Responsibilities:
- Develops, implements, and executes solicitation strategies for a portfolio of donors and prospective donors with an emphasis on securing unrestricted support for The Wooster Fund. The strategies will include soliciting, closing, and stewarding mid-level gifts. Solicitation activities are primarily focused on personal visits and substantial contacts.
- Develops and implements an annual comprehensive plan with the overall goal to build and cultivate relationships, increase donor retention, provide meaningful engagement, and move donors through the pipeline.
- Develops and executes cutting-edge annual giving days for the department. Creates exciting and engaging content to gain donors and share the mission of The Wooster Fund. Develops and fosters cross-campus partnerships to further strengthen the mission and messaging of case of philanthropic support.
- Provides day-to-day oversight for other annual giving related programs within the department such managing monthly donors, stewardship and donor relations and retention.
- Partners with Alumni and Family engagement to manage volunteers, Advancement Services to implement a donor-centric and personalized stewardship process, and with a variety of campus partners such as APEX, Athletics, and Campus Life for events.
- Assists with major alumni relations and annual giving events including Commencement/Reunion Weekend, volunteer summits, giving days and others.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Job Requirements:
Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Education and/or Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- One or more years in development; thorough knowledge of the principles and practices of higher education development and fundraising with an understanding of individual giving programs, and detailed understanding of annual fundraising programs, such as direct mail, phonathon, and personal solicitation programs, strongly preferred.
Knowledge Skills and Abilities:
Skills:
- Superior communication skills with the ability to connect to a variety of audiences; clarity, crispness, and persuasiveness in written and oral communications.
- Proven ability to work successfully and collaboratively with diverse constituents, managing complex relationships across various stakeholders including faculty, parents, alumni, and staff.
Knowledge:
- Comprehensive knowledge of higher education development and fundraising, encompassing individual giving and annual fundraising programs like direct mail and personal solicitation.
- Knowledge of modern data management practices and techniques including data-based computerized information systems, data modeling, and models of analysis that lead to effective decision making on behalf of the program. Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge NXT preferred.
- Must be proficient and adaptable with technology including Microsoft Office suite, spreadsheet applications, database concepts, financial and endowment accounting concepts.
Abilities:
- Acknowledge and comply with all departmental SOP, safety, and college requirements.
- Strong professional ethics and discretion with an attitude of respect for all employed at Wooster.
- Commitment to Wooster’s mission, vision and values and demonstrated ability to create and sustain an organizational climate based on inclusion, social justice, and equity.
- Must uphold professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information.
Work Environment:
- Must be able and willing to travel on occasion throughout the US.
- The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions.
Physical Demands:
- While performing the duties of this job, the staff member is regularly required to stand; walk; climb stairs; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
- Occasionally required to sit and stoop or kneel.
- Must be able to regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and frequently lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Must have the ability to travel unassisted throughout the country using a variety of transportation options.
Additional Information:
The College of Wooster does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex/gender, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, political affiliation, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin (including ancestry), citizenship status, disability, age, marital status, family responsibilities, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy, or by state, local, or federal law. All offers of employment are subject to verification of the legal right to work in the United States as required by federal law. The College of Wooster is committed by policy and practice to diversity, equity and inclusion. For more information see our nondiscrimination policy.