Executive Director, Harvard Gift Planning

Overview

Harvard University seeks an innovative and experienced fundraising leader and strategic thinker to lead the gift planning program in University Development. Harvard’s gift planning program has a long history of leadership and expertise and the trusts under management comprise the largest program in the industry.

Harvard Gift Planning (HGP) serves as the primary planned giving strategists and front-line fundraisers for eight Schools and several non-school units, while also serving all of Harvard as a resource for policies, procedures, lead generation, industry trends, knowledge capture, marketing coordination, staff training, and convening of peers for discussion of best practices.

Reporting to the Senior Executive Director, University Development, the Executive Director, Harvard Gift Planning, will develop, implement, and oversee a proactive planned giving fundraising strategy that continues to create industry best practices and adds value to the fundraising of all of Harvard’s Schools and Units, while providing excellent donor relationship management. The Executive Director will serve as a programmatic leader, team manager, and front-facing fundraiser, serving as a point person for gifts at the principal gifts level.

The Executive Director will serve as a collegial partner to the Directors in the Harvard Schools that have planned giving teams and will lead the department’s relationship with School and unit partners to whom the team delivers services, and helping to drive activity for those units.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive plan to grow the University-wide planned giving program, including measurable goals to ensure the identification, engagement, and solicitation of donors and prospects across the university. Plans in the context of a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Oversee an integrated, coordinated, and effective communications, engagement, marketing, and recognition program.
• Convene planned giving professionals university-wide to facilitate discussions of innovations and best practices; assess how innovations in the industry could inform Harvard’s strategy; evaluate new approaches; and make informed decisions. Lead a collaborative approach to the creation and management of university policies related to planned gifts. Create forums to evaluate programmatic innovations, opportunities, and growth.
• Ensure a thorough infrastructure to oversee the health of Harvard’s planned gifts and their impact to the University.
• Oversee the integration of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences gift planning program into HGP, including: restructuring HGP with a portion of the team dedicated to working with FAS alumni and raising gifts in support of FAS priorities; evaluating which processes are duplicative under the new structure and where FAS-specific needs must be maintained; working with key FAS stakeholders to ensure school-based gift planning needs will be met under the new structure.
• Manage a team of 10+ staff members. Recruit, hire, onboard, train, provide timely feedback, and support professional development of the team. Treat all team members and colleagues according to AA&D culture. Optimize and value the contributions, historical knowledge, and expertise of each member of the team.
• Liaise with external trust administration vendor on programmatic aspects in partnership with the Executive Director of the Office of Gift Administration and also in collaboration with the School planned giving directors. Identify and pursue opportunities to strengthen communication and collaboration with key partners across AA&D.
• For Schools without their own in-house planned giving departments, collaborate with School fundraising leadership to set goals and expectations for planned giving fundraising and services to be provided by UDO to the School and report regularly on progress toward goals.
• Manage a small portfolio of prospects to cultivate, solicit and steward. Formulate individualized solicitation strategies for planned giving prospects and provide strategy for prospects in team members’ portfolios. Serve as a point person for gifts at the principal gifts level, particularly…