Assistant Director of Development, Southeast Region

Position Summary

With a focus on the Southeast region, primarily Florida and Texas, of the United States, where there is a high concentration of prospects, the Assistant Director of Development will be dedicated to helping DU grow and expand its philanthropic base of support. The Assistant Director will serve as a university generalist and will collaborate closely with unit colleagues to qualify, cultivate, and solicit leadership annual gifts (LAG) and major gifts.

As part of a dynamic, collaborative, and innovative team supporting DU’s top priorities in the region, the Assistant Director of Development will serve in a highly outbound capacity. They will have a heavy focus on qualification and retention of leadership annual giving prospects through solicitations of gifts in the $1,000‑$50,000 (mid‑range) annually, to confirm their philanthropic interest in DU. The ultimate goal is to grow the university’s major gift pipeline through a donor centered approach.

The Assistant Director will qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects toward sustained giving at the leadership annual giving and major gift levels. The key performance indicators for this position will be strategic qualifications, visits, LAG solicitations, major gift solicitations, and dollars raised.

In addition, they will be deeply involved in the growth and expansion of DU’s donor base across the university. The University of Denver is unique in its academic portfolio, which boasts both strong undergraduate programs and experiences, as well as highly respected graduate and professional programs. Alumni identify with DU as well as with specific academic units, and the Assistant Director of Development must be creative in their strategic approach with prospects to emphasize the intersection of those identities.

This position will partner closely with colleagues working within specific schools, colleges, and units to align strategies for regional constituents.

The ideal candidate is an early‑to‑mid‑career advancement professional who is motivated by relationship‑building and donor engagement. They bring a strong foundation in constituent relations, development, or relationship‑based sales, along with the ability to contribute meaningfully to fundraising efforts within a collaborative and mission‑driven environment.

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience. Veterans with an equivalent combination of military certification, education, and experience may substitute for this requirement.
• Three (3) years of professional experience, including at least one (1) year of experience in advancement work, donor or constituent relations, or relationship‑based sales.

• Demonstrated experience successfully closing annual gifts up to $5,000.
• Fundraising experience in higher education or a similarly complex nonprofit environment.

• Partner with colleagues to design and implement strategies to identify, qualify, and cultivate donors and prospects.
• Manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects to build the donor pipeline.
• Collaborate with academic and unit partners to align outreach strategies with institutional priorities.
• Assist in identifying and qualifying prospects for major gifts.
• Facilitate the strategic transition of qualified prospects to appropriate development officers for continued cultivation.

• Solicit leadership annual gifts ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 through personalized and multichannel approaches.
• Qualify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospects ($50K+) in coordination with unit major gift officers and supervisor.
• Liaise with development colleagues to identify and communicate campaign priorities to prospects from across DU.

• Support the planning and execution of donor engagement events and cultivation activities.
• Partner with alumni engagement colleagues to recruit volunteers for university and school/college based opportunities to deepen constituent involvement.

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of donor interactions and contact reports in the CRM…