Assistant Director of Development, CAL ​/ Development Officer I

Working/Functional Title

Assistant Director of Development, CAL

Ranked #32 in the world for Best Global Universities in Arts & Humanities by U.S. News & World Report, the Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters is home to some of the most engaged, forward-thinking faculty, researchers, and scholars in the world. We educate actors, artists, designers, filmmakers, linguists, philosophers, poets, teachers, translators, writers, and more in a creative, collaborative, and nurturing environment, where students are met with diverse opportunities to explore, grow, and find their passion.

Beyond the classroom, our college fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, deep community engagement, and a shared conviction that the arts and humanities are the threads that weave together our cultures and hold the power to address the world's most pressing challenges.

As part of MSU’s $4B comprehensive capital campaign, the College of Arts + Letters is pacing toward our ambitious unit goal to raise $55M by 2032 in support of priorities including establishment of a four-year, embedded career development model that integrates internships, experiential learning, and skill-based transcripts - ensuring all students graduate with the skills, networks, and experiences to thrive professionally, and creation of a dynamic center for interdisciplinary arts and humanities research, creative practice, and public engagement
-amplifying faculty scholarship and connecting communities to the impact of humanities work.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Development for the College of Arts & Letters, the successful candidate will join a collaborative team responsible for planning and executing the college's comprehensive development program, including fundraising efforts across designated in-state and out-of-state geographic regions. The Assistant Director of Development will maintain a portfolio of approximately 70 major gift prospects, focusing engagement on individuals with a philanthropic capacity of $50,000 or more.

In this role, the Assistant Director is expected to conduct 12–15 strategic visits per month, advancing relationships and moving prospects through the gift cycle toward solicitation. These efforts should yield 2–4 solicitations per month, with all solicitation activity coordinated and cleared through the college and University Advancement at Michigan State University.

Regular in-state travel is required involving an automobile; additional travel out-of-state involving air transportation can be expected quarterly.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Solicitation, Cultivation & Discovery -

• Build and sustain meaningful relationships with major gift prospects, aligning their philanthropic interests and passions with the college's funding priorities and opportunities.
• Manage a portfolio of approximately 70 prospects, engaging each in tailored fundraising strategies and solicitations of $50,000 or more.
• Independently identify prospects ready to engage, secure exploratory meetings to assess philanthropic capacity, and qualify or disqualify individuals as major gift candidates.
• In collaboration with the development team, implement an annual strategic fundraising plan designed to meet the college's established dollar and donor goals, with focused attention on prospects at the $50,000+ capacity level.
• Conduct 12–15 personal visits per month with major prospects, advancing strategic moves toward the closure of special and major gifts.
• Communicate the needs and priorities of College of Arts & Letters units - both verbally and in writing - in ways that build understanding and inspire philanthropic investment.
• Cultivate productive working relationships with internal constituents to facilitate information exchange across college and university units and advise faculty and administrators on appropriate fundraising strategies.

Program Support -

• Contribute to the development and writing of fundraising materials that clearly articulate the college's funding priorities and make a compelling case for support, including solicitation appeals, gift proposals, cultivation and engagement pieces, and marketing and…