Associate Director of Annual Giving

Associate Director of Annual Giving

Serving as a senior strategic partner to the Executive Director, the Associate Director of Annual Giving drives the revenue-generating engines of Lafayette College's broad-based and leadership annual giving programs. This role is responsible for the overarching project management and execution of Lafayette's signature Bring the Roar campaign, overseeing a comprehensive multi-channel solicitation and stewardship communication plan, and cultivating a personal frontline fundraising portfolio.

Crucially, this position partners with the Executive Director to establish, implement, and socialize data-driven policies for campus partnerships, ensuring all specialized fundraising initiatives maximize return on investment (ROI) and directly advance institutional campaign priorities.

• Strategic
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Partner closely with the Executive Director to design, execute, and evaluate a comprehensive, multi-channel annual communications and solicitation plan across all digital, direct mail, phone, and text touchpoints.
• Campaign Management:
  Serve as the primary strategic project manager for Lafayette's signature Bring the Roar campaign, shifting the division's focus from general engagement to direct revenue generation.
• Data-Driven Segmentation:
  Collaborate with Advancement Operations to utilize data analytics, performance reporting, and predictive modeling to segment audiences, maximize donor acquisition, and drive upward donor retention.
• Stewardship Integration:
  Oversee the end-to-end integration of campaign messaging and stewardship touchpoints, ensuring consistent, revenue-focused branding across all platforms.

• Policy & Best Practices:
  Work in lockstep with the Executive Director to develop, document, and implement rigorous internal policies, operational procedures, and industry best practices to govern annual giving initiatives.
• Partnership Realignment & Vetting:
  Establish clear, ROI-based vetting criteria for specialized or localized campus fundraising requests. Socialize these standards with key internal partners to eliminate low-yield, distracting projects and protect the team's core fundraising focus.
• Strategic Internal Consulting:
  Serve as the primary Annual Giving liaison and strategic consultant to key campus partners and distinct academic units (including Engineering, the Library, the Williams Arts Center, and targeted class-specific projects). Collaborate with division leadership and gift officers to build out specialized annual fundraising initiatives that strictly align with institutional campaign priorities.
• Engagement Integration:
  Coordinate closely with Alumni & Family Engagement partners and divisional colleagues to align annual giving solicitations with major institutional engagement milestones, ensuring a seamless, donor-centric experience that converts engaged alumni into active philanthropic investors.

• Portfolio Management:
  Manage an active, high-yield portfolio of 100–125 leadership annual giving prospects.
• The Dual Ask:
  Actively qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with a strict focus on securing leadership-level annual fund gifts ($2,500+), seamlessly executing the "dual ask" by aligning donor passion with campaign and restricted priorities.
• Performance Metrics:
  Meet or exceed explicit annual performance metrics established by the Executive Director for face-to-face/virtual visits, solicitations, pipeline conversion, and dollars raised.

• Bachelor's degree required in relevant field (such as Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or Event Management) preferred.
• One to three years of advancement, alumni relations, volunteer engagement/management and/or equivalent experience with annual fund/giving experience preferred.

• Experience in fundraising; soliciting and closing annual fund gifts.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• A level of energy and a team orientation.
• Experience working with large databases and capability to perform detailed data analyses.
• An ability to communicate with volunteers/prospects/donors/colleagues effectively and efficiently through direct face-to-face and remote via…