Associate Director of Strategic Giving

Position Objective

The associate director of strategic giving is a key position within the strategic giving department with the primary responsibility of providing programmatic leadership and operational expertise for donor gifts and management, and leading the prospect mining, educational outreach, and university-wide development officer training components for the department. The incumbent will work directly with donors, financial advisors, and other planned giving professionals, thereby directly contributing to the return on investment and fundraising success of the Office of Strategic Giving.

The associate director must have detailed knowledge of the department's goals, vision, and priorities and will oversee strategic giving activities of a complex and highly sensitive and/or confidential nature. This position will function as a liaison with inter‑, intra‑departmental, and institutional units, involving a variety of interactions with a diverse group of individuals at the university. This position also involves independent collaboration with development staff at the schools/college and central development by initiating planned giving/educational outreach for the office of strategic giving, conducting prospect research, and independently preparing strategic giving materials.

The incumbent will design, execute, and complete the administration on all life income and strategic gift vehicles with a total portfolio value that exceeds $35 million dollars and independently design strategic giving projects and internal educational training and events.

• Direct and manage the strategic giving prospect identification process and train development officers in the use of strategic giving vehicles relative to identified prospects;
  Systemize and enhance the effectiveness of prospect identification and the closing of strategic giving gifts, including prospect research, identification of individuals likely to have an interest in strategic giving, initial interaction with promising prospects, and other preparations as required.
• Research, identify and recommend strategic giving engagement opportunities by generating, proof‑reading, and analyzing Advance reports, prospect lists, and bi‑weekly alumni deceased reports. Serve as administrative expert for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the Office of Strategic Giving.
• Consult and represent strategic giving, as designated, in communicating with internal and external constituents. Independently research, prioritize, and follow up on multiple incoming issues and concerns addressed, including those of a sensitive and/or confidential nature, and determine appropriate course of action, referral, and/or response.
• Access highly confidential records of donors, alumni, friends of the university, utilizing Advance database for research, reporting, and entering contact reports. (20%)
• Manage the creation and implementation of strategic giving marketing programs and materials and assign management to the executive aide. Plan, oversee, and manage the execution and distribution of strategic giving correspondence to university‑wide development staff, targeted audiences, and external constituents; develop timelines and strategies for distribution, in partnership with the assistant vice president, to complement other strategic giving engagement activities.
• Independently research, identify, and recommend strategic giving donors to be stewarded through donor recognition engagement activities. Create and prepare charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust, life insurance, and bequest expectancy proposals, manage the Letter of Intent intake—averaging between $5M–$10M annually—and template program and independently run gift annuity illustrations/materials – approximately two dozen times per year – from chief development officers and school development officers across the university, and more occasional requests directly from prior donors or prospects.
• Act as the point of contact to leadership, the Office of Strategic Giving, and University Marketing and Communications. (20%)
• Initiate, manage, and serve as point of contact for a…