Director, Annual Giving

• Serve as the team leader and subject-matter expert for annual giving. Provide regular progress and result updates to the AVP, Constituent Programs and Annual Giving, other Advancement leaders, and key volunteers.
• Translate high-level strategy and goals set by Advancement leadership into clear, actionable plans, timelines, and performance metrics.
• Manage the annual giving budget.
• Lead the design, execution, analysis, and continuous improvement of all annual fund programs and strategies. Provide day-to-day management and ensure strong execution focused on goal achievement.
• Supervise and develop annual giving staff and foster a team environment focused on collaboration with staff and volunteers, strengthening constituents’ relationships with the College through annual giving, achieving fundraising results, and pursuing continuous improvement.

• Use data, segmentation, and performance analytics to optimize campaigns, improve donor acquisition and retention, and maximize return on investment.
• Develop and implement comprehensive annual giving plans, including KCF, HAA, and other targeted funds, across all channels (direct mail, digital, social, giving days, peer-to-peer outreach, and staff solicitations) to achieve revenue and donor goals.

Rev. 10/26

• Regularly evaluate program performance and recommend refinements and innovations, elevating significant strategy shifts or investments for senior leadership review and approval.

• Oversee leadership annual giving strategy (i.e., 1833 Society), including acquisition, retention, upgrade, and stewardship efforts in coordination with frontline fundraisers.
• Manage a portfolio of leadership and emerging leadership annual fund donors and prospective donors through all prospect stages (qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship) and with a focus on growing donor engagement and upgrading their giving levels. Target goals to be set each year in collaboration with the Assistant Vice President.
• Oversee volunteer engagement strategies for class agents, peer solicitors, and other volunteers to grow donors and dollars through annual giving. Ensure that all volunteers are asked to make a gift through the Kalamazoo College Fund each year.

• Partner with major gift officers and prospect development to identify, solicit, and qualify/disqualify prospects and, when appropriate, transition donors from annual giving team management to major and planned gift pipelines.
• Collaborate with college marketing & communications (CMAC) and donor relations to secure student stories and impact examples, develop compelling messaging, and devise plans to use it as part of a multi-channel solicitation strategy.
• With the stewardship staff, review and update the plan for annual giving stewardship, customized by giving level, by designation, by constituency, and/or by loyalty/recency of giving.
• Work closely with alumni engagement to leverage annual giving segmentation strategies to prioritize how alumni engage with the college. Partner with that team to strengthen the alumni perception of annual giving as a fundamental way to support their alma mater.
• Partner with advancement services to ensure effective use of systems and tools for solicitation and program management, reporting, tracking, analysis and donor experience.

• Participate regularly in Advancement staff meetings and other relevant department meetings.
• Staff Homecoming and Commencement weekend activities (required) and other on- and off campus events on an as-needed basis.
• Participate in professional development and relevant professional organizations.
• Other duties as assigned.