Leadership Annual Giving, Grateful Giving Program, Associate Director

Leadership Annual Giving, Grateful Giving Program, Associate Director

New Orleans, LA, United States

Tulane University seeks a strategic, relationship-focused, and mission-driven officer to secure philanthropic gifts from grateful patients and families in the $1,000–$25,000 range across clinical specialties. This frontline fundraising position is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting leadership annual gifts through field-based donor engagement, including in-person and virtual visits, personalized cultivation strategies, and direct solicitation.

This position serves as a critical connector between annual giving and major gifts - building a robust pipeline of leadership annual donors while identifying and advancing prospects for higher-level engagement. Exercises professional judgment and discretion in clinical, patient-centered environments, in alignment with Tulane Health Systems' mission and HIPAA standards.

• Manage an active portfolio of approximately 125–175 grateful patient prospects and donors
• Conduct in-person and virtual donor visits to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors
• Secure outright gifts, pledges, and multi-year commitments in the $1,000–$25,000 range
• Develop and execute individualized donor strategies aligned with clinical priorities
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation of all donor interactions in the CRM system
• Partner with physicians, nurses, administrators, and clinical leadership to identify appropriate grateful patient prospects
• Translate patient gratitude into philanthropic investment through ethical, patient-centered engagement
• Represent Grateful Giving professionally within clinical and patient-facing environments
• Ensure adherence to HIPAA and institutional compliance standards in all outreach
• Qualify leadership annual giving donors for potential transition to Major Gifts
• Coordinate strategic referrals and warm handoffs to Major Gift Officers
• Collaborate with Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Advancement Communications & Marketing, and Donor Relations to ensure a coordinated donor experience
• Support targeted appeals, stewardship efforts, and engagement initiatives as complements to frontline work

Administrative & Reporting Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate forecasting, contact reports, and donor strategies
• Track progress toward revenue, visit, and solicitation goals
• Participate in team meetings, planning sessions, and training opportunities

REQUIRED

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• 1. Bachelor's degree and 5 years of frontline fundraising experience, including direct solicitation; OR
• 2. High school diploma or equivalent and 9+ years of relevant fundraising experience
• 3. Any appropriate combination of relevant education, experience, and/or certifications may be considered

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES TYPICALLY NEEDED TO PERFORM THIS JOB SUCCESSFULLY:

• 1. Ability to build trust and credibility with patients, families, physicians, and clinical leadership
• 2. Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• 3. Demonstrated ability to ask for and close philanthropic gifts
• 4. Sound judgment when working with sensitive and confidential information
• 5. Ability to work independently while aligning with institutional strategy
• 6. Strong organizational skills and discipline in moves management and CRM documentation
• 7. Professional discretion and emotional intelligence in patient-facing settings
• 8. Commitment to ethical fundraising and donor-centered engagement

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 1. Fundraising experience in a hospital, academic medical center, or healthcare-related environment
• 2. Experience with Leadership Annual Giving, Grateful Patient fundraising, or Major Gifts
• 3. Demonstrated success closing…