Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving

Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving Position Information

• Position Title | Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving
• State | WI
• Employment Status | Full Time
• Position Status | Regular
• Position Type | Staff
• Job Family | Advancement

The Managing Director of Development, Planned Giving provides strategic leadership for the university’s planned giving program and is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive planned giving strategy that supports institutional priorities and the goals of the university’s next comprehensive campaign. The position leads program development, planned giving prospect strategy, marketing, stewardship, and performance management efforts while establishing the systems, processes, and metrics necessary to grow deferred and blended gift commitments.

The Managing Director serves as the university’s lead resource on charitable gift planning, manages a portfolio of planned giving prospects and donors, and works collaboratively across University Advancement to advance philanthropic opportunities. This position supervises the Planned Giving team members. This position has the opportunity to work in a hybrid work arrangement with time worked on campus as well as remotely.

1. Strategic Leadership, Program Management and Gift Planning Leadership

• Develop and lead a comprehensive long-term strategy for planned giving that advances the university’s fundraising priorities and positions planned giving as a core component of the university’s next comprehensive campaign.
• Design and implement campaign-specific planned giving strategies, goals, and performance metrics, including donor pipeline development, blended gift opportunities, legacy giving objectives, and campaign counting methodologies.
• Establish and continuously improve planned giving processes, systems, and operational standards to enhance fundraising effectiveness, donor engagement, stewardship, prospect management, proposal development, and gift administration.
• Partner with Advancement leadership to develop long-term fundraising strategies, prospect segmentation models, and campaign initiatives that increase deferred gift commitments and blended gift revenue.
• Partner with principal gift officers, college advancement officers, deans, and university leadership to identify and advance blended and planned gift opportunities.
• Lead the integration of planned giving strategies across principal giving, major gifts, college advancement, athletics, and donor relations to ensure coordinated donor engagement and maximize philanthropic outcomes.
• Establish annual and multi-year goals, benchmarks, and key performance indicators for the planned giving program; regularly assess performance and implement adjustments to achieve strategic objectives.
• Oversee planned giving marketing, stewardship, donor recognition, and Legacy Society activities to strengthen donor retention, engagement, and future gift commitments.
• Monitor trends, best practices, and emerging opportunities in charitable gift planning and incorporate innovative approaches that strengthen the university’s competitive position and campaign success.
• Serve as the university’s primary resource for charitable estate planning; advise fundraisers, donors, and professional advisors on gifts involving trusts, retirement assets, life insurance, real estate, business interests, and other complex assets.

2. Staff Leadership and Talent Development

• Provide full supervision of the Senior Director of Development, Planned Giving and Directors of Development, Planned Giving, including establishing clear goals, performance expectations, fundraising metrics, and accountability measures aligned with departmental and university…