Associate Director, Class Giving

Associate Director, Class Giving

Graduate School of Business, Stanford, California, United States

Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) has built a global reputation based on its immersive and innovative management programs. We provide students a transformative leadership experience, pushing the boundaries of knowledge with faculty research, and offering a portfolio of entrepreneurial and non‑degree programs that deliver global impact. We invite you to be part of our mission of developing innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who change lives, change organizations, and change the world.

The Director of Class Giving at the Stanford Graduate School of Business seeks an Associate Director of Class Giving. The Associate Director will work with a portfolio of prospects composed of alumni celebrating a milestone MBA Reunion, building and training three committees of reunion campaign volunteers, and identifying and cultivating new leadership donors ranging from leadership annual donors to major donors to strengthen affinity for and philanthropic support of the GSB.

In this role you will develop a comprehensive Reunion campaign strategy to personally solicit and close five‑ and six‑figure plus gifts and partner closely with major gift officers, planned giving, and other campus fundraising partners to develop strategies for closing major and planned gifts during the reunion cycle.

• Work with a portfolio of assigned MBA alumni prospects/donors; cultivate, solicit, and steward their support for the GSB.
• Regularly solicit and close annual gifts ranging from $2,500 up to $1M‑$2M based on donor capacity, inclination, and MBA class year.
• Establish and deepen relationships with alumni through personal visits, phone calls, and other meaningful contacts; uncover philanthropic priorities and giving capacity.
• Develop and execute year‑long MBA reunion and annual giving campaign strategies: recruit and manage volunteer leaders, set goals, and create classwide solicitation plans for the reunion campaign.
• Identify, recruit, train, and manage alumni volunteers; prioritize prospects, assign volunteers to prospects, prepare background/solicitation materials, and follow up to ensure completion of assigned solicitations and tasks.
• Collaborate with major gift colleagues to assist with reunion solicitations, leveraging volunteers and class resources as needed.
• Assist with the design and management of appeals (e.g., direct mail, email, video, phone, and other channels) to target key populations to maximize fundraising potential.
• Engage as an active contributor to the culture and effectiveness of the Class Giving team and the broader External Relations group.

• Bachelor’s degree and five years of experience, or a combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience with fundraising in a higher education environment.
• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies.
• Adept at problem solving, creating contingency plans and handling emergencies when necessary.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with varied constituencies and develop relationships that enhance overall development goals.
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously.
• Skilled at articulating compelling cases for major gifts and annual discretionary support.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, including the ability to set and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience with Google Suite (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, and Slides).
• Ability to work successfully in a hybrid or remote environment.
• Ability to be in the office on the assigned days, to work effectively when off‑site, and to be available to work nights and weekends as needed.
• Regular travel required; assume 7%–15% of time is spent traveling to see donors and potential conference travel.

• Demonstrated experience with fundraising in a higher education environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing a portfolio of customers, donors or clients.
• Familiarity with Customer Relationship Management…