Director Willamette Annual Fund

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Willamette University is seeking a strategic, collaborative leader to serve as our next Director of the Willamette Annual Fund. This vital role leads our ambitious, mission-driven annual fund program, helping to foster a culture of philanthropy that supports the people, programs, and priorities of all our colleges and schools.

If you’re passionate about higher education, data-informed fundraising, and building strong, high-performing teams, and you thrive in a dynamic, relationship-centered environment, we’d love to connect.

As Director, you’ll lead a results-oriented Annual Fund team to drive annual goals in donor engagement, acquisition, and retention. You’ll work closely with Advancement colleagues—including Major Gifts, Gift Planning, Strategy and Operations, Advancement Communications, and Donor Relations—as well as with deans, faculty, and university leadership to align efforts and inspire generosity at all levels. You’ll also partner with Alumni & Community Engagement to expand volunteer leadership, increase diversity among supporters, and grow parent and student giving.

The ideal candidate is an inspiring manager with a deep understanding of annual fund strategy, a collaborative mindset, and a commitment to inclusive engagement that strengthens the Willamette community. You’ll bring strong leadership and creativity to growing support, mentoring staff, and building partnerships that advance Willamette’s continued momentum and impact.

The Director adheres to the principles of ethics and standard practices as articulated in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Donor Bill of Rights, the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement’s (APRA) Statement of Ethics, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) Code of Ethical Principles and Standards as well as the standards of practice of his/her departmental profession, as appropriate.

Willamette is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Willamette recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.

For more, see Willamette’s Diversity and Inclusion Statement.

• Create, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive, multi-year plan to increase donors and dollars in support of the Willamette Annual Fund as part of meeting an overall dollar goal and strengthening donor participation. The plan will include audience segmentation, timing, messages, and goals.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate specific strategies to increase Willamette Annual Fund donor retention, upgrades, and acquisition.
• Manage the partnerships between various offices as they relate to the annual fund. Provide leadership in developing an understanding of the fundamentals of the annual fund and its role in supporting programs.
• Work proactively with the on‑campus partners to establish and meet ambitious goals for increasing annual fund support from all constituencies, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
• Work directly with the advancement staff and leadership within the colleges to develop, monitor, and evaluate a long‑term and annual set of plans to grow dollars and donor support for both schools.
• Monitor progress toward the annual and multi‑year goals. Provide a rigorous, systematic review and analysis of all Willamette Annual Fund activities to find ways to do things more effectively and efficiently. Develops appropriate formats for regular, routine reporting on Willamette Annual Fund performance to share with a broad array of internal and external constituencies. Provide effective reporting and analysis to volunteers, supervisor, and colleagues for use in management decision making.
• Work effectively and collaboratively with the major…