Associate Director, Leadership Giving and Engagement

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The Department of Donor Relations and Communications formulates and executes the university’s donor stewardship, recognition, and strategic communication strategies. Responsible for acknowledging supporters whose commitment to the values, students, and legacy of the university is demonstrated with an annual gift, Donor Relations ensures each donor is appropriately recognized for their remarkable generosity and strives to optimize donor engagement across diverse demographics, from recent graduates and mid-career alumni to current parents and President’s Club members.

The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background.

The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges.

The associate director of Leadership Giving and Engagement is responsible for increasing annual giving participation and activity from alumni, parents, and friends. In collaboration with the senior director of Donor Relations and Communications, the associate director initiates strategies to engage President’s Club prospects and move $500 annual donors to the President’s Club giving level ($1,500). This position, working with the senior director and the director of Annual Giving, will develop and execute the overarching annual giving strategy through direct mail, email, phone calls, social media, etc.

The associate director will also cultivate and solicit prospects through personal outreach and written communication. The associate director will oversee special fundraising projects, serving as a key contributor to the university’s annual Students First! Employee Giving campaign, Torero Tuesday day of giving, and donor appreciation events, among others. This position will oversee student philanthropy initiatives and serve as advisor to the Student Philanthropy Council (SPC).

Working with Alumni Relations, this position will promote initiatives that effectively connect students with USD’s alumni community and build awareness among the student body of the importance of philanthropy and giving back to their alma mater.

• Work through President’s Club Prospect lists to qualify potential leadership gift prospects ($1,500 annually), confirming capacity and inclination to support USD as part of the discovery process.
• Responsible for coordinating donor stewardship programs customized for leadership annual giving prospects.
• In coordination with central and decentralized development teams, strategically coordinate fundraising activities, cultivate and close leadership gifts through a high volume of phone calls, emails, traditional mail, face-to-face visits, and personal invitations to events on campus or regionally.
• Generate unrestricted and designated philanthropic support toward annual goals for dollars raised, new donor acquisition, and donor retention; annual goals established in concert with senior director.
• Identify new leadership gift prospects, assess…