Director of Planned Giving

Job Summary

History of the SUNY Upstate Foundation’s Legacy Society

The Upstate Foundation announced the Upstate Legacy Society back in 2010 to honor the generous planned gift donors and to encourage others to become planned giving donors. In October 2010, the Inaugural Legacy Society luncheon was held with the President of Upstate Medical University welcoming and thanking the seventeen founding Legacy Society members for their gifts. From 2010 to present, with the commitment of a full-time Director of Planned Giving the Legacy Society has grown to over 123 members who have notified the foundation of their planned gift.

The Upstate Foundation’s Planned Giving Department has expanded its outreach efforts to partner with local nonprofit organizations that align with the Foundation’s mission pillars of patient care, education, research and community health and well-being.

Our Legacy Giving Program continues to grow because of a multi-year strategic plan that integrates targeted marketing materials, a robust awareness campaign and a 34-member Professional Advisory Council from across the Central New York region. Serving as a key member of the Upstate Foundation staff, the program is led by the Director of Planned Giving who has the primary responsibility for the management and growth of a comprehensive gift planning program.

The Director of Planned Giving supervises an Associate Director of Planned Giving to help grow the Planned Giving Program at the Foundation.

• Manage a portfolio of up to 125 major gift donors while continually cultivating and qualifying donors in the pipeline totaling as many as 300 donors.
• Identify additional non-profit community partners for the collaborative legacy giving partnership program.
• Seek out opportunities and schedule presentations about the Foundation’s Planned Giving program within the Upstate Medical University community and Central New York region.
• Manage members of the Professional Advisory Council and develop relationships with additional professionals such as financial advisors, accountants, and estate planning attorneys to grow awareness of the Foundation and the Planned Giving Program. Schedule two meetings a year highlighting Upstate Medical University.
• Accurately and in a timely manner record all donor interactions, solicitations, appointments, notes in the Foundation’s CRM software, Raiser’s Edge.
• Serve as the lead resource in Planned Giving at the Foundation, to include joint field calls. Follow up/collect estate settlement for legacy gifts.
• Function as the lead on Planned Giving when incorporated into a larger Foundation campaign.
• Create professional proposals for donor presentations that are aligned with the Foundation’s standards.

Bachelor's Degree is required.

A minimum of ten years of Development experience with documented success in personally cultivating and securing major/planned gifts or ten years or more in a related field such as financial/wealth management, estate planning, accounting is applicable.

Valid driver's license and insurance and/or reliable transportation is required for out-of-office travel within NY as required by this position. Mileage is reimbursed at the prevailing IRS standard mileage rates.

An MBA, MPA, JD or other advanced degree and/or professional certification (CAP, CFP, FSCP, ChFC, WMCP) is highly desirable.

Ten or more successful years as a Planned Giving Officer, or organization's sole/primary Planned Giving expert desired.

Prior experience with estate planning from a legal, accounting, tax, and/or financial planning desired.

Work schedule is typically 8:00 am-4:00 pm or 8:30 am-4:30 pm but can change with early or late appointments depending on donor availability. Some travel and weekend/evening work will be required.

Salary Range: $80,000 - $120,000, DOE

Recruitment Office:
Human Resources