Position Purpose

The Director of Annual Giving, reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development, will provide strategic oversight and day-to-day management of the annual giving program for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health and the Geisel School of Medicine. Key responsibilities include building a leadership annual giving program that raises annual fund dollars across the healthcare spectrum to increase unrestricted dollars for D-H and Geisel and grow a pipeline of major gift prospects. Oversees the direct marketing program, including mail and e-solicitations. Provides guidance, support, and possible execution of annual giving programs at Dartmouth-Hitchcock members, as part of health-system wide annual giving. The Director will oversee the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a personal portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects. At the outset, the position will focus on building a high-quality strategic program and as the program matures the role will have increased emphasis on fundraising.

Description

The Audrey and Theodor Geisel School of Medicine (Geisel) at Dartmouth, was established in Hanover, New Hampshire in 1797 and, to this day, strives to improve the lives of the people it serves: students, patients, and local and global communities. As one of America’s top medical schools, the Geisel School of Medicine is committed to creating new generations of diverse leaders who will help solve our most vexing challenges in health care.

The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth is located in the neighboring towns of Hanover and Lebanon in the Upper Connecticut River Valley on the NH and VT border. Dartmouth is surrounded by a vibrant, academic, and professional community offering excellent public schools, a lively arts scene, a rural setting with great natural beauty, and delicious local produce and artisanal foods. For those who enjoy the city, Boston, New York City, and Montreal are within a few hours’ drive.

Key Accountabilities

• 70%: Designs, manages, and evaluates all aspects of the annual giving activities for Geisel and Dartmouth-Hitchcock. This includes personal, print, and electronic solicitations, volunteer identification and management, and employee giving and specialized solicitations through programs, centers, and departments across the academic medical center. Develops and implements a robust leadership annual giving program inclusive of a diverse set of D-H and Geisel constituencies that maximizes unrestricted fund giving. Works proactively with other development officers and volunteer leaders to grow the pipeline of leadership annual fund donors and identify potential major gift prospects. Proactively identifies new volunteers, and creates programs that draws new donors and volunteers in support of the mission of the broad academic medical center. Closely coordinates with Development Communications, Geisel Communications, and D-H Communications on strategies, messaging, and branding, and tactics for communicating with annual giving audiences. Participates in long- and short -term communication strategy planning and development. Develops and implements the employee giving program for Dartmouth-Hitchcock. Provides expertise and guidance to members of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health. Identifies efficiencies and economies of scale for the system regarding annual giving. Collaborates with Advancement Services in the use of data to increase prospect identification and manage donor stewardship and recognition. Develops, implements, and evaluates goals and strategies to achieve increased revenue for the annual giving program. Prepares annual budgets and operating plans. Manages proper controls for planning and executing budget on a monthly basis.
• 20%: Devises and implements donor-centric fundraising strategies to meet personal activity and revenue metrics through portfolio planning and moves management. Identifies, qualifies, cultivates, solicits, and stewards a portfolio of 50-75 alumni, patients, families, and community members with the capacity to make leadership annual giving commitments of $5,000 and higher and/or multi-year gift commitments between $10,000 and $250,000. Documents and records all activities as appropriate in fundraising databases.
• 10%: Develops, mentors, evaluates, and manages annual giving staff, supporting them to be successful in the implementation of all aspects of the program. Leads by example to ensure a culture where effective teamwork, collaboration, innovation, and high standards of conduct are expected, recognized and rewarded. Leads by example with regard to appropriate risk-taking, cross-organizational cooperation, and clear standards of conduct. Develops and maintains collaborative working relationships with JDO colleagues, Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Geisel leadership, and Dartmouth College Development staff.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Five plus years of fundraising experience with evidence of successful annual fund management and personal solicitations.
• Experience working in a hospital, academic medical center, or university environment.
• Ability to work with and command the respect of faculty, senior administrators, Trustees, and other high-level volunteers and donors.
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of multiple teams.
• Strong organizational skills combined with individual initiative.
• Strong sales and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and planning skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with appropriate discretion.
• Demonstrated integrity.
• Understanding of and comfort with the intricacies of business travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Program management experience strongly preferred.
• Previous capital campaign experience and/or experience fundraising in a complex college or university development operation with a proven record of successful fundraising strongly preferred.
• Writing and communications experience in higher education or non-profit environment preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer 

Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged.

Background Check

Employment in this position is contingent upon consent to and successful completion of a pre-employment background check, which may include a criminal background check, reference checks, verification of work history, and verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, with results acceptable to Dartmouth College. A criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.