Summary 

The Development Manager – Alumni Relations and Annual Giving is charged with designing, managing, implementing and evaluating a progressive alumni relations program that engages our alumni throughout their lives in ways that contribute to their development and also benefits GRCC and its students. The Development Manager is also responsible for developing and implementing an annual giving strategy to secure gifts from new and current donors.

Essential Job Functions

Alumni Relations:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategic plan for Alumni Relations – including goals, annual calendar, metrics, budget, and timetables.
• Plan and implement events that include programs tailored to attract different segments of alumni as well as current students, volunteers, faculty and staff, and donors.
• Serve as a resource for departments and student clubs/organizations wanting interaction with alumni.
• Manage web content for alumni relations.
• Manage all alumni social media platforms.
• Ensure accurate and complete alumni database records.
• Develop processes to ensure data integrity of alumni contact and employment information in order to expand outreach efforts.
• Establish and maintain positive and productive relationships with college faculty and staff.

Annual Giving:

• Create and implement a comprehensive annual giving strategy with the Associate Director of College Advancement – including goals, annual calendar, metrics, budget and timetables. These efforts should complement overall campaign goals and major giving priorities.
• Annual giving strategy should include a plan to retain existing donors and develop new donors.
• Develop materials (in-print and web) for use with the annual giving plan.
• Utilize the Foundations database to track and analyze annual giving trends and create strategies based on the data results.

Job Specifications

Education
Bachelor’s degree required.

Experience

• Minimum of five years of demonstrated success working in a fundraising environment is required.
• Prior experience in higher education fundraising is preferred.

Skills

• Must be comfortable with gift cultivation and solicitation.
• Must have prior volunteer management and leadership experience.
• Must be an accomplished, hands-on project manager and embrace working in a team environment.
• Must have the ability to understand the big picture, establish personal and program priorities and possess communication skills to inspire a desired strategy or objective that fits into the overall vision and mission of the GRCC Foundation.
• Must ensure tasks are completed within established deadlines.
• Must be a creative problem solver who is comfortable with ambiguity.
• Must have an aptitude for working in a complex environment and understand organizational dynamics and vision.
• Must resolve diverse problems independently.
• Must build and maintain collaborative relationships with College Advancement team members, alumni, faculty and staff, and donors.
• Must be a positive “people person” with the ability to manage high-stress situations.
• Must possess strong oral/written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Must possess competence in software applications and programs, particularly Raiser’s Edge or other fundraising databases, Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, Power Point, and Gmail.

Mental Demands

• Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to work under pressure. Possess mature judgment, flexibility in regards to interruptions and ability to handle difficult situations.
• Demonstrate initiative and problem-solving abilities.
• Maintain collegiality among team members by showing respect for others’ opinions and working toward mutually agreeable solutions.
• Ability to perform routine and unexpected duties with minimal supervision.

The opportunity to apply for this position will close on July 17,2020 at 11:59 PM ET. Individuals with diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Grand Rapids Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.