Nebraska Wesleyan University is seeking a full-time Manager of Annual Giving responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding annual donors with the capacity to give at the level of $500-$2,500. Primary responsibilities include managing a portfolio of 200-250 donors with an emphasis on reactivation, retention, upgrades, and building a pipeline for major gifts. Communication with prospects and donors will take many forms, including, but not limited to, phone calls, email, texts, mail, virtual meetings, social media, and personal meetings.

NWU offers a competitive wage and comprehensive benefits plan including Health, Vision and Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, Disability benefits, Retirement, seven weeks of paid time off per year, and 100% tuition discount for dependents after one year of service.

Responsibilities:

• Plan, implement and evaluate strategies to obtain annual gifts and pledges.
• Communicate directly with alumni and friends of the university to determine their propensity to give and giving capacity; ask for gifts to the annual fund and other institutional priorities; thank donors and share how their support is impacting the university.
• Collaborate with colleagues to manage a portfolio of strong prospects with the capacity to give annually.
• Provide timely post-communication follow-up, including entering contact reports, tracking solicitations, and sending personal follow-up communication to prospects and donors.
• Work some night and weekend hours for event participation and to meet (by phone, virtually or in person) with alumni and friends.
• Collaborate with the Manager of Donor Relations to oversee stewardship communication for donors.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• One to three years of fundraising and/or sales experience.
• One to three years of experience cold calling, negotiating, and closing gifts or sales.
• Working knowledge of effective fundraising or sales communications strategies.
• An understanding of the central role listening plays in developing authentic relationships.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining consistent and transparent communication.
• Adaptable, flexible, and eager to work collaboratively with colleagues to achieve goals.
• Must be computer proficient, with knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and SharePoint.
• Ability to pay close attention to detail, proofread and ensure accuracy of work product.
• High initiative, confidence, integrity, and strong work ethic.
• Ability to maintain and be responsible for confidential information.

Commitment to Diversity:

Diversity is a core value of Nebraska Wesleyan University’s mission and we embrace it as a source of strength. Applicants are asked to demonstrate how they are able to enhance and embrace this University core value in a diversity statement submitted as part of their application materials.

Nebraska Wesleyan University provides equal educational and employment opportunities to qualified persons in all areas of university operation without regard to religion or creed, age, genetic information, gender identity and expression, sexual identity and orientation, veteran status, disability, marital status, race, or national or ethnic origin, in compliance with state and federal laws, including but not limited to Title XII, Title IX, and the ADA. E-Verify, EOE.

How to Apply:

Applicants should submit a cover letter, a resume, a diversity statement as a writing sample, and the names and contact information for three professional references. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.