Summary: 

The Assistant Director of the Oxy Fund, Leadership Giving, will report to the Director of the Oxy Fund and work closely with the entire Individual Giving team. In addition to routine annual giving responsibilities, this external-facing fundraising position is responsible for soliciting leadership-level gifts ($1,000+) for the Oxy Fund. This driven, goal-oriented individual will concentrate their efforts on the acquisition, renewal and increase of leadership-level gifts, thus growing financial support of Occidental year-over-year and strengthening the base of future major donors.

This position will manage a young alumni fundraising strategy with the goal of driving participation and creating life-long engagement. The Assistant Director will serve as the point person for all strategic elements of GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) giving, including young alumni fundraising events, solicitations, stewardship, and the management of the GOLD Alumni Committee.

Essential Functions: 

Leadership Giving (50%)

• Actively qualify a pool of regionally-based, rated prospects, with an emphasis on securing unrestricted support for the College at or above the leadership level ($1,000).
• Complete at least 10 substantive face-to-face (may be virtual) contacts per month, with the purpose of qualifying prospects for the Oxy Fund, Planned Giving, Major Gifts, and The Oxy Campaign For Good.
• Identify new prospects and solicit gifts for the Oxy Fund to build a pipeline of major donors.
• Document all personal visits, phone calls, and email contact reports in the database. Ensure all next steps, pledges and recommended actions are recorded and followed up on appropriately.
• Track and measure progress based on established goals and report on Leadership Gift Officer metrics throughout the fiscal year.
• Partner with the Associate Director of Major Gifts and Gift Planning on the fundraising initiatives for the Jose F. Silva ‘84 Endowed Memorial Scholarship.

Young Alumni Program Management (45%)

• Develop and execute a GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) engagement strategy that encourages young alumni to support Occidental College. This strategy will have a special focus on boosting giving participation through a number of channels including recurring gifts, multi-year pledges, and stewardship via the McMenamin Society, as well as the following programmatic elements:
  • Manage a portfolio of young alumni who have been identified as having giving potential. Conduct discovery and cultivation visits to determine the best strategy to deepen their relationships with Oxy. Educate prospects about philanthropy and the importance of staying involved with the Oxy community as alumni.
  • Lead the 5- and 10-year reunion campaigns, including the recruitment and management of the giving and planning committees, creation of class giving goals (both dollar and participation goals), and the building of attendance and overall enthusiasm for Reunion Weekend. o Serve as the liaison to the GOLD Committee. Support the GOLD Co-chairs, GOLD committee members, and all committee needs. Facilitate committee meetings, peer- to peer outreach, and advise GOLD members with respect to their roles as volunteer leaders.
  • Manage GOLD giving for the Day For Oxy, including soliciting challenge gifts, recruiting peer-to-peer advocates, and driving overall GOLD giving in support of this campaign.
  • Draft and execute GOLD appeals, utilizing all channels including print, email, phone, and social media. Partner with Marketing and Communications to maximize use of all social media platforms and increase visibility of Oxy philanthropy.
  • In partnership with Alumni and Parent Engagement staff, organize GOLD events that are accessible and compelling for a younger cohort.

Additional duties as assigned (5%)

Knowledge/Experience Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Two or more years of experience in development.
• The following qualifications are strongly preferred:
  • Higher education development experience.
  • Experience in initiating and securing a high volume of development visits.
  • Knowledge of the principles and practices of development and fundraising with an understanding of individual giving programs, such as direct mail, phone-a-thons and personal solicitation programs.
  • Knowledge of Excel and CRM database management systems preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, with demonstrated experience in personally soliciting gifts.
• Outstanding initiative, work organization and time management skills.
• Ability to work frequent evenings and weekends; travel up to 75% of the time.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment—with a mix of faculty, parents, alumni and staff colleagues.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of modern data management practices and techniques, including models of analysis that lead to effective decision-making on behalf of the program.

Additional Information: 

Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their work are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College’s strategic equity and justice goals and those from groups whose underrepresentation in the field are particularly encouraged to apply.

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. A comprehensive benefits package is available that includes: excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities and the College Library.