Job Description:

Under the direction of the Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement, the Director, Annual Giving is charged with meeting annual goals for fundraising, alumni engagement, as well as managing related fundraising programs conducted with broad latitude for independent action. The Director will plan, execute and evaluate a comprehensive, strategic annual giving program for Roger Williams University and Law School. The incumbent must be innovative, a sound development strategist, and be responsible for leading a dynamic program that includes building an annual giving portfolio, reunion giving, young alumni giving, and Law School fundraising strategies.

The Director will create and synthesize extensive quantitative information on donor behavior and return on program investment. Each year, the Director will develop annual operating plans with challenging, but achievable goals and objectives and manage a comprehensive plan to expand the current donor base and increase individual and athletic campaigns. Responsible for recruiting, strategically mobilizing and coaching an extraordinary volunteer corps.

Plan and Implement Comprehensive Mass-market Fundraising Program (50%)

• Manage a large annual giving portfolio and continually strive to improve and extended relationships with all constituents.
• Prepare and execute a detailed comprehensive operation plan and each calendar/fiscal year utilizing multi-channel marketing approach (direct mail, email, phone, social, and digital) to increase total donors and dollars annually.
• Lead RWU multi-channel annual giving plan and in conjunction with the University Marketing deploys materials and strategies to execute a best in class program to achieve growing results for dollars and donors each year.
• In conjunction with the Institutional Advancement team, provide overarching guidance, strategy and vision for the growth of Alumni giving and reunion year giving. Partner in the creation and implementation for retention and upgrade strategies, tracking and creation of solicitation materials.
• Devise new and creative segmentation strategies to target and select donor populations for unrestricted, current use, and budget relieving support of the University while targeting segments for appeals and fundraising projects.
• Direct and monitor development of prospect donor lists in collaboration with the research department, develops policies and procedures related to identification of needs and priorities of specific schools or department, creates opportunities for donors to support the needs of the various schools and departments.

Data Management and Reporting (25%)

• Oversee accuracy and integrity of donor data used in outgoing annual giving direct marketing appeals. This is inclusive of all direct marketing channels including direct mail, email marketing and phonation appeals as well as appeals around comprehensive fundraising initiatives.
• Analyze and provide regular reports to the Associate Vice President on the performance of direct marketing appeals. This includes plotting benchmarks and trends from current and past direct marketing efforts and working with the Institutional Advancement team to evaluate needs for predictive models to maximize fundraising results.
• Extract and manipulate data for direct marketing appeals including all direct marketing channels including direct mail, email marketing and phonation appeals as well as appeals around comprehensive development initiatives.
• Analyze costs and returns for various types of communications/fundraising efforts.
• Identify areas of opportunity and growth. Work with Institutional Advancement team and Associate Vice President to design direct marketing tests, monitor analyze results and implement effective ways of presenting information.

Administration and Stewardship (25%)

• Help to coordinate fundraising/stewardship events for donors, and attends, events, and other activities that promote the advancement of the Annual Fund.
• Develop bulk stewardship strategies to keep annual giving donors engaged and expand their affinity to the University.
• Manage the Annual Giving budget and tie fundraising activities to results that clearly outlines opportunities and results.
• Work regularly and routinely with the Major Gifts teams to identify donors ready to move up and help ensure transition strategies are successful.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• Seven to ten years’ relevant experience.
• Extensive depth and breadth of knowledge and experience in philanthropy, annual giving programs and strategies.
• Advanced interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Proven track record of successfully managing annual giving appeals and securing leadership gifts.
• Experience managing or mentoring fundraising staff.
• Proven record of accomplishment in a similar environment, and demonstrated high energy.
• Management skills to motivate, direct, and evaluate staff and volunteers to accomplish fundraising goals.
• Demonstrated written communication skills to prepare and edit effective correspondence, business plans, proposals, and creative solicitation materials; demonstrated oral communication skills to make persuasive presentations to individuals and groups.
• Interpersonal skills to work effectively with organizational leadership, staff, donors, prospects and volunteers. Ability to maintain high level of confidentiality and working relationships with others.
• Demonstrated ability to set priorities and perform under pressure of fast-paced office environment.

At the University’s discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be excepted where the candidate can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the University, an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.