Summary: 

The Director will develop and implement annual giving strategies and programs that include the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of annual gifts from alumnae, parents, friends of the college, faculty, staff, and students through personal solicitations, direct mail, electronic communications and the TeleFUND.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Plans, develops, and implements a plan of action with objectives, timelines and evaluation plans for the Annual Giving program.
• Provide strategic leadership to Annual Giving staff to ensure effective identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of Spelman constituents.
• Creates, plans, administers programs/activities, and perform comprehensive analysis related to all aspects of the Annual Giving programs. Use statistics to evaluate the Annual Giving program and make recommendations to meet annual fundraising goals, campaign goals, increase annual giving, revenue, and participation.
• Annually evaluates Annual Giving programs and provide progress report to Vice President, Associate Vice President and others as required.
• Analyzes giving trends for target segments. Set specific annual donor and financial goals for fundraising initiatives, including the renewal and upgrading of existing donors, and identification and acquisition of new donors.
• Monitors progress towards goals and provide weekly annual fund program reports using Crystal Reports, Access, Banner, etc.
• Provides end of fiscal year reports for overall annual giving and Institutional Advancement fundraising.
• Provides weekly fundraising updates to VP of Institutional Advancement.
• Works as a team with all division directors to ensure coordination of fundraising efforts.
• Collaborates with the Donor Relations staff to ensure cultivation, documentation, and acknowledgment of annual donors, volunteers, and prospects.  The Director will also work with this department to ensure proper acknowledgement and recognition of donors in the Annual Report and other publications.
• Collaborates with the office of Alumnae Affairs to incorporate annual giving into Founders Day, Reunion, and Homecoming activities and programs;
• Develops and sustains a robust volunteer program with the goal of engaging, cultivating and stewarding Spelman constituents.
• Manages a portfolio of lead annual giving prospects; conduct monthly visits with prospects assigned in the portfolio (at least 6 – 8 per month); develop a standard process for moving donors from high annual giving level to the leadership gifts level.

Education and/or Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree and five years of professional fundraising experience are required.  Demonstrated ability to raise funds is essential and previous experience supervising professional staff, teams of volunteers, and student fundraisers is preferred.
• This position requires strong customer service focus and outstanding written, verbal and time management skills.  Professional demeanor with the ability to interface with internal and external customers with diplomacy and tact is essential.  Incumbent must be a competent and energetic team player with strong management and fundraising skills.  Candidates must demonstrate knowledge of the principles and practices associated with contemporary Annual Giving in higher education, which includes direct mail, telephone solicitations, reunion giving, personal solicitations, and donor relations.  The incumbent will be results-oriented individual who demonstrates the ability to motivate staff and volunteers in a fast-paced environment.  This employee must be a visionary thinker who makes quick recommendations and is accountable for setting and achieving ambitious goals.
• The ability to effectively write proposals, project plans and other documents that are presented to all constituencies of the College is required.  The incumbent must possess excellent oral communication skills, which includes persuasive presentations to leadership volunteers, alumnae, faculty, staff, students, parents and the general public.  Ability to interpret, derive, forecast, and understand fundraising data to develop program strategies that will successfully reach yearly department goals is critical.  Ability to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries and constituency complaints is essential.