Education Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Experience Requirements: 

• 4 – 7 years of related experience.
• Experience fundraising in athletics or higher education.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Identifies, cultivates, solicits and/or stewards donors.
  • Devise and oversee the implementation of personalized methods for recognizing and maintaining ongoing contact with current/past donors to ensure donor retention. Maintain donor data with the highest regard for confidentiality and detail using Raiser’s Edge software. Develop detailed gift opportunities tailored to the interests of potential donors. Encourage the active participation of donors and volunteers.
• Work strategically with the Sr. Director of Development and the Director of Development, to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects/donors for gifts to meet established fundraising goals and objectives. Participates in short and long-range strategic planning. Work with centralized annual giving staff and the Athletics development team to plan, monitor and evaluate an annual giving program to support the priorities of athletics. Assist with development related University and Athletics event planning and implementation. Attend University events and appropriate programs.
• Plans, schedules, and implements fundraising and alumni relations projects and program, including specific fundraising programs such as annual fund, alumni relations, search, etc.
• Provides analysis and information of complex results or activities, and makes recommendations to upper management for program changes or development of new programs as required.
• Develops strategies within existing policy guidelines. Participates in short- and long-range strategic planning.
• Assists in detailed planning of fund development and annual solicitation programs.
• Designs, organizes, and implements special events and has direct interaction with alumni and other donor.
• Ensures that predetermined fundraising goals are met.

Knowledge/Skills/Ability: 

• Skill in working independently and following through on assignments with minimal direction, and setting priorities that accurately reflect the relative importance of job responsibilities.
• Skill in evaluating and analyzing data and information to identify patterns, trends, and relationships, and formulating logical and objective conclusions or recommendations.
• Strong sense of ethical conduct that will inspire confidence and motivation with the proven ability to persuade colleagues and donor prospects, while maintaining confidentiality in all matters as they relate to sensitive donor relations issues.
• Ability to work effectively with supervisors, coaches, colleagues, University Leaders, students, and volunteers to achieve fundraising goals.
• Proven computer skills to create documents, spreadsheets, and reports using Word, Access, Excel, or other software applications.
• Strong skills in maintaining confidentiality.
• Strong knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, etc.
• Thorough working knowledge of the location, its vision, mission, goals, objectives, achievements and infrastructure.
• Strong organizational, analytical and critical thinking skills, including skills in creative and effective decision-making and problem identification/avoidance/resolution, and project management skills.
• Strong written and interpersonal communication skills to establish and maintain good working relationships throughout the organization and with outside constituencies.
• Thorough working knowledge of fundraising, donor relations, and public relations concepts, principles, procedures, and techniques.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with proven ability to strategize, prioritize, and multi-task to meet departmental goals/deadlines.
• Advanced writing skills to independently write concise, logical, grammatically correct analytical or narrative reports, correspondence, or proposals.
• Demonstrated fundraising experience beyond the junior level.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge or other constituent databases. Experience with exporting/importing data from or to different software applications; and operating knowledge of Internet for data gathering purposes.
• Experience in coordinating and integrating fundraising efforts with alumni, media relations and marketing professionals within advancement. Experience in development and/or alumni affairs and/or annual giving.