Director of Annual Giving

Posted on 11/06/2021

University of North Carolina Greensboro

Greensboro, NC

Position Summary: 

The Director of Annual Giving serves as UNCG’s Annual Giving program leader and develops and implements a range of effective solicitation strategies, with particular attention to increased alumni giving. This position will develop comprehensive strategies to maximize individual donor gifts and is responsible for increasing the number and size of gifts from alumni, faculty, staff, and other supporters of the University. This is an EHRA position that reports to the Executive Director of Development.

Key Responsibilities: 

Leadership of Annual Giving Team:

  • Oversees assistant directors, Student Engagement Teams, and other team members as added.
  • Sets goals for annual giving team, as approved by the Executive Director of Development, University Advancement, and meets regularly with team members to assess and adjust performance.
  • Sets and oversees weekly duties and tasks for the Annual Giving team based on approved strategic plan and ongoing needs.
  • Supervises and participates in the execution of all approved annual giving plans and strategies, including direct mail, email solicitations, giving days, digital vehicles, crowdfunding, and other channels of giving.

Strategic Planning, Execution, and Analysis:

  • Creates a comprehensive Annual Giving strategic plan with the goal of expanding and improving annual giving, acquiring new alumni donors, and increasing retention rates. This includes integrating targeted strategies to increase fundraising success through direct mail, email solicitations, online giving day, and segmented marketing, and identifying and driving use of innovative technology and digital tools.
  • Develops Annual Giving goals for all constituent groups and sets long-term benchmarks for success.
  • In collaboration with donor relations, works to ensure effective cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship for all annual giving individuals.
  • In collaboration with Advancement Operations, creates reports that measure the effectiveness and progress of the Annual Giving program and provides these reports to department leadership.

Communications:

  • In collaboration with the Executive Director of Development, University Advancement, develops, deploys, and adjusts as necessary the marketing and communications strategy for the Annual Giving program.
  • Creates and implements timely and effective acknowledgment processes for annual donors.
  • Ensures written materials are accurate, articulate, targeted, and well-reasoned.
  • Serves as the project leader with external vendors to produce Annual Giving pieces.

Other Duties:

  • Supports the maintenance of database and hard files for individual donors and prospects with call reports and relevant research data.
  • Works in partnership with gift processing staff to ensure that gifts are coded correctly and donors are appropriately stewarded.
  • Attends Advancement and other UNCG events as appropriate, to establish rapport with donors and prospects.
  • Performs other essential duties and tasks specific to the position.

Minimum Qualifications: 

  • Master’s Degree; or Bachelor’s Degree with substantially equivalent experience would be considered.
  • Five (5) or more years of direct fundraising and management experience in annual giving programs, preferably within an educational institution.

Preferred Qualifications: 

  • Seven (7) or more years of direct fundraising and management experience, including annual giving program experience over multiple years, preferably within an educational institution.
  • Must be energetic, creative, resourceful, and demonstrate initiative in seeking increased contributions.
  • Excellent communication skills with demonstrated ability to engage prospective donors in-person and in writing through articulate, compelling, and well-reasoned proposals.
  • Experience working in a university environment with alumni and parent constituencies is a plus.
  • Exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to work on deadlines and manage multiple assignments at once.
  • Strong analytical and budgeting skills.
  • Outstanding leadership, interpersonal, and mentoring skills, including the ability to work well with staff, faculty, and volunteers.
  • A proven record of working independently and as part of a team, demonstrating flexibility and ability to compromise to achieve goals in tandem with projects.
  • PC proficiency (MS Office Suite in Windows environment); Word and Excel required.
  • Experience with Banner, preferred.

Special Instructions to Applicants: 

Applicants must complete and submit an electronic application for employment to be considered. The application must be completed in full detail for your qualifications to be considered.
Applicants are required to upload the following documents with their electronic application:
  • Resume
  • Cover Letter
  • List of References
Applicants are required to upload a list of references of at least three (3) professional references that includes:
  • Name
  • Company Name
  • Type of reference (Professional, Supervisor, Colleague, Academic or Personal). One (1) of those references will need to be a current or previous supervisor.
  • Email Address
  • Contact Phone Number

To apply for this job please visit spartantalent.uncg.edu.