Summary 

Reporting to the Senior Director of Annual Giving and Donor Relations, the Director of Annual Giving provides strategic leadership of Utah Valley University’s annual giving program including all solicitations, stewardship, and events. The director will manage existing strategies as well as design, create, and execute new and innovative strategies to create best-in-class prospect cultivation and solicitation program. Using data-driven decision-making with evidence-based strategies, the director will develop segmentation and revenue strategies to yield growth across all media channels and in-person events. Responsible for managing a team of 15-20 part-time and full-time employees. Also, responsible for overseeing the proper movement of donors through the donor pipeline from annual giving levels, to leadership annual giving and cultivating donors to become major gift donors. Collaboration with the major gifts team is a must. Annual giving is responsible for the cultivation and management of donors capable of giving up to a major gift level.

Roles and Responsibilities

40%: Directs the work of UVU’s annual giving department through strategic efforts, outreach, and data driven decisions. Builds a multi-channel approach to cultivation, solicitation, education and stewardship that includes face-to-face, direct mail, phone programs, email, text, social media, giving days, volunteers, events, matching gifts, digital outreach, digital campaigns and analytics. Collaborates with major gift officers and other campus departments for fundraising events and campaigns.

35%: Oversees and effectively directs fundraising efforts, creates new funding opportunities, extends the annual giving program to greater audiences and maintains a donor stewardship program. Ensures campaigns and outreach efforts are appropriately segmented, timed, and coordinated with other campaigns and campus events and in line with Advancements’s brand and overall marketing and communication strategy. Utilizes multiple software programs, including Blackbaud Raisers Edge database, Blackbaud Guided Fundraising, Blackbaud Merchant Services, Community Funded Crowdfunding, Double the Donation Matching Gifts, and Thankview. Ensures PCI compliance throught fundraising efforts.

15%: Oversees the Engagement Center and annual giving department by recruiting, supervising, and evaluating staff. Creates a culture of donor centric care, encouragement and accountability. Sets goals and strategy for fundraising efforts, efficient response, reporting, tracking, stewardship, accountability and quality control. Coordinates with campus partners on the use of Engagement Center and Annual Giving resources.

10%: Perform other job related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communication, Public Relations, English, or a related field, or equivalency and five years of experience in fundraising, marketing, sales, business, public relations, annual, corporate or foundation giving which includes two years of budgeting and supervisory experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of soliciting diverse groups and best practices for annual fund programs.
• Management experience, including proven effectiveness at modeling, teaching, and leading best-practice fundraising skills.
• Demonstrated creativity, organizational ability, and strong attention to detail. Ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations, exercise good judgment based on information and analysis in a fast paced, dynamic, deadline-driven environment in an organized and professional manner.
• Knowledge of the fundraising continuum and related principals and policies.

Skills: 

• Former annual giving experience.
• Demonstrated ability to establish, cultivate and steward strong relationships with donors, alumni and friends of the institution.
• Superior data analysis, marketing and writing skills.
• Ability to work independently, problem solve, take initiative, set priorities and handle multiple projects efficiently and effectively. Takes responsibility and initiative to set and meet the goals, objectives and obligations while representing the mission, vision and values of the organization.

Abilities: 

• Intrinsically motivated and able to create innovative ideas to achieve results. Recognizes and seizes opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and customer service. Poised, professional manner with the ability to express oneself clearly and empathetically in interactions with others in all forms of communications, verbal and written, one-on-one and group, etc. Ability to communicate in a direct and professional manner that engages dialogue in a manner that resolves differences.
• Demonstrated competency with a comprehensive and contemporary donor database system, merchant services, web design and fundraising and analytics platform, such as Blackbaud Raisers Edge.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Background working with print and/or electronic media, an understanding of university fundraising practices and personnel management is preferred.

Employment decisions are made on the basis of an applicant’s qualifications and ability to perform the job without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and over), disability, veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or other bases protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.