Associate Vice President for Leadership & Planned Giving

The Associate Vice President for Leadership & Planned Giving is a key member of the Oberlin College Advancement team. This is a full-time, Administrative & Professional Staff position reporting to the Vice President for Advancement. 

The AVP directs a team of professional and administrative staff and works collaboratively with colleagues across the Office of Advancement, as well as the College and Conservatory to plan and implement strategies for the cultivation, stewardship, solicitation, and closure of significant gifts to Oberlin College.

Overall Duties

• Oversee the Leadership & Planned Giving program and team, including recruiting, training, and mentoring of staff, as well as employing data-driven strategic planning to strengthen giving to the College.
• Manage a personal, high-capacity portfolio of assigned prospects to strategize, cultivate, solicit, and close significant gifts for Oberlin. Commit to national and potential international travel for personal visits with prospects, particularly when opportunities are identified by applying gift planning indicators or by gift officers, for the purposes of providing technical assistance for cultivation and solicitation of complex, deferred gifts.
• Inspire staff to achieve individual and team goals and model effective best practices. With the involvement of the Advancement Operations staff, build and maintain a strong donor pipeline and assist staff as necessary in the preparation of gift proposals using written explanations and oral presentations. Work with appropriate staff to develop solicitation priorities and strategies including engaging the president and other senior leadership as appropriate.
• Oversee financial and project based goal-setting for the program and develop an annual plan for achieving such goals.
• Work with staff to develop philanthropic strategies for individual donors based upon their specific circumstances and philanthropic interests.
• Work with Advancement staff members who have responsibilities for reunion gift committee(s) providing referrals for recruitment of key reunion volunteers for committee membership, and to plan strategies for cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors.
• Serve as a key member of the Advancement Leadership Team whose experience and education will help guide overall fundraising success and play a key role in upcoming fundraising campaigns.

Planned Giving

• Use available data to identify gift planning prospects. Oversee the development and execution of marketing strategies including the production and writing of topic specific pieces and newsletters, other marketing mailings, and other advertisements for planned giving prospects.
• Build a baseline planned giving competency with staff with donor portfolios.
• Prepare in-depth gift proposals for prospects using appropriate software calculations, written explanations, and oral presentations. Oversee the preparation of such proposals prepared by other staff within the Office of Advancement and provide technical consultative advice as needed. Ensure follow up on such proposals with donors with a goal towards closure of donor gifts.
• Work with Advancement staff to plan strategies for cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors for complex and deferred gifts. Execute strategies for solicitation and act as a technical consultant to colleagues within the office and to donors. Also work with Advancement staff to identify opportunities for complex and deferred gifts within assigned prospect pools. Provide coaching and training to staff for purposes of development of technical expertise.
• Oversee bequest program, including but not limited to: communication with and monitoring of estate executors and attorneys in the process of distributing estate gifts to Oberlin, acknowledgement of distributions as received, etc.
• Serve as primary contact between Advancement and the gift planning endowment administrator, including but not limited to: program & account balance oversight, oversight of production of contracts for life income gifts & remittances for gift planning donors, and oversight of appropriate processes for termination and release of remainders from life income gifts.
• Oversee support for the 50th reunion program and develop effective strategies for engagement and fundraising.
• Possess and upkeep detailed knowledge of tax and estate law for purposes of proposing plans for efficient support of Oberlin to be shared with donors’ tax and legal advisors.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of ten years of progressively significant experience, including at least three years as a manager in the advancement profession; demonstrated success in the active and successful solicitation of leadership and planned gifts
• Dedication to building and leading a team that respects diversity of all types
• An understanding of, and technical expertise in, estate planning and tax laws affecting charitable and deferred giving
• Strong commitment to the goals of a liberal arts education and to the importance of the Oberlin College & Conservatory’s relationship with its diverse constituencies

Desired Qualifications:

• Advanced degree desired
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and superior interpersonal skills with demonstrated skill in working well with individuals and in a team setting
• Experience demonstrating personal initiative, creativity, resourcefulness, and flexibility
• Proven talent to recruit, train, motivate, and lead fundraising staff and volunteers
• Experience demonstrating a detail and deadline orientation

Within the range established for this position, salary will be commensurate with education and experience and includes excellent benefits package.

Oberlin College is committed to the creation and nurturing of a diverse community of individuals through inclusive excellence. Diversity involves recognizing the value of differences and the inclusion of all members of the community including those that experience discrimination or under representation. This is a core value of the organization as we strive for a culturally diverse student body, faculty and staff that reflect the multicultural nature of the nation and our world and bring unique strengths and abilities, which contribute, to our institution.

All applicants will be required to provide a cover letter, resume, and list of professional references.