Executive Director of Annual Giving

Position Title Executive Director of Annual Giving Position Number 000061 Department Assoc VC Development - 550000 Description of University

Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Three to five years of successful annual fund leadership experience
• Significant and substantive, progressively responsible experience in academic fundraising or a related field regarding direct marketing and communication
• Experience in fundraising at the annual giving level, project management, and analytics
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles and practices associated with fundraising in higher education including direct mail, telephone solicitations, specialized campaigns, and annual giving stewardship
• In leading the entire annual fund effort, from strategizing to implementation to the management of a creative staff, the director will need mature management and communication skills, the ability to shepherd a targeted effort within a larger and more complex department, and the operational skills that ensure tactical project management
• Strong computer and analytical skills are required along with excellent writing skills
• Presents a demonstrated commitment to the academic institution, mission, programs, and future aspirations of the university
• A results-oriented individual who demonstrates the ability to work well with people at all levels of an organization, warmly develops relationships with diverse constituencies, and simultaneously employs keen judgment

License/Certification Required Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Executive Director of Annual Giving creates and administers a program and activities to annually solicit gifts from alumni, friends, parents, and students of the university through direct mail, email, phone calls, text messages, digital marketing, crowdfunding, days of giving, and other channels. Funds are to be raised for the university’s most critical needs funds, including but not limited to The Appalachian Fund, the Parents Fund, the Mountaineer Emergency Fund, college/unit greatest needs funds, and other centralized funds benefiting the university. Focuses on donor retention and gift acquisition through targeted, data-driven marketing strategies and best practices.

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Partners with the Office of Donor Stewardship to develop an Annual Giving stewardship program aimed at sharing impact of donor philanthropy while seeking to retain current donors, renew lapsed donors, increase the alumni participation rate, and build the donor pipeline.
• Oversees a comprehensive parent philanthropy initiative, including identification, qualification, solicitation, and stewardship of annual and leadership gifts.
• Must be able to prepare written proposals to solicit prospects for gifts in support of the university.
• Must be adept at using persuasive language to promote visionary gift opportunities.
• Provides leadership for and evaluates work of the annual giving staff: makes decisions regarding hiring, discipline, and termination.
• Mentoring professional staff will be a priority including training and oversight of Leadership Annual Giving staff.
• Supervises Senior Director of Annual Giving, Director of Annual Giving, Leadership Annual Gifts Officer(s), Associate Director of Annual Giving, and Assistant Director of Annual Giving. The Assistant Director has responsibility for managing a student workforce.
• Works closely with Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Development and other departmental directors to ensure coordination with their respective fundraising efforts.
• Uses departmental database and report writing software to retrieve data. Performs comprehensive analyses and manipulation related to all aspects of the annual giving program.
• Uses statistics and metrics to evaluate current programs and to make recommendations for program changes.
• Ability to think outside of the box, to make decisions quickly in a very fluid environment.
• Assists the Directors of Prospect Management and Advancement Services in the maintenance of quality data and reporting.
• Ensures open communication with Development Officers regarding contact of current and potential donors.
• Responsible for evaluating all programs and reporting on program’s progress to Advancement leadership, fundraising, and alumni boards.
• Partners with the Office of Alumni Affairs on annual giving opportunities that aligns with alumni engagement.
• Works directly with Advancement Communications to ensure brand adherence and language.
• Manages vendor contracts, bidding processes, payments, and negotiations.
• Sets and oversees departmental budget.

Suggested Salary Range Commensurate with education and experience Physical Demands of Position Special Instructions to Applicants

Please attach the required documents:
Cover Letter / Letter of Interest
Resume
List of References with Contact Information

AA/EEO Statement

Appalachian State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The University does not discriminate in access to its educational programs and activities, or with respect to hiring or the terms and conditions of employment, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, political affiliation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information or sexual orientation.

Diversity and Inclusion at Appalachian

We at Appalachian State University are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence both locally and globally.

We understand that the successful implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusive excellence is the responsibility of the entire university community, including alumni and official university governing bodies. A diverse campus community supports an influx of broad and distinct ideas that increase learning opportunities and strengthen the impact of our community as we work collectively to achieve a just experience for all.

We actively encourage, support, and promote a global mindset and an equitable environment where all will know that they belong and are safe to express their culture, identity, values, ideas, opinions, and creativity. We are committed to creating a culture of equity opportunity for all, one that has an expectation of fairness, justice, and equity-minded practice at all levels of the university community.

Quick Link https://appstate.peopleadmin.com/postings/28075