Director of Parent Giving

Job Description:

Reporting to the Director of Leadership Giving, the Director of Parent Giving is responsible for the overall management of the parent and family giving program including the Parents Fund, major gifts and special gifts from current and past parents. The Director of Parent Giving is responsible for the solicitation and cultivation of rated parent and family prospects ensuring this group of prospects are properly assigned, personally visited, and appropriately solicited by a University development officer. The Director manages all activities, volunteers, events and strategy for the Parents Leadership Council, W&L’s leadership giving society for parent donors. Working closely with the staff in Annual Giving and Leadership Gifts, the Director of Parent Giving will design, develop, and manage a comprehensive program of focused solicitation strategies to persuasively present the priorities and case for university support to successfully close leadership Parents Fund gifts for the Parents Leadership Council and major gifts for University priorities.

Washington and Lee University actively promotes a dynamic and inclusive environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in their areas of expertise.

Essential Functions:

• Designs, oversees and analyzes effective and sustainable annual fund-raising activities and related programs to raise in excess of $1.575 million in unrestricted support in the current year with increasing amounts in subsequent years for the Parents Fund from non-alumni parents and families.
  
  
• Develops and manages a portfolio of 100 major gift and leadership annual fund parent prospects.
  
  
• Travels extensively to visit with highly-rated parent prospects with defined moves management plans for each prospect after an initial visit.
  
  
• Coordinates with leadership gift officers to qualify, cultivate and solicit parent and family prospects.
  
  
• Coordinates closely with the annual giving staff in the solicitation of non-leadership parents for annual support with a goal of increasing donor participation.
  
  
• Coordinates activities with other departmental colleagues to develop a common and consistent strategy for all parent/family development and stewardship efforts in support of the University.
  
  
• Persuasively presents the University's mission and goals.
  
  
• Works collaboratively with colleagues, faculty, and senior administration.
  
  
• Other related duties as assigned.
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:30am - 4:30pm with occasional evening and weekend hours. Frequent travel will be required.

Minimum Qualifications: The Director of Parent Giving will be a passionate, high-energy individual with outstanding skills in management, communication, and team building with a history of success in previous work experience and a desire to work in higher education. The successful candidate will have a minimum of five to seven years of successful fundraising experience preferably in a higher education setting. A Bachelor's degree is required. The position requires sophisticated interpersonal skills, the ability to listen effectively, and outstanding written and oral communication skills. Candidates should be organized, able to work collaboratively and strategically, and be a talented motivator of volunteers. Knowledge of moves management principles and donor database systems is a plus. High levels of energy, motivation and determination required.

The Director of Parent Giving is expected to be a person with strong character and leadership abilities and excellent human relations skills to represent the University effectively with its parents and other external constituents. The ideal candidate will be currently functioning in a development or fund raising capacity with a record of accomplishment. A record of achieving targets and goals is expected. Experience with publications and development marketing communications will be a significant plus.

Application Instructions:

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Resume and cover letter are required. Upload both required documents to the Resume/CV upload section of the application. You will be asked to provide names and contact information for three professional references.

External Applicants: Application instructions for external applicants are located on the jobs.wlu.edu or here .

Current W&L Employees: Apply from your existing Workday account. Instructions are located at jobs.wlu.edu or here .

Physical Requirements:

• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.
  
  
• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
  
  
• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
  
  

Working Conditions: The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Types of Work: Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Position Type:

Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible

Minimum Pay:

$93,222.24 - Pay Commensurate with Experience

The university requires employees to become fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and new employees must provide proof of at least their first shot prior to the first day of employment. Boosters are required. Individuals may seek a medical or a religious exemption to the vaccination requirement.