Associate Director, Planned Giving

Suffolk University is a private, urban university located in the heart of downtown Boston. Our college green is the Boston Common and we are steps from dozens of historic sites including the Old State House, Faneuil Hall, City Hall and the Massachusetts State House. We have no real boundaries to our campus—Boston and Suffolk blend together.

Suffolk has been committed to creating an exceptional learning experience since 1906. Our vision is to be recognized as a dynamic institution that fosters engaged learning, rigorous scholarship, innovative thinking, and community collaboration across disciplines. We will ensure that Suffolk graduates are versatile and prepared for modern society and the new world market. We will provide rich curricula, experiential learning opportunities and professional mentoring through increased collaboration with alumni and community partners. We will recruit, mentor, and support a diverse faculty of teacher-scholars who are passionately committed to preparing our students to be leaders in the global community. We will inspire investment in a Suffolk community that is built on ethical, forward-thinking leadership, teamwork, and cooperation.

We compete for the best talent. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse community. We are actively seeking applicants from groups that might be under-represented because of race/color, gender, religion, real or perceived disability, national origin or LGBTQ status. As part of our commitment we encourage you to complete the demographic portion of the application in addition to submitting your cover letter and resume/CV as it will assist us in targeting our recruitment efforts.

Please note that Suffolk University conducts background checks as a condition of employment.

We are also committed to the well-being of our employees. Our terrific benefits package for benefits-eligible positions include, but are not limited to:

• Generous paid time-off programs and commitment to work-life balance
• Tuition free course benefits in the College of Arts and Sciences and in the Sawyer Business School for employees with additional tuition benefits for spouses, domestic partners, and children
• Top-notch well-being care available through Harvard Pilgrim Medical/Delta Dental and a Flexible Spending Account
• Pre-tax commuter benefit
• Employee Assistance Program that provides employees and their family members with initial assessment, referrals and short-term counseling for personal and work challenges
• Discounted home and auto insurance

Description

Suffolk University is pleased to announce the career opportunity for Associate Director of Planned Giving!

Suffolk University is one of the area’s leading universities and the only one situated in the center of Boston. Founded in 1906, the University is comprised of three esteemed schools—the College of Arts and Sciences, Suffolk University Law School, and the Sawyer Business School. Suffolk’s 85,000+ alumni are professionally successful and civically engaged, and they reside in Massachusetts, across the United States, and in over 150 countries. Suffolk is beginning an exciting new era and building a comprehensive Advancement program to support the University and its plans for the future.

Suffolk University’s Planned Giving Program is critical to advancing the University’s mission and securing Suffolk’s long-term future. Planned Gifts serve as a vital source of revenue and as an incubator for major donor prospects who will make their ultimate gift. Planned Giving programs develop and implement comprehensive fundraising strategies for the engagement, acquisition, stewardship, retention and upgrading of donations from alumni, staff, family, and friends.

PRIMARY/PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reporting to the Director of Major Gifts, the Associate Director, Planned Giving, will work in concert with Senior Advancement Staff and Major Gift Officers to build a program that creates an identity and commitment to Suffolk University. This position will identify and secure philanthropic support for the University with a specific focus on the planned giving vehicles that Suffolk University offers to its constituents. The position will be principally responsible for promoting the Frost Society, Suffolk’s planned giving society, which honors constituents who establish Suffolk in their wills and trusts, make life-income agreements, or name Suffolk as an irrevocable beneficiary of life insurance policies or retirement-plan assets.

This position will also provide oversight of the planned giving society program goals, develop a working group of Estate Planning volunteers, implement marketing strategies and recognition efforts, as well as secure leadership level giving through the support of selected Reunion classes and the Half Century Club.

RESPONSIBILITY

55% Frost Society Program Management


• Build, implement and manage a volunteer program to expand giving society membership at all leadership levels.
• Market the Frost Society of Suffolk to key constituencies.
• Plan, coordinate, supervise and implement the various volunteer activities to reach fundraising goals and objectives for reunion classes and alumni board giving committees, and ensure these committees reach their full potential.
• Create, maintain and distribute fundraising materials, quarterly newsletters and manage the planned giving website.
• In partnership with Major Gift Officers, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations staff, identify and work with planned giving prospects.
• Support volunteers through regular contact including personal visits, e-mail, and phone.
• Maintain a high level of attention to detail as it relates to managing solicitation reports shared with volunteers, creating written solicitation strategies with volunteers, accomplishing projects and tasks in the prescribed timeframe, and keeping colleagues engaged and informed as needed concerning program strategies.
• Plan and implement giving society stewardship events.


40% Planned Giving Fundraising :


• In partnership with Major Gift Officers, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations staff, identify and solicit planned giving prospects to implement various planned giving vehicles, including, but not limited to, wills, trusts and gift annuities.
• Arrange and staff a minimum of 75 personal visits and collaborate with the frontline staff on major and principal gift opportunities
• Analyze and set giving society goals for the program overall, along with membership giving from alumni, parents and friends.
• Identify, cultivate, solicit and steward current and potential Frost Society donors to achieve increased goals in membership.
• Regularly solicit new Planned Gifts to ensure goals are met.


5% Other duties & expectations :


• Attend and staff events as assigned.
• Collaborate with other University offices to meet Suffolk’s fundraising objectives.
• Participate in professional development activities to raise Suffolk’s visibility and to maintain the Associate Director’s professional knowledge in the field.
• Participate as an active member of the University community by attending regular campus meetings and events (athletic events and student performances, Academic Awards, Convocation, and Commencement)


QUALIFICATIONS:




• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Demonstrate significant experience of at least 5 years in Advancement and proficient knowledge of planned giving fundraising, especially wills, trusts, and other planned giving vehicles.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with, lead, and train a diverse team of volunteers to reach fundraising goals, and work both independently and as part of a team.
• Willingness and ability to work confidently with a variety of prospects, donors, and volunteers.
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Superior organizational
• Detail oriented.
• Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge NXT or other alumni-philanthropic database software, preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft
• Ability to work weekends and evenings when needed.
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse populations and a strong commitment to help developing and implementing the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies and goals
• Willingness to perform other duties as assigned


Suffolk University does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, genetic information, or status as a veteran in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs, activities, or employment. Suffolk University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. The University is dedicated to the goal of building a diverse and inclusive faculty and staff that reflect the broad range of human experience who contribute to the robust exchange of ideas on campus, and who are committed to teaching and working in a diverse environment. We strongly encourage applications from groups historically marginalized or underrepresented because of race/color, gender, religious creed, disability, national origin, veteran status or LGBTQ status. Suffolk University is especially interested in candidates who, through their training, service and experience, will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the University community.