Associate Director of Annual Giving

Associate Director of Annual Giving
Whitman College

WHITMAN COLLEGE

Located in the historic community of Walla Walla, Whitman's beautiful tree-lined campus is home to an intellectually dynamic, diverse, and supportive community of some 500 staff and faculty and 1,500 students. With an endowment exceeding $700 million, fiercely loyal alumni, exceptional students, and accomplished faculty and staff, Whitman College continues to build on its national reputation for academic excellence ranking as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

Whitman College is building a diverse academic community and especially encourages applications from women, members of historically underrepresented minority groups, persons with disabilities, and others who would bring additional dimensions to the college's learning environment. Whitman College is an EEO employer.

POSITION PURPOSE
The Associate Director of Annual Giving will report to the Director of Annual Giving and work closely with the entire Development and Alumni Relations team. This external facing position is responsible for developing and implementing a strategy to secure leadership annual gifts ($1,000+) from an increasing number of Whitman alumni and parents. With concentration on acquisition, renewal, and increase in leadership gift levels, the Associate Director of Annual Giving grows support for Whitman College while strengthening the base of major gift donors. The Office of Annual Giving educates alumni, parents, friends, staff/faculty, and current students about the importance of the five focus areas of The Whitman Fund: greatest needs; scholarships and student aid; diversity, equity and inclusion; internships; and academic excellence. This position will collaborate with colleagues campus-wide to build a strong culture of philanthropy within the Whitman community.

PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Develop and execute qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship programs that expand the number of alumni, parents, staff/faculty, and friends making annual gifts that qualify for the President's Gift Societies ($1,000+), with a focus on The Whitman Fund.
• Actively manage and solicit identified prospects and help to identify new prospects to build a pipeline for major donors.
• Strong focus on individual outreach through personalized communication and individual visits. Work in tandem with the Director of Annual Giving to personalize a direct mail and stewardship strategy for leadership annual gifts.
• Schedule and complete 100 in-person (or virtual) substantive contacts each year with the purpose of soliciting prospects for The Whitman Fund and qualifying prospects for Planned Giving and Major Gifts.
• Document constituent interactions in the departmental database. Ensure all reporting and pledge documentation steps are recorded appropriately.
• Track and measure progress toward established leadership giving goals and maintain awareness of personal goal metrics.
• Maintain positive relationships with volunteers, colleagues, students, and other constituents. Serve as a team player by assisting with events on campus and off and perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Must be able to explain and/or demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. Specifically,

• Highly motivated self-starter who is goal oriented.
• Skill in developing and implementing project plans that are longitudinal and complex in nature.
• Attention to detail and strict adherence to timelines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of fundraising best practices, particularly in individual giving programs.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with a focus on personally soliciting gifts.
• Skill in using computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and donor databases.
• Highly adaptable to changing technologies.
• Knowledge of modern data management practices and techniques that lead to data driven decisions.
• Ability and commitment to support, respect and work effectively with a diverse workforce.
• Desire to actively and positively contribute to Whitman's core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the Development and Alumni Relations Department's values of integrity, trust, respect, collaboration, accountability and inclusion.
• Ability to handle highly confidential information.
• Ability to work occasional nights and weekends and travel frequently.
  
  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree and two or more years of professional experience in fundraising, donor relations, public relations, or sales: or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Thorough understanding of the value of a residential liberal arts and sciences education and be able to articulate that understanding.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree from a liberal arts college and/or experience working in a liberal arts college setting.
• Valid driver's license.
  
  

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Regular travel.
• Occasional nights and weekends.
  
  

All Whitman College employees are required to comply with the college's vaccination policy. More information can be found here.

APPLICATION REVIEW

Application review will begin on October 25 and will continue until the position is filled.

START DATE

January 1, 2022


For full application instructions and position description, visit https://whitman.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=120




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