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Director of Advancement Research and Prospect Management

Job Details



Title: Director of Advancement Research and Prospect Management





Position Purpose:

This position is responsible for developing, leading and managing the prospect research and prospect management program for College Advancement in support of the college’s overall fundraising and constituent outreach efforts. The position directly supports the Vice President’s organization, management and strategy around Principal Gifts work (donors and prospective donors with a philanthropic capacity of $1M+), including the President’s own fundraising work. The position works in collaboration with the Vice President of Advancement in the identification, research and recommendation of nominees to the Board of Trustees. This position is responsible overseeing identification, evaluation, and tracking of potential donors and alumni & parent leaders, and preparation of written and other documentary records of that research. The position is a senior one in the Leadership program and requires regular interaction with staff throughout the departments of College Advancement, as well with other staff and faculty of the college.



Job Duties:
  • Lead research team in extensive prospect research with the goal of identifying and qualifying individuals with capacity to make leadership and principal gifts to the college; maintain accurate information and organization of tracked prospect pool; evaluate potential donors’ financial capacities, ties to the college, relationships with other constituents, corporations, and foundations, and assigning them a fundraising capacity rating that is part of a consistent overall rating framework.
  • In concert with Associate Vice President and Assistant Vice President for College Advancement, oversee the prospect management tracking and coding system for both the current tracked pool of prospects, as well as the future donor pipeline. Make changes/improvements to the constituent database) functionality as needed. Maintain process and procedure documentation around business rules.
  • Support the Vice President’s Principal Gifts work and oversee prospect management for Principal Gifts (donors and prospective donors with a philanthropic capacity of $1M+). Organize bi-weekly Principal Gifts meetings. Manage Prospect Management Coordinator position to help complete Principal Gifts tasks and projects. Collaborate with the Assistant to the VP. Coordinate and organize Trustee assignment information, between the Vice President and frontline teams. Support events team in prospect strategy and identification for small targeted affinity events. Additional special projects as needed to support the work of the Vice President’s work with top prospects for the President and Board’s frontline work.
  • Support the Vice President’s oversight of Presidential travel strategy in collaboration with the Assistant to the VP and Prospect Management Coordinator. Oversee tracking of top prospects alongside travel plans to various geographic locations and facilitate effective communication amongst key stakeholders.
  • Oversee the production of detailed prospect and event briefings for the President, Board Chair, Vice President for College Advancement, and other staff members as needed in support of presidential and other high-level visits and travel.
  • Drive a centralized strategy across the teams in Advancement and with other campus partners to ensure proper movement, tracking and reporting structures are in place to support fundraising and campaign efforts with Bates prospects. Train staff and review codes and protocols with front-line fundraisers to evaluate use and relevancy.
  • Collaborate with the AVP for Advancement and the Director of Leadership Gifts in strategic oversight of Gift Officer prospect portfolios. Oversee and organize monthly Prospect Strategy meetings.
  • Using data segmentation, data mining, and research methods, review leadership giving officers' portfolio assignments to assist in maximizing their efforts; assign researchers as partners with Gift Officers to review their pools on a regular basis, and suggest new assignments as donors are identified based on region, funding interests, and other factors. Collaborate with Advancement Services to maintain effective reporting systems.
  • Supervise a team of four Researchers, hiring, managing, and evaluating Research staff members. Assign and monitor work load & work flow, train staff in techniques of research using electronic, published, and other sources, mentor staff in applying judgment to the evaluation of prospect information, perform regular evaluations of staff performance.
ADDITIONAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
  • As Advancement liaison to Admission, research and rate incoming families. Collaborate with Director of Parent Giving on assessment/engagement strategy for incoming top families.
  • Establish and review periodically the department's methodology for rating the financial capacity of prospective donors and the resources for identification and evaluation, including all electronic- and internet-based research sources and databases, paper files, printed directories and other documentation.
  • Establish and review periodically the department's methodology for documenting prospect information in the form of donor and volunteer research profiles, rating sheets, and other information.
  • Other duties as assigned by Vice President of Assistant Vice President.


Minimum Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree.

Experience

• 5 years’ experience in fundraising, development, and/or prospect research and management, preferably in a higher education context, along with a working knowledge of online reference sources and data resources applicable to prospect research (including Lexis-Nexis and electronic screening products).
• Supervisory and budget management experience.
• Sensitivity to the requirements for confidentiality or prospect and donor information
• Familiarity with the academic environment and higher education, preferably the liberal arts.

Skills and Knowledge

• Excellent communication (written, verbal and presentation) skills.
• Strong presentation skills and ability to develop dynamic presentations.
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills; ability to synthesize complex or diverse
information. Appreciation for detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
• Ability to research and evaluate current giving and leadership gift-level capabilities of prospective donors.
• A collaborative spirit, creativity, and a strong commitment to customer service.
• Impeccable organizational (time, task, project management) skills and ability to coordinate resources and staff within the college community.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to develop and maintain collegial relationships. Must be flexible, collaborative and have a positive attitude.
• Proficiency in basic data management systems and basic computer applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Willingness and ability to learn additional applications as needed.
• Ability and willingness to travel (by car, air, train or bus) domestically and internationally as needed.
• Ability and willingness to work weekends, evenings and other non-traditional schedules.




Preferred Qualifications:



Benefits:

Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal days, 12 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more) and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug- and smoke-free workplace.



Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.

Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at glexow@bates.edu .

About Bates:

Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin.

Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology — that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.

Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.

The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community, Maine’s second-largest urban area with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.

Advertised: Aug 05 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close:

Company

.Bates College

Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college. We are proud to offer a highly personalized education that centers on deep and sustained interactions among students, faculty, and community. We are engaging the forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology — that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.

When Bates opened in 1855, it was New England’s first co-ed college. Since then, we have admitted students no matter their nationality, race, religion, sex, or socio-economic status. While this openness was at the core of our founding identity and principles, it has been tested throughout time and requires us to constantly reflect upon and recommit to our mission.

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