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Director of Leadership Giving

Employer
Worcester State University
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Salary
Salary Not Specified
Date posted
Mar 24, 2022

Job Details

About Worcester State University:

WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY is a liberal arts and sciences university with a long tradition of academic excellence dating back to 1874, as well as an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to reflect the diversity of its community. Our workforce is dedicated to academic quality, student-centered programming, engaged citizenship, open exchanges of ideas, diversity and inclusiveness, and civility and integrity. We are looking for job applicants who share these values and commitment to our students.

Worcester State is centrally located in Massachusetts, about an hour's drive from Boston, Springfield, and Providence, Rhode Island. Our 58-acre campus is nestled in the residential northwest side of Worcester--the second largest city in New England and home to 37,000 college students at more than a dozen colleges and universities. Over 6,000 of those students attend Worcester State--approximately 5,300 are undergraduates and 1,000 are graduate students. Learn more about us at worcester.edu/about .


Job Description:

OFFICIAL TITLE: Director of Leadership Giving
SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Executive Director of Development
SUPERVISION EXERCISED: May supervise student employees, as assigned

General Statement of Duties: The Director of Leadership Giving is responsible for developing and implementing strategies for securing financial support from a portfolio of donor prospects determined to have the ability to make major gifts to the university. With a portfolio of 150 - 200 individuals, the incumbent will focus on identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts. They will contribute to the execution of the university's annual giving program in a similar fashion. The responsibilities of this position require the incumbent to maintain a robust pace, ultimately spending a significant amount of time engaging with prospects and donors.

Responsibilities:

(E) = Essential

  1. (E) Works closely with the Executive Director of Development, the Vice President for University Advancement, the Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement, and other departmental staff to participate in devising a pipeline for qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding new high net worth individuals at the local, regional, and national level.
  2. (E) Serves as a front-line fundraiser, working directly with donors and prospects to increase annual giving to the Foundation, with a strong focus on gifts of $1,000 - $25,000 and above.
  3. (E) Engage Corporations and Businesses to secure sponsorship for events, campus signage, naming opportunities and department programs.
  4. (E) Manages portfolio of 150 - 200 individuals with a focus on identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts from a diverse pipeline of prospects including discovery-unaffiliated and discovery-affiliated; both unknown and known connection to the university.
  5. (E) Assumes responsibility for growth of prospect pipeline as it matures.
  6. (E) Builds strong relationships with members of the Worcester State community, including faculty and staff, to understand their work and funding priorities in order to effectively communicate with donors about those projects and solicit and steward major restrictive gifts.
  7. (E) Assists in managing various annual fund leadership societies, overseeing the tasks associated with each group, including acquisition and renewal cycles, the execution of cultivation and/or stewardship events, and correspondence.
  8. (E) Contributes to the execution of the university's annual giving program by cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding leadership-level annual fund gifts of $1,000 and above.
  9. (E) Collaborates with the Executive Director of Development, the Vice President for University Advancement, the Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement, and other departmental staff to develop and execute strategies for meeting the university's long-term fundraising objectives from individuals.
  10. (E) Remains diligent and disciplined in entering all appropriate information into the Raiser's Edge database; maintains appropriate records and prepares timely follow-up analyses and reports of personal fundraising efforts.
  11. (E) Works with departmental colleagues and other university constituents to develop and implement strategies to maximize donor participation in special events; ensures timely and appropriate follow-up for cultivation, solicitation and/or stewardship activities.
  12. (E) Executes regular donor communication via written and electronic correspondence, ensuring all outreach is relevant, timely, and professionally executed.
  13. (E) Meets donor metric goals as determined by the Executive Director of Development and/or the Vice President of University Advancement.
  14. (E) Works a hybrid schedule of on-campus and remote, with most days being on the road meeting donors. This position is also works nights and/or weekends as necessary or required.
  15. (E) Demonstrates civility and professional, customer-service oriented behavior, worthy of emulation by other staff and students.
  16. (E) Responsible for contributing to the WSU Strategic Plan.
  17. (E) Responsible for contributing to Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action objectives.
  18. Performs other duties as assigned.



Requirements:

Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's Degree
  • 5 - 7 years of professional experience that includes fundraising best practices and successful face-to-face solicitations at a leadership level
  • Demonstrated success in managing donors and/or board members
  • Ability to demonstrate sound judgment, demonstrate flexibility and initiative, work independently and thrive in a team environment as a means to achieve goals
  • Ability to build strong collaborative relationships across a complex organization
  • Superior written and oral communication skills
  • Ability to gather, synthesize, and analyze data and other information
  • Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work autonomously under the significant pressure of multiple and sequential deadlines.
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Word and Excel; proficiency with email, internet and research databases.
  • Knowledge of fundraising software.
  • Ability and willingness to work some weekends and evenings, as required
  • Ability to travel, both in-state and out-of-state
  • Ability to successfully pass a thorough background check
  • Ability to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation
Preferred Qualifications:
  • Master's Degree
  • Experience with Raiser's Edge software

Additional Information:

This is a full-time, benefited, exempt, professional APA position. The firm starting annual salary range for this position is $75,000 - $82,000, commensurate with relevant professional experience and education.

It is the policy of Worcester State University that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before they begin employment. Proof of the COVID-19 vaccine is required of all individuals hired by WSU, to be verified after an offer of employment has been made, and as part of the background check process. Prospective employees may submit a request for exemption based on a religious and/or medical basis, to Human Resources, after an offer of employment has been made.

Worcester State University offers a competitive benefits package that includes:
  • a choice of 9 different pre-taxed, health insurance plan options
  • a choice of pension or 401(a), and supplemental plan retirement options
  • life insurance up to 8x the annual salary
  • long-term disability coverage
  • dental insurance
  • 20 vacation days accrued per year
  • 15 sick days accrued per year
  • 5 personal days per year
  • paid holidays
  • tuition remission for self, spouse, and dependent children
  • and more...
We are an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. M/F/D/V. Members of traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.


Application Instructions:

Applicants must apply online and may do so by visiting www.worcester.edu/careers, and submitting a cover letter, resume, and the contact information of three professional references.

For assistance with uploading materials, log a ticket via the HelpDesk link, or contact us directly at 508-929-8053.

URL: www.worcester.edu


Company

Worcester State University

Founded in 1874 as a teacher-training school, Worcester State University has grown to become a traditional liberal arts and sciences university with programs spanning the biomedical sciences, business, humanities, behavioral sciences, the health professions, and, of course, education.

The Worcester State University campus is centrally located in Massachusetts about an hour’s drive from Boston and Springfield, Mass. and Providence, R.I. Our 58-acre campus is nestled in the residential northwest side of Worcester—the second largest city in New England and home to 37,000 college students at more than a dozen colleges and universities.

The Worcester State University campus is centrally located in Massachusetts about an hour’s drive from Boston and Springfield, Mass. and Providence, R.I. Our 58-acre campus is nestled in the residential northwest side of Worcester—the second largest city in New England and home to 37,000 college students at more than a dozen colleges and universities.

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