Director of Development - School of Arts and Humanities

Apply for the Director of Development for the School of Arts and Humanities position at Truman State University online at https://trumansu.peopleadmin.com/postings/1610

The Director of Development for the School of Arts and Humanities supports Truman State University’s mission by building relationships with alumni, donors, and friends that lead to increased philanthropic support. This position manages a portfolio of approximately 75–100 prospects and is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts in support of Truman State University. In addition, this position provides leadership and coordination for planned giving efforts, helping identify and advance opportunities for donors to make meaningful legacy commitments to Truman.

This Director reports to the Associate Vice President for University Advancement and works as part of a collaborative Advancement team focused on strengthening donor engagement and growing philanthropic support. In this role, the Director serves as the liaison to the dean and faculty of the School of Arts and Humanities to understand school priorities, identify fundraising opportunities, and connect donors with meaningful ways to support students, programs, and academic initiatives.

Relationship Management and Fundraising

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 75–100 prospects to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward gifts in support of Truman State University
• Build relationships with alumni, donors, friends, faculty, and campus partners
• Connect donor interests with opportunities to support students, programs, and institutional priorities
• Identify new prospective donors through outreach, referrals, research, and travel
• Travel regularly to meet with alumni, donors, and prospective donors for qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship

Liaison Work

• Serve as the Advancement liaison to the School of Arts and Humanities
• Work with the dean, faculty, and academic partners to understand school priorities and identify fundraising opportunities
• Help translate school needs into donor-centered giving opportunities
• Strategically leverage the time, expertise, and relationships of academic school leadership and faculty to enhance fundraising and engagement efforts
• Maintain regular communication with school leadership and Advancement colleagues

Data, Metrics and Accountability

• Track donor activity, strategies, proposals, and next steps in Advancement CRM (Slate)
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation of donor interactions
• Complete gift-related documentation, including memorandums of understanding, gift agreements, pledge commitments, and other required paperwork
• Monitor progress toward individual and team fundraising goals
• Use data to support portfolio management, travel planning, and donor follow-up

Planned Giving

• Help coordinate planned giving efforts for Truman State University in partnership with Advancement leadership
• Work with Truman’s planned giving marketing partners (Stelter and Crescendo) to support planned giving communications, outreach, and engagement strategies
• Facilitate planned gift documentation and related follow-up when planned gifts are realized, including after a donor’s passing
• Identify, cultivate, and secure planned gifts as part of overall donor strategy and portfolio management.
• Support development colleagues in preparing for and advancing planned gift conversations with donors, families, advisors, as appropriate
• Maintain accurate planned giving records and documentation

The Successful Candidate Will:

• Build strong relationships with a diverse community of donors, alumni, colleagues, and academic partners
• Be a champion of Truman State, communicating donor interests, institutional impact, and strategic priorities with clarity and enthusiasm
• Communicate clearly, professionally, and in a timely manner
• Enjoy travel and proactive outreach to alumni and donors
• Connect school priorities with donor interests in clear and meaningful ways
• Recognize opportunities to connect donors with meaningful current and future gift options, including planned giving
• Approach work with a strategic, solutions-oriented mindset focused on progress, pipeline growth, and donor engagement
• Maintain an active presence on campus and in the community while contributing to a positive team culture that celebrates progress and achievement

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in any field of study
• At least 2 years of experience in fundraising, advancement, sales, relationship management, nonprofit work or a related field
• Demonstrated success in securing gifts and/or managing relationships
• Ability to travel regularly and attend events, including some evenings and weekends

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant experience cultivating, soliciting, or stewarding major gifts
• Experience in higher education advancement
• Experience with planned giving, legacy giving, or estate gift conversations, administration, or related donor communications/marketing efforts
• Familiarity with Slate CRM system

Apply for the Director of Development for the School of Arts and Humanities position at Truman State University online at https://trumansu.peopleadmin.com/postings/1610

About Truman State University Advancement:

Truman State University is Missouri’s highly selective public liberal arts and sciences university, committed to providing an exceptional undergraduate and graduate education grounded in academic excellence and student success. Located in Kirksville, Truman fosters a close-knit, student-centered environment that emphasizes critical thinking, leadership, and lifelong learning.

University Advancement plays a vital role in supporting Truman State by building meaningful relationships with alumni, donors, and friends of the University. Working in partnership with the Truman State University Foundation, the division raises approximately $3 million annually to support scholarships, academic programs, student experiences, faculty excellence, capital priorities, and other strategic initiatives. The team is committed to fostering a culture of philanthropy that connects individual passions with institutional priorities and drives lasting impact. The Director of Advancement Services will join a collaborative team focused on strengthening data integrity, improving operational effectiveness, supporting donor engagement, and advancing a comprehensive fundraising strategy for the University.