Assistant Director for Alumni Development and Annual Giving

The Assistant Director for Alumni Development and Annual Giving will be responsible for creating and executing a comprehensive, year-round fundraising plan for annual gift programs for Kansas City University. The fundraising plan will include goals, strategies, and programming that aim to build and engage alumni and friends of the University with special emphasis on gifts to the Conley Society ($1,000+) and Gold Society (three years of continuous giving).
 
Annual giving includes campaigns by mail, digital communication, and phone in the spring and fall. These programs include but are not limited to fall and spring appeals, class reunion challenges, a Giving Day program, employee giving, and special campaigns as determined by university priorities.
 
The Assistant Director for Alumni Development and Annual Giving will support the integration of robust, leading-edge analytics and donor research into all aspects of the annual giving program, from marketing plans and specific appeals to goal-setting and assessment. In addition, the Assistant Director will be responsible for developing and facilitating all annual fund communication including letters, print pieces, emails, social media, videos, and web content.
 
The Assistant Director for Alumni Development and Annual Giving will identify, cultivate, and steward meaningful relationships with established and potential donors, seeking and securing gifts for the annual giving program, as well as identifying potential campaign and planned giving prospects. The Assistant Director will be expected to carry a portfolio of approximately 25 individual donors who have capacity to move from mid-range annual gifts to major gifts to KCU.
 
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create and manage a comprehensive fundraising plan and appeal schedule for Annual Giving for Kansas City University
• Set dollar, participation, retention, and qualitative goals for the Annual Giving program
• Create and implement strategies to achieve Annual Giving goals
• Create and manage a multidimensional appeal schedule that utilizes a variety of mediums (e.g., electronic solicitation, direct mail appeals, face-to-face solicitations) to communicate with potential and current donors
• Work with Manager of Database and Philanthropy Operations to ensure gift acknowledgment procedures are carried out
• Responsible for preparing weekly, monthly and other relevant Annual Giving reports
• Work collaboratively with database manager to reconcile bi-monthly reports, develop custom reports, and add appeal codes to Raiser’s Edge
• Recruit and lead committees for faculty staff campaign and Day of Giving
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward assigned pool of managed prospects
• Work collaboratively with members of the Philanthropy and Alumni Relations team to coordinate appropriate Annual Giving solicitations, including strategy and stewardship of donors and prospects
• Work with University Relations and/or external vendors to create appeals and marketing materials, as well as to maintain annual giving section on the website

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• A minimum of three years of experience in a nonprofit environment, with a record of accomplishment of success in annual giving. Experience promoting and managing previous annual giving programs is highly desirable
• Demonstrable and successful experience performing personal solicitations of annual fund gifts
• A strong sense of fundraising ethics and practices, and respect for confidentiality of donor information
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• The ability to develop and execute long-range plans
• A highly energetic and enthusiastic personality, with excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, and time-management skills
• The ability to work both independently and as a team player
• The willingness and ability to represent Kansas City University professionally on campus and off-campus. (Some evenings and weekends required.
• Proficiency in MS Office programs
• Raiser’s Edge knowledge strongly preferred
• The ability to travel to meet with donors and prospects
• Experience with advancement volunteer management is highly preferable
• Experience in higher education preferred