Donor Engagement Officer

Department: Pipeline Development

Reports to:  Pipeline Development Team Lead 

FLSA Status: Exempt

This position will be based out of the Kansas City office with regular time spent working in the Lawrence office . This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule after initial training and satisfactory job performance.

Who we are and what we’re about:

KU Endowment is an independent, nonprofit organization and the official fundraising foundation for the University of Kansas.  We partner with donors in providing philanthropic support to build a greater KU.

As an employee of KU Endowment, you’ll witness firsthand the power of our donors’ generosity.  You will join a talented and fun group of people who are inspired to help KU through the support of loyal alumni and friends.  This support fuels excellence, enabling students and faculty to develop innovative programs and research that distinguish the university.  We connect the philanthropic passions of donors with the needs of students, faculty and programs – and everyone benefits.

People are engaged. Purpose is ignited.  Lives are changed.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: At KU Endowment, we recognize that we best achieve our mission of building a greater University of Kansas by embracing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We are committed to cultivating a people-centered environment that is welcoming to the spectrum of differences among us in an atmosphere of respect and fairness. Accordingly, our staff, Board of Trustees, volunteers and donors will work together to create a more representative, equitable and inclusive KU Endowment.

What we are looking for: The emerging Pipeline Development Program at KU Endowment is focused on embracing development communications efforts with modern fundraising workflows to engage and grow the next generation of supporters for the University of Kansas. 
The Donor Engagement Officer will focus on elevating the donor experience through personalized connection to provide a first-class personalized philanthropic experience for all donors. by leveraging in-person and digital engagement to effectively build relationships and solicit gifts from donors. This position plays a key role in donor pipeline development by identifying major gift prospects and increasing donor retention, upgrading, and acquisition. You will also focus on engaging and soliciting leadership annual giving prospects across the university system. The candidate will collaborate with other departments both internally and externally to leverage a 1:1 outreach campaign using a variety of outreach methods including phone calls, social media, video messaging and conferencing, emails, and some face-to-face interactions. 

The individual in this position is expected to handle sensitive and confidential information while adhering to KU Endowment's guidelines for maintaining privacy. Embracing KU Endowment's stated core values - passion for KU and its Health Systems, partnership with donors, perpetual support for KU, and a people-centered approach - and demonstrating support for them through professional interactions is the cornerstone to success.

What’s a typical day look like?

•  Actively manage a portfolio of donors through the donor continuum – prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and  stewardship to increase philanthropic support to the University of Kansas. 
• Develop individual engagement strategies to cultivate, steward, and solicit donors in a donor-centric, targeted, high-velocity manner, including identifying or creating appropriate materials and proposals as needed. 
• Communicate in ways that are donor-centric to build relationships, leveraging technology including CRM, social media platforms, video conferencing, and face-to-face visits to build rapport and further the mission of the University of Kansas.
• Oversees and manages customized donor acknowledgments.
• Collaborate with Development Directors and other KU Endowment staff, as appropriate, to solicit outright and deferred major gifts. 
• Work with development staff on all campuses to continually enhance professional knowledge of key goals and philanthropic priorities of constituencies throughout the University. 
• Execute monthly and quarterly touchpoint cadences (averaging 30-50 outbound touchpoints per day) across a portfolio to ensure consistent and relevant donor communication.
• Be an expert generalist of the university by becoming fluent in the “menu” of engagement and philanthropic opportunities across the university (regional alumni events, on-campus events, mentorship, and volunteer opportunities, crowdfunding campaigns, and fundraising priorities) to inform conversations and solicitations.  Meet and exceed clearly defined donor activity goals that will result in revenue generation, donor acquisition, donor retention, and donor reactivation.  
• Maintains information on donors and prospects, including contact reports in CRM systems.
• Proactively monitor engagement to identify and launch initiatives that drive donations.
• Follows KU Endowment policies and procedures. 
• Performs other work as directed or required. 

What’s required to be considered: Bachelor’s degree required. One year of professional experience in direct sales, fundraising or marketing; higher education fundraising experience preferred. Experience equivalencies will be considered. Must be able to work a flexible schedule including occasionally working on weekends and/or evenings, to cultivate and solicit donor prospects. 
Ability to organize, plan, and set priorities.  Must exhibit strong interpersonal communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships inside and outside KU Endowment.  Ability to adapt to new procedures and technological advancements. Attention to detail is critical and the ability to exercise good judgment in making decisions.
What separates the best from the rest? 

• Able to work with a high degree of flexibility in a highly-collaborative, fast-paced, goal-oriented environment.
• Adept at using social media, text, phone, and video conferencing.
• A high degree of grit, resilience, and desire to make a difference.
• Strong work ethic with a desire to continue to learn.
• An entrepreneurial spirit and fearlessness to build a portfolio and strengthen relationships.  
• Willingness to step outside one’s comfort zone and embrace challenges. 
• Robust oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent collaboration and organizational skills.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and readiness to engage donors and alumni. 
• Skilled at navigating and using databases, familiarity with CRM systems, and entering contact reports.
• Knowledge of the University of Kansas, academic units, academic programs, athletics, research centers, and The University of Kansas Health System is helpful in fulfilling the duties of this position.

Physical Requirements:

•   A valid driver’s license. 
• Must have access to reliable transportation to travel between multiple locations for training, donor meetings, networking, events and/or work-related activities.
• Must be able to respond quickly and effectively to directions and safety hazards.
• This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office productivity machinery such as computers, keyboards and a mouse, laptops, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. 
• This is largely a sedentary role; however, some filing is required. This would require the ability to move files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary.
• The ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• The person in this position frequently communicates with donors, colleagues, students, and general public. Must be able to communicate with others effectively.
• Physical effort/lifting, medium-up to 50 pounds.
• Occasional overnight travel to conferences and regional events, typically for up to two nights. Travel requirements can include the following: evenings, weekends, and out-of-town overnights as a regular part of the job.

KU Endowment is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job as regulated by ADA. If you require accommodation for any part of the application process or during employment, please contact humanresources@kuendowment.org to discuss your needs.
We’ve got you covered: KU Endowment offers a competitive salary with an excellent benefit package including: 

• · 100% employer-paid pension plan
• · Health, dental, and vision insurance
• · 401(k) and Roth 401(k) matching program
• · Section 125 flexible benefits 
• · Generous paid leave including holidays, personal and sick leave
• · Volunteer and community engagement opportunities
• · Paid Parental Leave
• · Life, AD&D, short- and long-term disability insurance
• · Legal & ID Theft protection
• · Critical Illness
• · Accident and Hospital Indemnity insurance 
• · KU education assistance 
• · Free parking

Sounds good, right? What’s next?

Please include your resume and cover letter when applying for this position on our website at https://www.kuendowment.org/careers.

Questions regarding this vacancy may be addressed to:

Charo Kelley, Director, Talent Acquisition and Culture & Employee Belonging
KU Endowment
PO Box 928
Lawrence, KS 66044-0928
Email: ckelley@kuendowment.org

Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.  Because of the sensitive nature of KU Endowment business and the importance of our reputation with donors, KU Endowment conducts a comprehensive review of applicants.  By submitting your application, you authorize us to conduct reference checks and a review of available public information.  Employment is contingent upon background and reference checks that KU Endowment finds acceptable.