Executive Director of Annual Giving

Posted on 01/11/2017

University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA

Primary Purpose or Responsibility:

The Executive Director of Annual Giving is responsible for enhancing annual giving to a level of peer and aspirant schools.  Responsible for planning, organizing and implementing a comprehensive and aggressive development program for soliciting annual gifts from alumni,  friends, and graduating seniors of the University and providing collaborative leadership for parent giving and professional school colleagues. Facilitates relationships with the University through face-to-face meetings, direct mail, telemarketing, volunteer involvement, and reunion class gift planning.

Essential Functions:

  • Plans, directs and oversees all aspects of the university’s centralized Annual Giving Program. Provides leadership in developing and administering a strategic plan and an annual operating plan for the long-term expansion of annual gift income to:
    • provide guidance and support for professional school focused annual giving efforts.
    • manages changes to the Pacific Fund;
    • lead annual giving focused campaign strategies;
    • develop and implement a program of differentiated annual giving gift clubs;
    • build Pacific’s Student, Faculty/Staff and Alumni giving;
    • implement a comprehensive giving program focused on creating a sustainable tradition of annual support;
    • enhance fundraising through specialized annual giving campaigns and initiatives
    • incorporate increasing donor retention, pledge fulfillment, and acquisition of young alumni donors and leadership donors;
  • Ensures that the University’s annual giving program is a leader among its peers by maximizing current operating support from alumni and other constituents.
  • Guides the use of data-driven approaches to test and refine innovative marketing and management approaches that inspire a wide range of stakeholders to sustain and strengthen the broad donor engagement that is critical to the University’s ability to secure increasing levels of philanthropic support.
  • Builds and develops a team of dedicated annual giving professionals and manages an operating budget to expedite efforts and maximize the impact in a complex, University-wide three campus environment.
  • Manages a balanced personal prospect portfolio cultivating and soliciting Annual Fund leadership donors.
  • Aligns with Pacific’s metrics and measurements for prospect and donor development to qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward annual gift prospects and donors.
  • Develops department budgets and manages expenditures.
  • Guides effective partnerships with Alumni Relations, Advancement Services, Academic units and outside vendors to ensure quality control and effectiveness of the mail, phone, email, and crowdfunding based solicitation programs.
  • Works effectively with frontline fundraisers/major gift teams and graduate school representatives to determine unit specific annual giving goals, gain strong participation and build strategies for moving donors to higher giving levels at all schools and units.
  • Integrates annual giving and the annual fund (Pacific Fund) into the structure of on-going campaigns.
  • Guides the development of strong Annual Giving messages with a scope that will include, but is not limited to, case statements, appeals, social media and e-communications. Reviews and approves annual giving communications.
  • Facilitates the design of strategies for cultivation and solicitation of donor prospects at a n annual giving level.
  • Works with Development Communications on Annual Giving and Pacific Fund branding and development of successful support materials for sophisticated, comprehensive annual giving campaigns.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

Qualifications:

Education/Experience/Certifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred
  • Ten or more years of experience in annual giving fundraising with progressively responsible management and leadership experience in higher education fundraising and campaigns.

Skills/Knowledge and Expertise:

  • Strong leadership, managerial and supervisory skills and a track record of success in developing, creating and leading a highly motivated staff of fundraising and support professionals
  • Knowledge of fundraising principles and able to participate in a complex development program, especially within an educational organization
  • Experience with integration of the annual fund into the organizations’ greater fundraising goals and ability to be flexible in working independently as well as collaboratively with University Development, academic faculty and staff to achieve defined goals for each unit
  • Strategic execution and management of a forward looking comprehensive annual giving program including strategies to incorporate alumni employee , student and parent giving
  • Experience guiding e-campaigns, and giving societies, improving donor retention and acquisition developing strategies to increase average gift amounts.
  • Initiative to organize and follow through with complex tasks to meet deadlines
  • A commitment to higher education, understanding of university academics and scholarship and ability to articulate a compelling case for annual discretionary support of private higher education and student life at Pacific
  • Demonstrated knowledge and proven success in fundraising and campaigns and analytical ability to recognize opportunities, and prioritize them to attain goals
  • Demonstrated experience and interest in personal solicitation of annual gifts as well as volunteer management and motivation
  • Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team and to work collaboratively with others to achieve goals
  • Resourcefulness in finding appropriate solutions to problems and demonstrated initiative in presenting alternatives and implementing solutions to ensure effective change.  Ability to anticipate problems and take necessary action to eliminate or mitigate potential negative effects
  • Outstanding verbal communication skills; excellent writing, solid negotiation, public relations and strategic planning skills
  • Ability to lead, manage, motivate and supervise staff and experience in hiring and training an annual giving team
  • Ability to develop and monitor budgets and schedules
  • Skill to use a personal computer and computer software programs at the level of sophistication required for the development office.  Proven ability to use MS Office Suite and database programs
  • Positive attitude, proven ability to work successfully with diverse populations and demonstrated commitment to promote and enhance diversity and inclusion

Work Environment/Work Week/Travel

Work is primarily performed in a standard office environment with use of computer and phone.  Work scheduled during standard business hours, evening and weekends required periodically to accommodate business needs.

Occasional travel both local and overnight.  Valid driver’s license required.  Incumbent must also be able to meet the University’s fleet rules and be eligible to drive for University business.  The University and its insurance carrier reserves the right to exclude applicants based on their driving record.

About University of the Pacific

University of the Pacific, California’s first chartered university of higher education, is an independent, residential, comprehensive university centrally located in northern California. Pacific is only 80 miles from San Francisco and within a short drive to Napa and Sonoma valleys, the Monterey Peninsula and the Sierra Mountains. The 168-acre main Stockton campus, recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country, provides an excellent environment for the nearly 6300 students enrolled in a wide array of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Pacific has approximately 530 faculty and more than 1150 staff located on its three campuses in Stockton, Sacramento and San Francisco.

Pacific is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity. In compliance with applicable law and its own policy, Pacific is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff and does not discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression or mental or physical disability.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume via email to:

Tom Hebert
Principal, Gayle/Thomas & Associates
[email protected]

To apply for this job email your details to gaylethomasearch@aol.com