Job Summary:

Connecticut College is conducting a national search for a Director of Annual Giving who will help lead the College’s efforts to increase annual individual giving from alumni, parents and friends. The Director will oversee the implementation of strategically executed and “best-practice” programs including alumni, reunion giving, and all other constituent programs. The Director will demonstrate vision, creativity, flexibility, analytical talent, and the drive to exceed yearly goals; manage volunteers and reunion leadership. The individual will be an active decision-making member of College Advancement and participate as needed on key volunteer leadership committees. As part of our commitment to keep our campus community safe, all members who are working on campus will participate in our free, weekly on campus COVID-19 testing.

General Duties and Responsibilities:

The Director of Annual Giving will supervise and inspire six staff members; plan, develop and lead a comprehensive annual giving program that increases the amount of unrestricted and restricted annual gifts, increases the donor base, and builds a pipe-line for future support for the College. The Director will manage all activities and programs (mail, email, text, phonathon, and social media) that will achieve participation and revenue goals while achieving these goals on schedule and within approved budget. The Director will manage and steward all annual giving communication efforts to develop a communication plan including the creation and segmentation of all mailings as well as electronic solicitations and use of social media and will perform deep analysis of donors and non-donors on a regular basis as well as return and profit analysis of outreach efforts.

The Director will work on enhancing the reunion giving program and encourage multi-year commitments when appropriate; work closely with various departments to ensure seamless donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of rated prospects; coordinate an annual giving challenge to increase donors to all designations and dollars to the annual fund; collaborate on volunteer management for alumni classes; produce a yearly giving strategy for all classes including: recruit volunteers, set goals and develop and implement plan to meet their goals and train volunteers. The Director will also develop and maintain personal contact with 100 assigned Connecticut College (CC) Fund prospects through visits, phone, email and direct mail to develop interest in support of the CC Fund. Expected travel 20-25% (4-5 days per month).

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years of experience in educational fundraising required. Must have the ability to lead staff, colleagues and volunteers and to collaborate with all staff within College Advancement; exceptional experience in and enthusiasm for conceiving of, building and executing statistical and analytical reports; proven track record of securing leadership Annual Fund gifts, preferably in a campaign; excellent organization skills and ability to set priorities and keep to deadlines; excellent oral and written communications skills; excellent interpersonal skills; high integrity needed to handle confidential information; ability to build and sustain key relationships with donors, faculty and staff. Must be willing and able to travel locally and nationally and work evening and weekend hours as needed.

Applicant Credentialing: Thorough applicant credentialing, including criminal records check and on campus COVID testing, will be conducted on the selected applicant.

As a highly selective residential liberal arts college, Connecticut College is committed to creating a vibrant community enriched by diverse perspectives, talents and experiences. We encourage applications from candidates who share this commitment and will contribute to the diversity of our college community, especially members of historically under-represented groups. AA/EOE