As the Director of Annual Giving and External Relations at the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, you will lead a best-in-class annual giving and alumni and parent relations program.  Connecting with more than 200,000 constituents a year, you raise awareness and support for the college’s fundraising priorities.  You have the proven ability to create an innovative vision and strategic plan, and then raise money and engage supporters at scale to make it successful every year.  You set ambitious goals and deliver results using all the strategies and vehicles typical of annual giving for every audience, consistently surpassing prior performance and celebrating donors with a robust stewardship strategy.

You are responsible for program management, personnel management, raising money, and showing impact.  You will oversee three annual giving and three alumni/parent relations officers and report to the Director of Development.  The salary for this position is $130,000-$150,000 based on experience.

Key Responsibilities: 

Visioning, innovating, and strategic planning – 25%

• With the college’s and LSA Advancement’s vision, mission, and values and the Dean’s annual priories in mind, craft a vision for annual giving with the annual giving team that is clear and impactful, and responsive to our most pressing needs.
• Create a strategic plan for annual giving with the annual giving and external relations team that creates opportunities for all types of constituents (i.e., young alumni, alumni, parents, faculty/staff, and students) to be a part of the fundraising pipeline and support college priories that are meaningful to them.
• Be aware of the latest innovations in the field; plan a program that wows by leveraging those innovations and technology.
• Work closely with the Director of Development and our development divisions (annual, major gi, development communications, and stewardship) to acquire, grow, steward, and message constituents with an eye on cultivation, retention, growth, engagement, and satisfaction.
• With our Business Intelligence team and leveraging data from the Office of University Development, design and showcase metrics to demonstrate the success of strategic plan.
• Manage a large budget with a careful eye towards economies of scale and return on investment.

Leading, inspiring, motivating staff – 20%

• Recruit, hire, train, coach, mentor, and supervise team members. Coordinate annual performance planning, mid-year reviews, and year-end evaluations. Communicate performance expectations and demonstrate clear paths to success. Tackle difficult conversations with a respectful, authentic approach.
• Support staff growth through formal training and professional development, and providing leadership opportunities.
• Meet weekly with individual teammates; develop staff to make sure they have the skills to successfully complete their work; grow their knowledge and abilities to take the program forward.
• Plan and lead retreats for the team to ensure common purpose and connection.
• Meet weekly with the team to launch new projects, share updates on ongoing assignments, and focus on deliverables.
• Strengthen the team and how individuals work together to achieve extraordinary results.

Directing the Annual Giving Programs – 35%

• Direct the college’s Annual Giving Program including the creation of an annual fundraising, marketing, and communications plan to raise money for the college’s most pressing needs.
• Execute the plan on me, within budget, and in coordination with other university communications.
• Write and produce inspiring and effective solicitations (i.e., direct mail, phone and video scripts, emails, advertisements, etc.) and stewardship pieces to address the college’s evolving priories, to increase loyalty, and to raise an increasing amount of money each year.
• Ensure the success of the Dean’s as well as all department and program annual giving strategies and projects through strategic planning, education, messaging, and a variety of solicitation vehicles.
• Report on performance and adapt as necessary to maximize results.
• Provide timely customer service to the college and foster strong relationships.

Oversee Annual Giving Partnerships – 20%

• Oversee the college’s growing digital and leadership annual giving programs to ensure the success of two giving days, crowdfunding initiatives, digital offerings and services, digital stewardship, and digital leadership annual giving (gis of $1,000+ brought in via tech strategies).
• Provide guidance to the Assistant Director of Development at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History to assist in museum fundraising efforts to include small endowments ($25K), annual giving, and memberships.
• Partner with the Office of University Development, Gi and Records Administration, LSA Finance, and LSA Advancement to oversee proper gi management and availability of online resources for annual giving donors. Oversee the college’s growing digital and leadership annual giving programs to ensure the success of two giving days, crowdfunding initiatives, digital offerings and services, digital stewardship, and digital leadership annual giving (gis of $1,000+ brought in via tech strategies).
• Provide guidance to the Assistant Director of Development at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History to assist in museum fundraising efforts to include small endowments ($25K), annual giving, and memberships.
• Partner with the Office of University Development, Gi and Records Administration, LSA Finance, and LSA Advancement to oversee proper gi management and availability of online resources for annual giving donors.
• ● Oversee our College Connections outreach program to introduce alumni and parents to fundraising and volunteer engagement opportunities. This includes their work with the Young Alumni Council, alumni communications and fundraising, partnerships with the LSA Opportunity Hub, the Parents Council, and the Alumni Relations Council, interactions with the Dean’s Advisory Council, and educating college leadership about alumni and parent concerns

Required Qualifications: 

Here’s the things you already have:

• Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent work experience
• Five or more years of experience leading an established annual giving program, which includes digital fundraising
• Three or more years experience managing professional staff, including mentoring, managing performance, and professional development
• Experience with strategic planning including program development and program execution
• Excellent written communication skills
• Experience working with donor databases
• Experience working with confidential data
• Experience managing budgets

Additional Information

Women, BIPOC, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.

This role may require occasional night or weekend work.

The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitments to serve the diverse people of Michigan, fulfill the College’s Guiding Principles, and sustain the excellence of LSA.