UNCW is recruiting for an innovative and data‐driven Director of Annual Giving. This is a wonderful opportunity for a seasoned‐annual giving professional to recruit a team and lead a robust program beyond the finish line of a $100 million comprehensive campaign. With over half of UNCW’s alumni under the age of 40, successful candidates will have experience developing and executing multi‐channel campaigns with a focus on digital strategies. This position offers immense opportunity to facilitate new approaches to call center operations, pipeline development as well as parent and student giving programs.

The Director of Annual Giving serves as a member of the Division’s leadership team, oversees a department, and will directly supervise an associate director of annual giving, two development officers for leadership annual giving, and a stewardship coordinator. This position is responsible for managing the infrastructure of a donor‐centric, centralized annual giving program while tracking key performance indicators and ensuring progress toward fundraising goals.

Responsible for the management of the university’s development efforts as it relates to annual giving solicitations (gifts up to $25,000) and stewardship targeted to alumni, students, parents, friends, and employees. The director works closely with the division’s leadership team, development directors, and volunteer boards to coordinate and increase annual support for UNCW.

UNCW’s Division for University Advancement offers a fast‐paced yet lighthearted working environment where work‐life balance and teleworking flexibility are afforded, while still honoring our values of accountability, collaboration, and efficiency.

Detailed Job Description: 

The primary purpose of the position of Director of Annual Giving is to lead a team that is responsible for increasing annual support and the number of alumni donors. The director will create the strategic vision behind a multi‐channel approach, working with colleagues (both within the division and across campus) on the discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of annual donors.

Under the guidance of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement, collaborates with the Director of Advancement Communications, Director of Alumni Engagement Programming and Director of Events and Boards Management, and other leaders to:

• Develop a comprehensive and integrated plan that advances alumni giving and engagement as a part of the Division’s strategic plan
• Establish both short‐term and long‐term strategies that support all stages of the development cycle, thus strengthening UNCW’s alumni donor pipeline and ultimately increasing alumni giving

The Director of Annual Giving serves as a member of the Division’s leadership team, oversees a department and will directly supervise an associate director of annual giving, two development officers for leadership annual giving and a stewardship coordinator. This position is responsible for managing the infrastructure of a centralized annual giving program while tracking key performance indicators and ensuring progress toward fundraising goals. In coordination with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement, this position will also help to develop an infrastructure that allows units across campus to independently cultivate, solicit and steward annual gifts in coordination with central plans.

The Director of Annual Giving will develop strategies to move donors through the annual giving pipeline; coach and lead staff; predict, track, and analyze monthly metrics; and collaborate on communications, events and stewardship strategies that will yield results and strengthen UNCW’s culture of philanthropy. The Director of Annual Giving will be responsible for the ongoing evaluation of external partnerships and infrastructure to ensure the department has the technology, resources, and tools necessary to achieve its goals in accordance with industry best practices and university policies.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree is required
• 5+ years of higher‐education development experience with a focus in annual giving and integrated marketing and communications
• Experience working within customer relationship management systems (CRMs)
• Experience guiding call center operations and peer‐to‐peer online giving platforms
• Previous supervisory experience with an ability to lead and empower staff to meet both individual and team goals
•  Experience developing and managing budgets
• Ability to set, track, and analyze progress toward annual goals
• Ability to interpret complex data to guide strategic decisions and track return on investment
• High level of cultural competence and an inclusive approach to developing solicitations and stewardship materials that appeal to diverse constituents
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to effectively manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
• A commitment to understanding development trends and best practices in higher education and implementing program changes, when necessary.
• Strong interpersonal skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong judgment and code of personal ethics
• Ability to operate effectively, flexibly and collegially in a complex organizational environment
• Ability to foster and maintain strong working relationships with colleagues across campus as well as external vendors
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including high levels of diplomacy, discretion and influence with the ability to work with internal and external stakeholders at any level of seniority.
• Must be able to secure buy‐in on proposed strategies and advocate for resources.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Experience with Raiser’s Edge, NXT, Net Community and Target Analytics. Experience working with Adobe Creative Suite. Experience working with Campus Call, Relay Texting Services, ThankView, and Give Campus.
• Experience with project management software.

UNCW has retained Capital Development Services (CapDev) to assist with professional recruitment.  Candidates should include a cover letter and a resume.  All material will be kept confidential.  Additional inquiries may be directed to CapDev at [email protected].