The Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving implements strategies to identify and qualify new prospective donors, executes discovery outreach and builds a prospect pool based on new prospects and past donors at the $1,500 to $10,000 level in the department of Development. The Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving initiates gift strategies, cultivates, and solicits prospects through personal visits and written communication. The incumbent in this position works closely with colleagues to implement strategic approaches as to increase the donor base and build a robust pipeline for major gift support across San José State University. The role requires significant collaboration with the annual giving, alumni engagement, major gifts and stewardship teams. The incumbent reports to the Director of Leadership Annual Giving and is a key member of the Annual Giving team.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Actively manage a prospective donor portfolio with annual goals for personal visits and giving outcomes based on established metrics
• Implement appropriate identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies in securing leadership annual gifts in the range of $1,500 to $10,000
• Qualify prospects and manage prospect disposition for the best on-going philanthropic support of the university, moving prospects to the major gift team as/when appropriate; receive leadership annual giving prospect referrals from development team
• Contribute to the fundraising efforts for scholarships on behalf of the SJSU Alumni Association and the Annual Giving’s Spartan Pride Scholarship
• Work closely with the Annual Giving and Stewardship teams in executing appropriate stewardship efforts and engagements of the 1857 Circle
• Be an active and collaborative team member in Alumni and Community Engagement, Annual Giving, Development and University Advancement
• Execute special fundraising initiatives as assigned
• Exercise full rights and responsibilities of prospect management protocols
• Articulate the case for support with effectiveness; communicate the priorities, goals and mission of the university and solicit feedback for improved alumni/donor relationships
• Establish and conduct consistent and meaningful contact and on-going stewardship activities with prospects and donors
• Actively participates in alumni and donor engagement activities.
• Enter prospect and donor contact reports in database according to UA protocols and in a timely fashion
• Draft memoranda of understanding for gifts when appropriate and facilitate their processing
• Participate in staff meetings and functional team meetings and attend conferences, seminars, and other development training, as appropriate
• Enter prospect and donor contact reports in database according to UA protocols and in a timely fashion
• Draft memoranda of understanding for gifts when appropriate and facilitate their processing
• Participate in staff meetings and functional team meetings and attend conferences, seminars, and other development training, as appropriate
• Contribute to donor recognition, stewardship, and other appropriate information for campus publications

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: 

• Broad knowledge of the principles of fundraising and the ability to participate in all aspects of the gift cycle
• Knowledge of best practices within the annual giving field
• Ability to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects/donors and effectively move prospects through the development cycle
• Ability to recognize opportunities, identify high pay-off activities and prioritize them to attain goals
• Ability to work with a diverse constituency and all levels of the organization
• Ability to effectively present material and respond to queries from constituents
• Ability to understand the needs and interests of alumni and donors in order to develop relationships between them and the university
• Ability to responsibly handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion
• Skilled in managing multiple projects on tight deadlines and under pressure
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office programs and utilizing fundraising database programs
• Skilled in maximizing productivity through the use of appropriate tools and the development of resources that create timely and efficient workflow

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution or an Associate’s Degree from an accredited institution plus two additional years of applicable professional experience
• At least one year of higher education alumni engagement or development, sales or non-profit experience. This can include experience as a student caller for least one year or other comparable sales or outreach experience

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution
• Experience in soliciting and stewarding gifts from individual donors
• Experience in making cold calls (opening doors) as well as developing donor-centric cultivation and solicitation strategies
• Excellent written communication skills

Equal Employment Statement:

SJSU is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or disability.

 It is the policy of SJSU to provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.