As a member of the OSU Foundation’s Annual Giving team, the Assistant Director of Constituent Engagement & Stewardship for Annual Giving Programs reports to the Director of Constituent Engagement and Stewardship, Annual Giving Programs, and is a key contributor to the solicitation, engagement and stewardship of annual giving donors. Together, the Director and Assistant Director play a leadership role on the Annual Giving team in recruiting and managing a number of volunteer groups, the growth of which is a priority for the Foundation. As 84% of committee members at OSU make gifts, the goal is for the Constituent Engagement and Stewardship team to increase the number of volunteers to more than 100.

The Assistant Director executes fundraising and engagement strategies for key OSU Annual Giving constituencies, with a focus on increasing volunteers, to build a pipeline of future leadership annual giving, major gift, and planned gift donors. The Assistant Director is also responsible for executing acknowledgement and stewardship strategies for annual giving donors that demonstrate impact and appreciation of giving, including tailored and personalized stewardship methods and resources designed to maintain high rates of donor retention.

Work Location:

The work location for this position is the Foundation’s Corvallis, Oregon office.

Key Partners:

• The Foundation’s Stewardship, Marketing and Communications, Gift Accounting and Advancement Services teams
• Lead development officers for OSU’s colleges and units including Our Beaver Nation (Athletics) and alumni relations officers
• Campus partners such as college stewardship/scholarship representatives, the financial aid/scholarship office, and student affairs.

Measures of Success:

• Meet annual fundraising, participation, and volunteer engagement goals for Annual Giving constituency groups, such as OSU’s Women’s Giving Circle, OSU Loyal, and parent and family donor groups
• Execute annual acknowledgement and stewardship process accurately and on time.
• Meet annual goals for the retention of leadership annual giving donors, including $1000+ donors

Major Duties:

Constituent Group Fundraising and Engagement:

• In collaboration with the Director of Constituent Engagement and Stewardship, build a robust set of engagement and philanthropic opportunities, including volunteer engagement opportunities, for key Annual Giving constituencies and affinity groups.
• Execute strategies for Annual Giving constituent and recognition groups such as the Women’s Giving Circle, parent donors, OSU Loyal(faculty and staff), and Beaver Leadership Circle donors. Develop direct mail and email solicitations, participation and volunteer engagement opportunities, and stewardship tactics. Solicit individual donors as appropriate.
• Plan and coordinate volunteer committee meetings, events and communications for Annual Giving constituency groups, such as OSU Loyal and Women’s Giving Circle. Assist with grant application and distribution processes for Women’s Giving Circle or other giving groups.
• Track progress, analyze data, and report on results of assigned annual giving constituencies to meet annual goals. Use data informed strategies to build donor pipeline by implementing annual giving solicitations.

Annual Giving Stewardship:

• Execute the annual giving acknowledgement process, ensuring consistency across all OSU Foundation annual giving donors.
• Create engaging content that demonstrates appreciation for annual gifts, including written and digital acknowledgements, impact reports, videos and other digital content, thank you calls and other communication strategies.
• Collaborate with Director of Constituent Engagement & Stewardship, college fundraising units, donor relations, and development officers to execute annual giving stewardship and design purposeful and meaningful recognition opportunities for unit-based annual giving donors.
• Assist Director to develop new ideas and initiatives to recognize donors and convey appreciation for their initial and continued support of OSU. Enhance stewardship strategies associated with pipeline development activities, including OSU Foundation’s Giving Day – Dam Proud Day and cause-based initiatives.
• Track progress, analyze data, and report on results of annual giving stewardship and leadership annual giving.
• Research and communicate emerging trends and best practices in donor engagement and stewardship.
• Perform other duties as assigned. Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Comprehensive knowledge of:
• Donor relations and stewardship strategies
• Cultivation and fundraising techniques, both face-to-face and multi-channel marketing
• Volunteer recruitment and management
• Event management

Demonstrated ability to:

• Develop and execute stewardship strategies
• Raise gifts through individual solicitation techniques and direct marketing
• Recruit, manage, and retain volunteers successfully
• Employ strong written and verbal communication skills
• Utilize quantitative and qualitative information to improve decision-making and outcomes anddocument results
• Manage complex projects
• Apply creative and entrepreneurial thinking, while applying sound judgment and conducting
• oneself with integrity
• Approach work assuming the best of intentions from Foundation and campus colleagues
• Effectively represent the interests and fundraising priorities of various colleges/units, while also maintaining a high degree of enterprise perspective by always acting in the best interests of the Foundation and the university
• Work with a high degree of flexibility in a highly collaborative, fast-paced, goal-oriented environment
• Handle interpersonal relationships maturely, thoughtfully and empathetically, including the ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds

Education and Experience Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree and three years of development work experience, ideally in higher education. Education and experience equivalencies will be considered. Must possess a valid driver’s license and must be able to travel by varying modes of transportation.

Commitment to OSUF Core Values:

The OSU Foundation strives to be one of the best places to work in the country. We know that the success of the Foundation depends in large part on the people who carry out our mission. It is what we do –and how we do it — that makes the difference. The Foundation’s core values reflect our approach to work and to each other, and we are committed to conduct consistent with these values.