Job Summary:

The Executive Director of Leadership and Planned Giving reports directly to the Vice President for Advancement. The incumbent is responsible for managing a portfolio of principal, leadership and planned giving prospects, leading a team of three leadership gift officers, as well as overseeing the Circle of 1848, Muhlenberg’s planned giving society.

Overview: 

As a senior member of the Advancement team, the Executive Director of Leadership and Planned Giving serves on Advancement’s Executive Team and will advance the mission of the College by personally role-modeling and engaging the Leadership Gifts team in myriad strategies to increase the personal involvement and financial commitment of alumni, parents, and friends of the College. Muhlenberg offers excellent benefits, including eligibility to tuition programs for employees and dependents after two years of service.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 125 principal, leadership and planned giving prospects for the purpose of developing and strengthening their relationship to Muhlenberg as donors, volunteers, and advocates.
• Develop and maintain an engagement schedule to personally/virtually visit 100 current and potential donors per year.
• Engage, solicit and close six- and seven-figure gifts from principal and leadership level donors, focusing on current, planned and blended gifts for the College’s most needed priorities as part of the College’s current comprehensive campaign.
• Supervise, evaluate, coach and mentor a staff of three leadership gift officers, who are responsible for soliciting and securing five-, six- and seven-figure gifts, in addition to an administrative assistant for the department.
• Serve as a member of Advancement’s Executive Team, contributing to the overall strategic direction of engagement and fundraising initiatives at the College.
• Contribute as a member of the strategic team for Muhlenberg’s comprehensive campaign and responsible for leadership and planned giving goals associated with the campaign.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the Boundless Campaign’s Planned Giving Committee and actively work with committee leadership and volunteers to engage them the gift solicitation process.
• Strategically lead, in partnership with the volunteer leadership of the Circle of 1848 (Muhlenberg’s planned giving society), the development of programming and stewardship opportunities for members of the society.
• Oversee the assignment of leadership gift officer portfolios based on region and affinity, collaboratively set gift officer goals and manage reporting of gift officer activity in terms of visits, asks and gifts secured.
• In consultation with the VP, strategically outline and implement an annual travel/virtual visit calendar for the Leadership Gifts team to support Presidential visits, alumni receptions, volunteer visits, etc.
• Serve as an effective spokesperson and representative of Muhlenberg College by articulating the needs of the College and outlining giving priorities.
• Build effective working relationships with key departments, administrators and faculty members to ensure a collaborative spirit in regards to engagement and fundraising efforts.
• Actively participate in events in support of programs that further the mission of Advancement, including, but not limited to, Alumni Weekend, THAW, Mulementum, Mule Madness and both end of calendar and end of fund year annual giving solicitation efforts (December and June).
• Develop and provide professional developmental activities for staff. Promote a culture of openness, collaboration, trust, inclusion, and learning through constructive feedback and learning opportunities.
• Prepare and maintain a robust budget for the department.
• Participate in bi-weekly Executive Team meetings, bi-weekly prospect strategy meetings, monthly advancement all-team meetings, the annual all-staff retreat, the annual Executive Team retreat and the annual Leadership Gifts team retreat.
• Perform other duties as assigned in pursuit of the mission of the Advancement Office and the College.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required (advanced degree preferred) and at least ten years of front-line fundraising experience, preferably in higher education, or equivalent related experience.
• Expertise in current trends in fundraising, especially principal, planned and leadership giving.
• Demonstrated understanding of fundraising techniques, volunteer management, donor relations and stewardship.
• Persuasive oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• In-depth knowledge of comprehensive campaign fundraising.
• Ability to effectively lead and manage multiple priorities, as well as work in a self-directed fashion while serving as a member of a collaborative Advancement team.
• In-depth knowledge of computer systems, especially fundraising software systems.
• Ability to articulate the role and importance of a small, private, residential, liberal arts college education.
• Management and supervisory experience in leading a team to successful outcomes.