The Director of Development provides results-driven leadership to increase immediate and long-term support of Palmer College; creates, executes and manages comprehensive, multi-year strategic portfolio plans that will result in increased alumni connection, participation in financial support of the College, new student referrals, and promotion of the College.

The Director of Development is a member of collaborative, and impact-driven Advancement team, whose priority is to strengthen Palmer’s donor pipeline and raise funds for all areas and priorities in the short-term while investing in long-term relationship building with prospects to build the foundation for future campaigns.

The Director of Development reports to the Senior Director of Development and has a support responsibility to all other departments and college personnel as necessary.

The Director of Development supervises Administrative Assistants and other personnel as assigned.

The Director of Development closely collaborates with Advancement staff as well as other appropriate college-wide partners; and assigned vendors and consultants.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with senior leadership and Vice Chancellor for Advancement to develop yearly fundraising plan, goals, and metrics for success;
• Priority must be given to direct contact with donors and prospects;
• Conduct an average of 10-15 planned strategic donor/prospect in-person visits per month, traveling to assigned regions in the continental United States;
• Articulate Palmer’s vision, mission, goals and core values in the cultivation and nurture of positive relationships with individual potential and existing donor stakeholders that will help donors accomplish their philanthropic goals and ambitions through a deep relationship with Palmer College;
• Identify and qualify prospects with the ability to make mid-level, major, planned, or principal gift to Palmer College;
• Build and actively manage a dynamic portfolio of 125-150 active prospects and donors, with a focus on those with potential for giving $10,000 or more;
• Create and execute individualized fundraising plans that utilize best practices in mid-level, major and planned giving including; identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors;
• Maintain current professional and technical knowledge;
• Maintain institutional compliance regulations;
• Perform all responsibilities in a manner that fully complies with Palmer’s Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action policy; and
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s degree with five-plus years of direct and successful experience in fundraising, which includes a minimum of three (3)-plus years of major gift experience in higher education.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Must be a self-starter who regularly sets and achieves activity and results-driven goals.
• Demonstrated understanding of higher education alumni and advancement programs, specifically as related to fundraising and alumni engagement.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, with all levels of constituents and colleagues.
• Ability to set solicitation goals and participate in the ongoing evaluation of fundraising endeavors.
• Work in a team context, accepting responsibility for the success of colleagues as well as your own.
• Actively participate in prospect management meetings to set fundraising strategy.
• Maintain and enhance familiarity with current and deferred gift vehicles.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, providing written and verbal documentation of prospect calls in the CRM system.
• Display integrity in the development, management and use of individual travel budget.
• Confidence in researching and analyzing data to discover prospects, and utilizing research tools to identify and qualify prospects.
• Knowledge of fundraising techniques, moves management strategies, and principles portfolio management.
• Experience using constituent relationship management (CRM) software or system. preferably Salesforce, or Affinaquest Advancement RM.
• Knowledge of fundraising techniques including, but not limited to, proposal writing; donor relations and stewardship; and volunteer engagement.
• Skilled in proposal development for higher education or non-profit organizations.
• High analytical and decision-making ability.
• Talent for motivating and engaging others.
• Understanding and commitment to achieving the College’s mission and goals.
• Represent the College professionally with integrity, character and professional drive.
• Ability to evaluate and resolve difficult and crisis problems, applying effective discretion and judgment in a variety of situations.
• Ability to handle confidential information with the highest ethical and professional standards, and ability to maintain a high level of diplomacy and discretion with constituents.
• Ability to utilize general office equipment, personal computer and various software packages, and other necessary equipment.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively as required with varied work hours, including evenings and weekends.