Director of Annual Giving

Posted on 03/07/2023

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, NC

Are you looking for a leadership role in an idyllic coastal location? Does the opportunity to design donor journeys and cause-based campaigns excite you? Do you value stewardship as much as segmentation? If you answered yes, keep reading…

UNCW is recruiting an innovative and data-driven Director of Annual Giving. This is an opportunity for a seasoned annual giving or marketing professional to reinvigorate a nationally recognized program. The university is currently in the public phase of a comprehensive campaign working toward a stretch goal of $125 million with a focus on increasing alumni donors. With over half of UNCW’s 100,000 alumni under the age of 40, successful candidates will have experience developing and executing multi-channel campaigns with a focus on developing effective donor journeys. This position offers immense opportunity to facilitate new approaches to constituent outreach, pipeline development as well as shape and strengthen a growing team.

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 (who has two direct reports), a development officer for leadership annual giving and a dedicated annual giving stewardship staff member. 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 occasional teleworking flexibility are afforded, while still honoring our values of accountability, collaboration and efficiency.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: 
  • Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of higher-education development experience with a focus in annual giving and or integrated marketing and communications is required.
  • 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 Blackbaud suite (Raiser’s Edge, NXT, Net Community) and Give Campus
  • Experience working with Adobe Creative Suite.
  • Experience working with Ruffalo Noel Levitz, Relay Texting Services, ThankView.
  • Experience developing and executing automated marketing journeys
  • Experience with project management software.

Primary Purpose of the Organizational Unit: 

The Division for University Advancement is responsible for the following primary goals:
  • Coordinate a campus-wide, comprehensive effort to raise philanthropic funds that support the strategic plan and mission of the university.
  • Manage an inclusive alumni engagement program designed to serve and engage nearly 100,000 alumni as ambassadors, advocates and donors.
  • Strengthen and expand UNCW’s donor pipeline through effective discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies.
  • Ensure that external boards (UNCW Foundation Board, Board of Visitors, Student Aid Association Board, Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Friends of UNCW) are effective in their mission of supporting UNCW.
The division’s fundraising efforts are enhanced by effective partnerships with the campus community as well as external constituents including alumni, parents, corporations, foundations, volunteers and friends. Development areas include annual giving, leadership annual giving, major gifts, principal gifts, corporate and foundation engagement and planned giving, as well as alumni engagement. Prospect development, events and board management, stewardship, communications and advancement services are support services for the fundraising activities of the division.

Benefits of Working at UNCW: 

Employees of UNCW are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other programs, resources, policies, and practices that help to support a work/life balance. Our programs have been designed to provide a variety of choices to best fit your needs and the needs of your family. Full time employees are eligible for dental, vision and health insurance plans. Health insurance benefit plans eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.

Full time employees are also eligible for the tuition waiver program which covers the cost of tuition and fees for up to three (3) undergraduate or graduate courses per academic year at UNCW or any other university within the UNC System. In addition, UNCW covers the cost of tuition and fees for one UNCW course each summer session.

As a full time employee, UNCW also offers a free membership to the Campus Recreation Center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, meditation and yoga sessions, voluntary supplemental insurance coverages, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays, 24 hours of paid community service leave time, paid vacation and sick leave accrual and family medical leave after 12 months of continuous service.

We also offer an abundance of training and development programs through our Dare to Learn AcademySkillport, and the employee assistance program, many of which are offered free of charge.

At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.

For more information or to apply, please reach out to Melinda Phillips at [email protected]