The Institute for Social Research (ISR) is the world’s largest academic social science survey and research organization. With researchers from a broad range of academic disciplines, ISR serves as a national laboratory for the social sciences, advancing public understanding of human behavior through empirical research of extraordinary depth and breadth.

Our scientific mission is threefold:

• To plan and conduct rigorous social science research
• To disseminate the findings of this research, and
• To train future generations of social scientists.

ISR serves as a telescope on society, bringing the attitudes and behavior of people into clearer focus.

ISR is seeking a highly responsible, self-motivated, detail-oriented individual to help us reach our fundraising goals. As a Development Officer, you will report to the ISR Director of Development (“DoD”), and you will serve as a critical part of the ISR development team, with a primary focus on data management, stewardship, annual giving, and project management. ISR is an interdisciplinary environment that requires strong relationship-building skills to successfully partner with colleagues at ISR and across the University.

Why Work at Michigan?

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and any eligible family members and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting upon meeting eligibility requirements
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Responsibilities:

35% – Data Management, Prospect Development, and Community Building

• Lead efforts to gather, streamline and compile data on ISR donors and prospects for various purposes including but not limited to: annual appeals, one-off solicitations, stewardship touchpoints, newsletters, and event invitations.
• Work to map our ‘alumni’ network by compiling data on who ISR has trained over the decades and others who have an affiliation to ISR, such as research collaborators.
• Create a plan to engage our alumni with ISR and with each other with the goal to develop a vibrant community of champions.
• Liaison with the Office of University Development (OUD) Integrative Data Services to build reports and to learn how to most effectively utilize DART (U-M CRM system) and Business Objects (U-M tool for reporting information from DART).
• Assist in maintaining lists of prospects through tagging and other forms of data management, and work with OUD’s Prospect Development and Analytics team.
• Partner with the ISR Business Office, Center finance teams, and OUD Financial Operations, as appropriate, on financial matters, including items such as creating new gift funds, posting gift funds online, reconciling accounts, and pulling and updating gifts and information as appropriate.
• Ensure timely input of all contacts with donors through the creation of batch uploads, marketing efforts, and document imaging.
• Create, run, analyze and streamline reporting processes using Business Objects and Tableau.

30% – Stewardship

• Work as part of a team to execute all development aspects for the ISR Next Generation Initiative; this includes stewarding our donors annually through creating and sending personalized materials, engaging with student awardees to gather relevant information, and partnering with Centers to streamline all stewardship processes across centers.
• Assist in the planning and execution of stewardship and cultivation events, including list management.
• Design and execute a robust stewardship program to appropriately recognize ISR’s donors.
• Process gifts, and work with the Office of University Development Gift and Records Administration to ensure that all gifts are recorded correctly and donor information is accurately documented in DART.
• Run weekly gift reports and coordinate thank you notes with ISR and Center leadership and their support teams to mail gift acknowledgment letters to donors in a timely manner.
• Pull and analyze reports to recognize giving trends and giving milestones, and assist in the development and execution of stewardship strategies for these individuals.

15% – Annual Program

• Draft solicitation letters for annual appeals and ensure that annual giving solicitations represent
• ISR’s priorities and need for support.
• Utilize new data acquired to establish robust annual giving programs for various constituencies,
• including but not limited to: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
• Summer Program Alumni, Population Studies Center Alumni, Michigan Program in Survey and
• Data Science (MPSDS) Alumni, and Next Generation Awardees.
• Liaison with the Office of University Development Annual Giving.

20% – Project Management & Administrative Support

• Represent the ISR Office of Development on behalf of the development team as needed.
• Provide organizational support for special development initiatives that often require collaboration with faculty, staff and/or campus partners.
• Provide the development team with administrative support as needed for visit and event preparations or follow-up, recording interactions in DART, calendaring, and expense report reconciling.
• Provide support to the ISR Director’s Office as needed for pressing projects and timelines.
• Project assistance as needed.

Required Qualifications:

We’d like to hear from you if you have:

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 1 year of experience working in a fast-paced fundraising (or similar) environment.
• Experience working with complex data and managing data projects through Excel and other such tools, including DART, Business Objects, and Tableau. This skill may be assessed by the administration of a skills-testing tool during the selection process.
• Experience managing multiple projects and completing assigned tasks in a timely manner; ability to effectively organize and track a project from start to finish.
• Strong customer service orientation with a high degree of emotional intelligence to adapt and build trust with ISR’s various audiences.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with donors, faculty, staff, students, or similar constituencies.
• Intellectual curiosity with the ability to think creatively to solve problems and find solutions.
• Ability to exercise initiative, independent judgment, confidentiality, and a high level of discretion while working in a fast-moving environment with sophisticated clientele and colleagues while dealing with highly sensitive information.
• Ability to develop positive working relationships and to work collaboratively with colleagues in a team environment.
• Ability and willingness to quickly learn about ISR and the University’s history, mission, faculty, programs, and culture.
• Willingness to travel for donor cultivation and stewardship events. Occasional weekend and evening hours are required.
• An appreciation for the University’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Ability to understand diverse perspectives and acknowledge the strength of building a culture that celebrates and embraces complexities in backgrounds, cultures, religions, sexual preferences, and other values or beliefs as the foundation for an inclusive environment.

Desired Qualifications:

We are especially interested if you also have:

• Prior experience working within the University of Michigan or similar institution of higher education.
• Prior experience working for social justice-related causes.
• Proficiency in data systems and/or fundraising tools and applications such as Business Objects, DART, and Tableau.

Work Locations:

• This position will be onsite in Ann Arbor, MI.
• Remote or flexible arrangements are available within overall policies.

Additional Information:

The statements included in this description are intended to reflect the general nature and level of work assigned to this classification and should not be interpreted as all-inclusive.

The Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitment to serve the diverse people of Michigan, to maintain the excellence of the university, and to ground our research in varied disciplines, perspectives, and ways of knowing and learning.

Institute for Social Research job openings are posted for a minimum of fourteen (14) calendar days. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended. Salary is dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

U-M EEO/AA Statement:

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy:

COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters when eligible, are required for all University of Michigan students, faculty and staff across all campuses, including Michigan Medicine.  This includes those working remotely.   More information on this new policy is available on the Campus Blueprint website or the UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint websites.