Position Announcement:

Recently recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best-In-State Employers for 2022, Utah Valley University (UVU) is the largest employer in Orem, Utah, third largest employer in Utah County, and fourteenth largest employer in the state of Utah. With a workforce of approximately 5,146 employees, Utah Valley University is committed to creating a work environment and organizational culture that celebrates diversity in all forms. UVU’s goal is to cultivate a campus climate based on integrity, respect, equal opportunity, and inclusion. UVU’s mission is to provide students, staff, and faculty, Exceptional Care, Exceptional Accountability, and Exceptional Results.

Utah Valley University is currently taking applications for a Director in Annual Giving position! Reporting to the Senior Director of Annual and Planned Giving, the Director of Annual Giving provides strategic leadership of Utah Valley University’s (UVU) annual giving program including all solicitations, stewardship, and events. The director will manage existing strategies as well as design, create, and execute new and innovative strategies to execute a best-in-class prospect cultivation and solicitation program. Using data-driven decision-making with evidence-based strategies, the director will develop segmentation and revenue strategies to yield growth across all media channels and in-person events. Also, responsible for overseeing the proper movement of donors through the donor pipeline from an annual giving level to leadership annual giving and cultivating donors to become major gift donors. Responsible for managing a team of part-time and full-time employees. Collaboration with the major gifts team is a must. Annual giving is responsible for the cultivation and management of donors capable of giving up to a major gift level.

Summary of Responsibilities:

• Directs, tracks, and reports on the work of UVU’s annual giving department through strategic efforts, outreach, analytics, and data driven decisions. Builds a multi-channel approach to cultivation, solicitation, education, and stewardship that includes face-to-face, direct mail, email, text, social media, giving days, volunteers, events, matching gifts, and digital campaigns. Collaborates with major gift officers and other campus departments for fundraising events and campaigns. Ensures campaign strategies are in place, directs the team in fulfilling and tracking tasks, reports results to leadership, and assesses ROI.
• Oversees and effectively directs fundraising efforts, creates new funding opportunities, extends the annual giving program to greater audiences, and in collaboration with the Donor Relations department, maintains a donor stewardship program. Ensures campaigns and outreach efforts are appropriately segmented, timed, and coordinated with other campaigns and campus events and in line with Advancement’s brand and overall marketing and communication strategy. Utilizes multiple software programs, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Blackbaud Raisers Edge database, Blackbaud Merchant Services, Community Funded Crowdfunding, Double the Donation Matching Gifts, and Thankview. Ensures PCI compliance through fundraising efforts.
• Oversees the annual giving department by recruiting, supervising, mentoring, and evaluating staff. Creates a culture of donor centric care, encouragement, and accountability. Sets goals and strategy for fundraising efforts, efficient response, reporting, tracking, stewardship, accountability, and quality control. Coordinates with campus partners on the use of annual giving resources.
• Other duties as assigned, which may include supporting university-level and Annual Giving priorities in engagement-focused events, and seeking opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institution.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Communication, Public Relations, English, or a related field, or equivalency (2 years related work experience may be substituted for 1 year of education). Five years of experience in fundraising, marketing, sales, business, public relations, annual, corporate or foundation giving which includes two years of budgeting and supervisory experience. Demonstrated human relations and effective communication skills required.

Preferred Qualifications:

Background working with print and/or electronic media, an understanding of university fundraising practices and personnel management is preferred.

Documents Needed to Apply:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Writing Sample

Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities

• Knowledge of soliciting diverse groups and best practices for annual fund programs.
• Management experience, including proven effectiveness at modeling, teaching, and leading best-practice fundraising skills.
• Demonstrated creativity, organizational ability, and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations, exercise good judgment based on information and analysis in a fast paced, dynamic, deadline-driven environment in an organized and professional manner.
• Knowledge of the fundraising continuum and related principals and policies.
• Former annual giving or fundraising experience.
• Demonstrated ability to establish, cultivate and steward strong relationships with students, donors, alumni and friends of the institution.
• Superior data analysis, marketing and writing skills. Strong focus on Excel formulas and pivot tables.
• Ability to manage both small and comprehensive campaigns and projects, create detailed task lists, and delegate strategically to the team, while participating, overseeing and directing projects.
• Ability to work independently, problem solve, take initiative, set priorities and handle multiple projects efficiently and effectively.
• Takes responsibility and initiative to set and meet the goals, objectives and obligations while representing the mission, vision and values of the organization.
• Intrinsically motivated and able to create innovative ideas to achieve results. Recognizes and seizes opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and customer service. Poised, professional manner with the ability to express oneself clearly and empathetically in interactions with others in all forms of communications, verbal and written, one-on-one and group, etc.
• Ability to communicate in a direct and professional manner that engages dialogue in a manner that resolves differences.
• Demonstrated competency with a comprehensive and contemporary donor database system, merchant services, and fundraising and analytics platform, such as Blackbaud Raisers Edge.

Salary: $56,842.00 – $71,053.00 Annually

EEO Statement:

UVU employment decisions are made on the basis of an applicant’s qualifications and ability to perform the job without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and over), disability, veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth, or pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or other bases protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.