Director of Development, College of Law
Job description
Advances the University of Iowa (UI) and the initiatives of the College of Law by optimizing a portfolio of major gift prospects and skillfully moving those prospects through the steps of an established process of donor engagement, collaborating with other UI Center for Advancement (UICA) fundraisers as needed. Serves as a trusted philanthropic advisor, educating donors about giving opportunities that would enable them to achieve their desired impact on the University of Iowa and beyond.
- Position allows for telecommuting/work from home (up to 5 days per week depending upon business need and leader approval). Candidate must be within driving distance of office located in Iowa City, IA.
Position Focus: Supports development for the College of Law at the University of Iowa. As a member of a small team, this position works with UICA staff and campus partners (dean’s office and faculty/staff) to implement strategic annual and multi-year fundraising plans to advance university and College of Law initiatives. This position will assist in building upon a strong culture of fundraising for the College of Law, strengthening existing and developing new donor relationships among alumni and friends of the College. As a professional school, this is a unique opportunity to work with a nationally ranked program to continue to grow and expand funding initiatives. Local, regional, and national travel (up to 50%) are an expectation of this position, as well as on-campus donor engagement opportunities.
- Advises Prospect Management staff in the identification of prospects (based on capacity, giving history, and affiliation) from among pools that may include alumni, fans, patients, or other supporters of the university
- Works with Prospect Management staff and supervisor to develop strategy for managing prospects
- Efficiently conducts proactive outreach calls and messages in order to secure face-to-face qualification meetings
- Provides strategic input into the design and implementation of engagement events and referral programs designed to build long-term relationships and attract major gifts
- Conducts all activities, according to established laws, policies, procedures, and standards and with the full support of UICA, UI, and UI Hospitals and Clinics as relevant
- Optimizes qualification pool of potential major gift prospects with the goal of growing a continuous pipeline of donors capable of making gifts of $50,000+
- Skillfully adapts structured questions to validate prospect’s capacity and inclination and understand strength of affinity
- Uses gathered information to independently determine whether prospects should be disqualified or qualified and moved into the portfolio
- Models the role of a trusted philanthropic advisor, using transparent communication and educating donors about the giving process
- Manages portfolio of active major gift prospects and develops their readiness to advance
- Builds travel plans demonstrating judicious use of time and resources, including strategic meetings with active prospects and additional qualification and stewardship meetings
- Develops and implements donor-centric cultivation strategies, collaborating with colleagues as needed
- Manages deliberate sequence of interactions with each prospect, intended to build engagement and move them through the steps of an established donor engagement process
- Maintains expert knowledge of funding priorities within and beyond the assigned unit, consulting with UICA colleagues and campus partners as needed
- Facilitates prospects’ decision-making process; helps them understand next steps and articulate the link between their personal objectives and institutional priorities
- Maintains expert knowledge needed to ensure donors are fully informed about the full range of planned giving options
- Meets expectations for solicitations, gifts closed, and average gift size (goals established annually with the supervisor in alignment with organization-wide metrics)
- Knows where prospects fall in the donor engagement process and plans next steps accordingly
- Identifies meaningful ways for donor to achieve their desired impact while meeting funding needs
- Employs and models the use of communication and meeting preparation tools in order to achieve stated objectives for each step of the process
- Ensures documentation reflects donor intent and sets expectations for recognition and stewardship
- Develops, implements, and participates in appropriate stewardship activities (e.g., acknowledgement letters, publicity events) for donors as relevant, working with stewardship staff as needed
- Maintains integrity of constituent database through timely submittal of stewardship plans and contact reports for all significant interactions
- Partners with campus leaders and UICA leadership to develop strategic fundraising priorities and a comprehensive multi-year plan to increase private gift support
- Clearly articulates the vision and priorities of the unit in a compelling and broadly understandable way
- Assists in the success of the fundraising program for assigned unit, including any special campaigns for program and capital support, in cooperation with campus partners/leaders
- Leverages trusted working relationships with campus partners/leaders (deans/directors) as well as external groups with ties to the unit; Communicates frequently regarding progress toward goals
- Prepares partners/leaders as necessary for donor meetings and guides their critical role in the giving conversation and donor engagement process
- Collaborates with CFR staff as relevant to identify and cultivate corporate and foundation gift prospects for assigned unit
- Provides guidance and support on annual giving strategy and the development of fundraising materials for assigned units including mailings, brochures, donor recognition, reports, etc.
- Maintains work systems, procedures, and productivity standards that advance the mission and goals of the UICA unit and enable optimum performance of the people and other resources within it
- Allocates resources to effectively accomplish the work of the UICA unit
- Monitors, evaluates, and aims to improve effectiveness of unit operations
- Makes business decisions that are consistent with UICA mission/vision and our organizational culture and values
Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of related experience required, preferably in a fundraising, nonprofit, or higher education setting
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