Director of Annual Giving

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, the Director of Annual Giving provides strategic leadership for all annual giving programs and staff. The Director oversees efforts to secure annual gifts from alumni, parents, and friends; leads the Clarkson Fund strategy, including Good Knights Guild loyal membership; and supports restricted annual giving initiatives. In partnership with the AVP, the Director manages prospect pipeline and relationship strategies, including portfolio development, gift officer support, and data accuracy throughout the gift cycle.

Fundraising Strategy & Performance
* Meets or exceeds annual fundraising goals set by University leadership and continuously improves solicitation strategies across all constituencies.
* Develops and implements short- and long-term annual giving strategies, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship plans.
* Uses data analysis and performance metrics to guide strategy, forecast revenue, and assess fundraising effectiveness.
* Establishes leadership and major gift strategies for the Clarkson Fund, including Board of Trustees giving.
* Manages a portfolio of top-tier Clarkson Fund prospects and serves as Gift Officer or co-officer as appropriate.
* Travels nationally to cultivate, engage, and solicit donors (approximately 10- 15% travel).
* Conducts virtual meetings for cultivation, solicitation and stewardship meetings.

Program Leadership & Execution
* Directs and oversees all Clarkson Fund programs, including Reunion Giving, Faculty and Staff Giving, Engagement Call Center, Student Giving, Good Knight Guild Loyal membership, crowdfunding initiatives, and Days of Giving.
* Leads comprehensive direct mail and digital fundraising efforts, utilizing multi-channel communication strategies throughout the year.
* Ensures alignment of annual giving initiatives with broader DAR fundraising priorities.
Prospect Management & Pipeline Oversight
* Partners with the AVP and Director of Research to develop and refine a comprehensive prospect management system, including segmentation, ratings, research, tracking, and reporting.
* Oversees proposal pipeline policies, moves management, and administrative training for Clarkson Fund and other fundraising staff.

* Participates in individual and team development strategy sessions to review prospects, portfolios, and special initiatives.
* Collaborates with Gift Officers to develop targeted solicitation strategies and ensure focus on high-potential prospects.
* Monitors prospect activity, pipelines, and proposal progress to ensure accurate reporting and effective performance management.

Data, Systems & Operations
* Works with Development Operations to ensure accurate gift processing, data entry, reporting, and query development.
* Maximizes functionality of the donor management and online giving systems.
* Collaborates with Development Operations to maintain and enhance the online giving infrastructure.

Donor Relations & Stewardship
* Partners with Donor Relations to develop and implement effective donor recognition and stewardship programs.

Leadership, Management & Administration
* Manages and supervises professional and support staff; assigns and monitors work; contributes to departmental policies and procedures.
* Oversees operating budgets for the Clarkson Fund and Engagement Call Center programs.
* Serves as primary liaison to external vendors; reviews proposals, negotiates contracts, and approves services.
* Meets regularly with the AVP to assess progress, identify trends, and refine fundraising and prospect strategies.

Confidentiality
* Maintain the highest level of confidentiality regarding donor information, philanthropic data, and internal University reports.
* Ensure that all donor-related communications and records comply with privacy standards and institutional practices.
* Serve as a trusted steward of sensitive information, balancing transparency with discretion to protect donor relationships and the University's reputation.

Education:

Minimum Qualifications: A minimum of a bachelor's degree required.

Preferred Qualifications: Master's Degree in Higher Education or related field

Experience:

Minimum Experience:
* 6-8 years in Higher Education
* Strong organizational and time management skills
* Keen ability to work with internal and external constituents' groups
* Experience utilizing interpersonal skills to effectively develop, cultivate and maintain ongoing professional relationships with donors
* Very strong writing skills
* Ability to define and adhere to budgets
* Ability to work independently, stabling priorities and meet deadlines
* Significant experience in fundraising responsibilities in leadership management.

Preferred Experience:
Successful experience in annual giving, moves management, donor life-cycle management, and general fundraising. Comfort and confidence with data and statistical analysis to drive strategic planning and decisions.

* Independent thinking, decision making and problem solving ability.
* Strong project management and critical thinking skills, including development of strategic plans.
* Highly organized and self-motivated.
* Ability to build strong partnering relationships, with the ability to influence and move a decision forward.
* Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion.
* Self-direction, ability to pro-actively seek out opportunities and execute upon them.

* Ability to organize and prioritize tasks, operate independently and collaboratively, and manage multiple projects effectively in a fast-paced environment
* Strong interpersonal skills, articulateness, poise, and presence when communicating with individuals and groups
* Excellent work ethic; must be flexible and enjoy working in a collaborative, team-oriented atmosphere.
* Excellent analytic and problem-solving skills along with and willingness to take initiative and make recommendations.
* Ability to be innovative and creative in developing program enhancements and changes, analyze statistical data and results to identify giving trends, and develop proactive solutions.
* Management experience and the ability to motivate and inspire direct reports.
* Familiarity with prospect management.
* Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, Client Management software, databases to retrieve and analyze data; and with online social networking applications, email and texting.
* Possess strong time management and organizational skills.
* Commitment to confidentiality, tact and discretion.
* Ability to respond quickly to changing business needs and priorities; and balance strategic thinking with tactical implementation
* Demonstrate sound judgment and thoughtfulness
* Ability to multitask while paying close attention to detail
* Must be willing to travel, work evenings and weekends as needed, and have a valid driver's license.
* Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and in team situations

The physical demands characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Health & Safety: All staff has a statutory responsibility to take reasonable care of themselves, others and the environment and to prevent harm by their acts or omissions. All staff is therefore required to adhere to the University's Health, Safety, and Environmental Policy & Procedures.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, skills, and qualifications required of personnel so classified.

Special Instructions to Applicants: An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, Clarkson actively seeks and encourages applications from veterans and people with disabilities.

All offers of employment are subject to the applicant successfully passing a background check (including, but not limited to, employment verification, educational and other credential verification, and criminal records