Job Posting

College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN
Salary Range: $65,000 - $70,000

Mid-Level Gift Officer
College of Education and Human Development
University of Minnesota

OVERVIEW
The Mid-Level Gift Officer is a critical member of the CEHD’s External Relations team, ensuring connected and engaged alumni, and a strong base of charitable giving to enable the college to further its ambitious goals. This position is responsible for developing and delivering a comprehensive mid-level giving program to expand a culture of engagement and philanthropy, increase annual support to CEHD, and build a pipeline of major donors.

This is one of two Annual Giving Officers in CEHD: an Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Officer who works on mass communications/solicitations and other programmatic work; and this new position focused on cultivation of individual mid-level donors.

The Mid-Level Gift Officer reports to a Senior Development Officer, with a dotted-line report to the Senior Advancement Operations Officer, and is a member of the External Relations team, which includes development, alumni relations and college events.

The University of Minnesota encourages a healthy work life balance for employees. CEHD is committed to an excellent employee experience, offering a flexible work environment that meets the needs of students, staff, faculty, and the communities we serve. Flexible work arrangements may include flexibility in schedule and/or work location. All UMN employees are expected to follow applicable public health and safety procedures.

The starting salary for the position is $65,000. Salary offers are dependent on education, professional experience, and knowledge/skills of the candidate.

TO APPLY, click “Apply for Job” at this link: https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/350597. You may also visit https://hr.umn.edu/Jobs/Find-Job and search for Job ID 350597.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Donor Management: (75%)

• Utilize best practices in mid-level annual giving ($250+) to retain and grow philanthropic gifts and serve as a pipeline for future philanthropic support for CEHD.
• Manage relationships with donors using multiple communications channels, including phone, email, personal mail, events, and occasionally face-to-face meetings. Determine which donors would benefit from more personalization and increased frequency of contact.
• Engage donors through consistent stewardship, active cultivation and annual solicitations to increase retention and support, achieve revenue goals and enhance the donor experience.
• Manage a tiered portfolio of ~600 annual giving donors with planned touch points, prompt thanking and timely solicitations, with a premium placed on donor retention and increased giving.
• Develop a plan for all donors in the annual giving portfolio, getting a specific giving opportunity in front of as many of these donors as possible each year.
• Utilize pre-existing content, such as Connect magazine, alumni newsletter, department/center newsletters, UM Foundation marketing/communications, website, and opportunity stories to create personalized touch points for donors based on their interests and giving. Ensure donors in the portfolio receive a touch-point at least every 60 days, if not more frequently.
• Promptly call to thank select non-portfolio annual fund donors who give $500+ gifts. Determine if they would benefit from a relationship with the Mid-Level Officer or a Major Gift Officer based on research, conversation and response.
• Keep accurate and timely donor engagement and communication records in the Donor Management System, including updating or correcting inaccurate or missing data as needed.
• Sustain credibility with annual mid-level donors by performing agreed-upon follow up activities in a timely manner and assisting these donors with information about stock gifts, donor-advised fund gifts, planned giving, and estate planning programs.
• Work with Alumni Relations & Annual Giving Officer to implement memorial/honor mini-campaigns, as appropriate once a lead donor is identified.
• Enhance growth of annual giving program in collaboration with the Alumni Relations & Annual Giving Officer.
• Meet annual performance metrics focused around retention and growth of mid-level portfolio.

Operations and Strategy: (20%)

• Develop and maintain a thorough working knowledge of CEHD and individual departments’ programs and research. Develop an understanding of CEHD’s vision, funding priorities and opportunity stories.
• Serve as liaison between annual giving and major gifts. Work closely and collaboratively with development officers and the Alumni Relations & Annual Giving Officer to position alumni giving and engagement opportunities as a pipeline for major gifts.
• Provide a seamless interface to donors by working closely with major gift development officers who manage portfolios of prospects (+$50,000).

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

QUALIFICATIONS
Required

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate work experience
• 2+ years progressive responsibility in fundraising, alumni relations, or closely related field.
• Superb organizational, interpersonal, and written and oral communication skills, and the ability to successfully manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to proactively, effectively, and efficiently manage a portfolio working tactfully with a diverse group of internal and external constituents.
• Robust attention to detail.
• A highly collaborative mindset with success in working in a team setting.

Preferred

• Innovative, strategic thinker; ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment.
• Experience managing or working on direct mail solicitations and other annual giving strategies.
• Experience with development writing.
• Evidence of experience or significant professional development with institutional advancement, nonprofit, or higher education focus.
• Ability to develop, communicate, and execute strategies with clear metrics of success.
• Familiarity with advancement efforts within academic environments, especially higher education.
• Interaction with senior-level executives and professionals.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully solicit and close annual fund gifts.
• Ability to occasionally travel within the Twin Cities.
• Ability to attend evening and weekend activities.
• Ability to design and implement stewardship and cultivation strategies.

College Overview
The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), the third largest college and the University, contributes to a just and sustainable future through engagement with the local and global communities to enhance human learning and development at all stages of the life span. We know diversity is necessary to do our best work and foster our humanity. That’s why the CEHD community is collectively dedicated to cultivating an inclusive and equitable environment, embracing and celebrating all identities of our students, staff, and faculty. These values are also a moral imperative requiring continuous proactive measures and a firm stance against prejudice, discrimination, and systemic injustice.

FFI: http://www.cehd.umn.edu/about/default.html

CEHD and the University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.