• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $85,000 - $95,000

Position Summary

The Assistant Director, Annual Giving, identifies, cultivates and solicits gifts from donors, prospects, and volunteers who have the capacity to make annual gifts at the leadership level to the Graduate School of Journalism. Reporting to the Director of Development, the incumbent leads the management and expansion of the School's Annual Fund, including direct marketing, and plans and executes yearly donor recognition events.

The Assistant Director, Annual Giving will work with a portfolio of approximately 300 Journalism prospects and in collaboration with development and alumni relations staff at the Journalism School, in the Office of Alumni and Development, and staff from other university offices. As warranted, s/he will work with the Dean of the Graduate School of Journalism and provide briefings for the Dean's annual giving solicitations.

Responsibilities

• Manage Annual Giving Program. Develop strategy and fundraising goals for the Annual Fund in collaboration with the Director of Development.
• Plan annual fundraising activity for top annual giving prospects. Identify and prioritize prospects and personally solicit leadership gifts from prospects. Travel domestically to meet with prospects and staff alumni and development events.
• Manage a portfolio of 300 leadership giving prospects and achieve 150 substantial contacts per year. Collaborate with the Director of Development and the Associate Director of Major Gifts to create a major gifts pipeline.
• Coordinate plans for direct mail, telemarketing, and e-mail on an ongoing basis with Columbia University's Office of Alumni and Development. Connect with Journalism School faculty and students to be featured in broad-based solicitations.
• Work closely with Major Gift staff on the annual solicitation of leadership annual gifts from major gift prospects, with Planned Giving staff as appropriate, and with staff in other schools as needed on prospects holding multiple degrees.
• Monitor incoming gifts and ensure that proper stewardship and pledge follow-up occurs. Collaborate with the Alumni and Development Administrator to ensure a timely acknowledgment of gifts.
• Develop and implement new strategies for stewarding our annual fund donor population in collaboration with Assistant Director of Donor Relations and manage stewardship activities for all annual fund donors. Maintain consistent schedule of donor acknowledgement letters and other outreach. Organize and manage several annual leadership donor recognition events.
• Identify Journalism School volunteers as part of the Alumni Board development committee and the reunion class agents to assist the staff in soliciting their peers and communicating with their cohorts in collaboration with the Director of Alumni Relations. Manage and support these volunteers in their outreach.
• Performs other related duties as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree required.

  Experience: A minimum 3-5 years' related work experience.

  Other Skills:

  Demonstrated success working in development and understanding of the development process and stewardship.

  A commitment to higher education and ability to articulate a compelling case for strong discretionary support.

  Strong organizational ability and attention to detail.

  Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills.

  Ability to use current Microsoft Office technologies and ability to adapt to and use future technologies. Ability to navigate large donor database systems and e-blast software. Experience with Advance is a plus.

  Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team and to work cooperatively with other staff.

  Outstanding interpersonal skills, sound judgment, and experience handling highly confidential information.

  High energy level, enthusiasm, flexibility, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit absolutely required.

  Ability to travel and to work weekends and evenings.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Advanced degree preferred.

Experience: Experience in fundraising with demonstrated success in annual giving, or applicable ability. Experience in higher education fundraising preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.