North Carolina State University

Director of Philanthropy I

Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Post-Baccalaureate degree and 3+ years of related experience, or an undergraduate degree with 5+ years of relevant experience.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong organizational, analytical skills, with attention to detail.
  • Experience in securing philanthropic gifts and closing proposals.
  • Ability to build effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement short- and long-term fundraising strategies for the Wilson College of Textiles.
  • Identify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospects for a pipeline of 6- and 7-figure donors.
  • Understand and communicate the priorities of the Wilson College to potential donors.
  • Manage a portfolio of 100-150 high-capacity prospects and proactively develop fundraising strategies.
  • Serve as a liaison for academic departments, supporting fundraising strategies and volunteer management.

Benefits

  • Full-time position with a standard Monday to Friday schedule, plus occasional evenings and weekends.
  • Opportunities for professional development within a leading educational institution.
  • Work with a collaborative team focused on growth and philanthropy in the textiles sector.
Full Job Description
Posting Details

Posting Information

Posting Number
PG194709EP

Internal Recruitment
No

Working Title
Director of Philanthropy I

Anticipated Hiring Range
Commensurate with experience

Work Schedule
Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm; occasional night and weekend hours required as needed.

Job Location
Raleigh, NC

Department
North Carolina Textile Foundation

Essential Job Duties

Reporting to the Executive Director of Philanthropy, the Director of Philanthropy is responsible for identifying, qualifying, soliciting and stewarding major and leadership gift donors to NC State University. This position will serve as a part of the growing and ambitious North Carolina Textile Foundation (NCTF) advancement team within the Wilson College of Textiles.

The Director will serve as a liaison for NCTF as well as a leader for one or more academic departments or programs within Wilson College, and represent the full College through regular travel to one or more assigned regions. The Director will also play a key role in developing fundraising strategies for their assigned programs and the College, as we prepare for a future campaign.

As appropriate, the Director will staff events and meetings with academic leaders (department heads, program directors, etc.), as well as identify and coordinate the management of key volunteers (e.g., alumni advisory board). The Director will be expected to manage a portfolio of discovery and actively managed prospects while also collaborating with fundraising colleagues within the Wilson College and across campus.

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
  • Serve as an active team member in the development and implementation of short- and long-term planning for the Wilson College of Textiles' advancement team in support of the Dean's goals for year-over-year growth and creating a collaborative culture of philanthropy in the lead up to a new and ambitious fundraising campaign.
  • Identification, qualification, cultivation and solicitation of prospects to create and grow a pipeline of 6- and 7-figure donors.
  • Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the priorities of the Wilson College of Textiles, with a specific focus on making a persuasive oral and written case for support for assigned programs.
  • Strategic development and management of a portfolio with approximately 100-150 prospects and donors capable of making gifts of $100,000 or more, including development and execution of strategies in line with fundraising best practices (ie, Plus Delta).
  • Consistently meet or exceed annual goals for outreach contacts, qualifications, visits, proposals submitted and funds raised.
  • Serve as a liaison for the NCTF team for one or more academic departments or programs. Provide strategic guidance and staffing for assigned academic leaders (e.g., department heads) and develop fundraising strategies and priorities for the unit in preparation for a future campaign. Meet regularly with academic leaders and guide them in developing relationships with the top prospects for their programs. Provide training, materials and assistance for advancement colleagues in the Wilson College who may be building relationships with alumni and friends of assigned programs.
  • As requested, staff the Dean at events or meetings, prepare briefings and manage follow-up.
  • Represent the Wilson College through regular travel to one or more assigned regions (both in and out of state).
  • Creation and implementation of comprehensive strategies to leverage networks and maximize fundraising results for assigned academic programs and in assigned geographic regions.
  • Identification, coordination and management of key volunteers and award recipients in assigned academic programs (ie, department advisory boards) and geographic regions.
  • Collaboration with colleagues to help align donors' philanthropic interests with various priorities within the College and across campus.
  • Coordination of engagement and stewardship efforts as needed with appropriate College advancement colleagues.
  • Staff committees, workgroups and project teams to represent the Wilson College of Textiles NCTF team at the request of the Executive Director.


Other Responsibilities
  • Attend a variety of College and university events throughout the year.
  • Regular travel (local and out of state), and occasional night and weekend work is required.
  • Perform other duties as required or assigned.


Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience
  • Requires a relevant post-Baccalaureate degree with a minimum of three (3) years or greater of related professional experience, or a relevant undergraduate degree and a minimum of five (5) years or greater of relevant experience may be substituted for the advanced degree.


Other Required Qualifications
  • Ability to work well with faculty, administrators, volunteers, and colleagues as part of a team in a large, complex research university
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to build effective internal and external relationships
  • Strong organizational and analytical skills, with a high attention to detail
  • Ability to manage multiple and competing priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment
  • Experience in cold calling, negotiating, and securing philanthropic gifts and successfully closing proposals
  • Self-motivated and self-starting and an eagerness to be part of an emerging team
  • Good listener
  • Optimism, perseverance and a positive attitude
  • Ability to travel around the region and to other areas of the country
  • Ability to work evenings and weekends as required
  • Computer literacy


Preferred Qualifications
  • Master's degree
  • Experience staffing an academic leader and developing fundraising strategies for an academic program
  • Proficiency in portfolio management and developing and executing prospect strategy per fundraising best practices
  • An understanding of the land grant, research Tier One university environment
  • Experience working in higher education, nonprofit advancement, or a foundation environment, with an understanding of donor engagement, stewardship, and fundraising best practices.
  • Demonstrated success developing and managing relationships with volunteers, advisory boards, alumni leaders, or other external stakeholders to advance organizational goals.
  • Experience utilizing donor database and prospect management systems (e.g., CRM platforms) to track engagement activity, manage prospect pipelines, and support strategic fundraising efforts.


Required License(s) or Certification(s)
  • A valid North Carolina driver's license or the ability to obtain within 60 days of start is required and must be maintained as a condition of employment.


Valid NC Driver's License required
Yes

Commercial Driver's License required
No

Recruitment Dates and Special Instructions

Job Open Date
06/11/2026

Anticipated Close Date
Open Until Filled

Special Instructions to Applicants

Please include as attachments a resume, cover letter, and contact information for at least 3 professional references.

Position Details

Position Number
00107760

Position Type
Exempt Professional Staff

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week)
1.00

Appointment
12 Month Recurring

Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather
Mandatory - Adverse Weather

Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events
Mandatory - Fire/Explosions, Mandatory - Hazardous Material Incidents, Mandatory - Transportation Accidents, Mandatory - Evacuations/Natural Hazards, Mandatory - Utilities/Infrastructure Failure, Mandatory - Threats of Violence/Terrorism/Interpersonal Emergencies

Department ID
180101 - Textiles - Dean's Office

EEO

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or [email protected].

Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.

About North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land-, sea-, and space-grant institution. The university forms one of the corners of the Research Triangle together with Duke University in Durham and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Enrollment is over 36,000 students. NC State was founded in 1887 as a land-grant institution.
Learn more about North Carolina State University

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