Position Summary:
The University of Arizona Foundation is seeking a motivated and goal-oriented fundraising professional to join the Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement team as Senior Director of Development (Senior DOD) for College of Architecture, Life & Environmental Sciences (CALES). The Senior Director will lead efforts to secure major and principal gifts of $50,000 or more in support of the goals and objectives of the College, as well as design and implement fundraising strategies that will generate revenue and drive the growth of the College's mission.
The Senior DOD will be a key member of the development team reporting to the Associate Vice President, Development. This position is a member of the Philanthropy Alumni and Engagement Team (PAE) and subject to joint management by the University of Arizona and the University of Arizona Foundation as specified in the restated Development Services and Asset Management Agreement dated July 2, 2021.
Supervisory Responsibility:
The Senior DOD will be accountable for providing strategic leadership and oversight, performance planning and evaluation, staff training and development, recruitment, and may contribute to recommending pay decisions for their direct reports. The Senior Director is expected to devote 70% of work time to major gift fundraising activities and 30% of work time to management and administrative responsibilities.
Essential Functions/Major Responsibilities:
- Serve as the lead development professional for CALES.
- Partner with department heads, center directors, and other administrators on fundraising.
- Advise the Dean of the College and President of the University of Arizona Foundation or designee on all College development activities.
- Participate with the Dean and the College's departments in the strategic planning of new projects and initiatives.
- Develop and sustain strong relationships with the College's faculty, board members, alumni, volunteers, donors, and financial professionals and other relevant stakeholders.
- Build and manage a portfolio of 50-70 qualified prospects, including individuals, foundations, and select corporations with 40-50 in cultivation/solicitation; 40% of those in cultivation/solicitation capacity are rated at $250K+ and 15% are rated at $1M+.
- After an initial 6-month onboarding period, execute an agreed-upon metric of at least 100 current or prospect donor visits and the successful closure of 15+ major/principal gift proposals per year, with an expectation of $3M+ raised after the initial onboarding period (with incremental increases after the first year).
- Plan, coordinate, and schedule weekly personal visits with prospects and donors utilizing UAF software, introductory letters, emails/texts, and phone calls to set appointments.
- Direct and manage the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major and principal gift level individuals, corporate and foundation prospects to support all department capital and program goals.
- Develop personalized strategies for all assigned donors and prospects which builds, maintains, and enhances relationships while furthering donors' philanthropic objectives.
- Within 6 weeks of hire deliver a strategic development plan to VP and Dean.
- Assist PAE leadership in determining staffing needs, making hiring decisions, and working to onboard new development team members.
- Supervise development staff, including hiring, mentoring, and performance management.
- Oversee an annual giving program with a national outreach to support college goals.
- In partnership with PAE, provide a high level of support in stewardship and recognition efforts for annual giving donors.
- Provide input and direction for development-focused newsletters, invitations, brochures, and other publications/communications, as needed.
- Design and manage solicitation and stewardship plans in Lynx to support fundraising initiatives.
- Maintain current and accurate records of donor prospects recorded in UAF software. On a weekly basis, enter contact reports of all visits, significant telephone conversations, letters and correspondence, gift solicitations, and other communications with donors. Maintain information about current and future gift proposals (asks).
- Ensure all contributions are properly documented and handled in accordance with the University of Arizona Gift Policy.
- Partner with College and PAE alumni engagement colleagues to help build donor pipeline for the College.
- Creatively leverage outreach activities (e.g. tours, lectures, exhibits, etc.) to develop new major gift prospects.
- Utilize the UA Foundation's CRM (Lynx) to record donor interactions, proposals, and activity in a timely, accurate manner.
- Partner with colleagues across PAE (e.g., Gift Planning, Annual Giving, Marketing & Communications, Prospect Development) to ensure integrated donor engagement and maximize fundraising impact.
- Partner with colleagues and promote a culture of philanthropy across the University and work effectively as part of the greater PAE.
- Represent the College, University, and PAE at public events, including delivering remarks.
- Other related duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Commitment to working in a collaborative team environment with shared goals.
- Ability to work efficiently with a wide variety of individuals, including donors, PAE colleagues, deans, faculty and staff.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and written.
- Demonstrated commitment to exceptional customer service with the ability to translate the PAE guiding principles of donor-centricity and collaboration into work practices.
- Ability to recognize and handle highly confidential, sensitive information or private health information in a discrete and professional manner.
- Work with excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Be able to work independently with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and meet strict deadlines for deliverables.
- Ability to anticipate and discern work priorities and meet deadlines with little supervision.
- Adept at problem-solving and using judgment in situations requiring initiative, tact, and confidentiality.
- An exceptional work ethic and track record of personal initiative required.
- Openness to new ideas and personal flexibility with the ability to adapt and succeed in a multi-task, fast-paced environment with changing processes and occasional ambiguity.
- Ability to inspire cooperation and participation.
- Proficiency in the use of personal computers and Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
- Proficiency or ability to learn additional software required to perform the essential duties of the position.
- Knowledge and proven experience implementing management principles, including planning, leading, directing, mentoring, evaluating, and motivating staff. May contribute to recommending pay decisions for their direct reports.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree and at least nine (9) years of experience in major gift fundraising, including success securing gifts of $1 million or more.
- Demonstrated leadership in planning, executing, and closing major and principal gift solicitations.
- Experience building and managing a portfolio of individual donors and prospects.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively in a matrixed, mission-driven organization.
- Ability to drive/attend meetings throughout Arizona and travel by commercial airline as needed.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's degree.
- Experience in a higher education setting.
Work Environment:
- Ability to drive/attend meetings throughout Arizona and travel by commercial airline as needed.
- Occasional travel and evening/weekend work required to fulfill donor engagement and event responsibilities.
- This is a full-time, exempt position based in Tucson, Arizona and is not eligible for remote/hybrid work.
The University of Arizona Foundation reserves the right to revise this job description anytime
