Advancement Officer

Responsibilities

• Assists strategic fundraising initiatives, in conjunction with the Vice President of Advancement and Business Development, and President, with a specific focus on increasing the value and number of philanthropic partnerships at $100,000 and above, improving the donor experience, stewardship and increasing donor retention rates.
• Builds and executes strategies to cultivate philanthropic partnerships and will effectively leverage Northwood University’s executive staff’s relationships with donors.
• Manages an active portfolio of 90-120 individuals and reports monthly on the following metrics:
• Makes more than 100 strategic major gift visits annually, with 3-5 strategic/substantive visits per month, including donor and prospect visits.
• Counsels at least 3 first-time visits per month with individuals qualified as potential major gift candidates.
• Makes at least 30 gift requests annually.
• Identifies and strengthens or develops long-term relationships with existing and prospective donors and University honorees such as Outstanding Business Leaders and Distinguished Women.
• This includes scheduling/attending meetings and events, telephone calls, one-on-one visits, and written correspondence to keep donors and honorees engaged with and informed of Northwood University’s educational mission.
• Tracks and manages a pipeline of major donor and honoree meetings for which the President and other faculty or leadership team members may need to attend.
• Serves as a liaison to various volunteer committees that exist to support philanthropically Northwood programs.
• Led individual proposal writing and year-end report writing for major gift acquisitions and retention.

Qualifications

• Hold a Bachelor’s Degree.
• Possess at minimum 5+ years of experience in fundraising.
• Have significant experience in supporting major fundraising initiatives, such as comprehensive and project-based campaigns.
• Have a proven record of successful integration within advancement teams.
• Possess a broad understanding of advancement that includes alumni relations, planned giving, annual giving, major gift prospecting, endowed gifts, and other components of advancement processes.
• Work effectively with a variety of personalities.
• Demonstrate digital literacy, particularly in fundraising database systems, Outlook, Excel, and Word.
• Exhibit effective interpersonal, communication, and writing skills.
• Advanced Qualifications: Have a proven track record of successful fundraising for causes that possess shared ideals with The Northwood Idea. Own an established network of supporters who wish to invest in higher education and The Northwood Idea.