Associate Director of Annual Giving

Location: Easton, PA • Open Date: Sep 08, 2026

About the role

Serving as a senior strategic partner to the Executive Director, the Associate Director of Annual Giving drives the revenue-generating engines of Lafayette College's broad-based and leadership annual giving programs. This role is responsible for the overarching project management and execution of Lafayette's signature Bring the Roar campaign, overseeing a comprehensive multi-channel solicitation and stewardship communication plan, and cultivating a personal frontline fundraising portfolio. Crucially, this position partners with the Executive Director to establish, implement, and socialize data-driven policies for campus partnerships, ensuring all specialized fundraising initiatives maximize return on investment (ROI) and directly advance institutional campaign priorities.

Responsibilities

• Campaign & Communications Strategic Oversight (40%)
  • Strategic Collaboration: Partner closely with the Executive Director to design, execute, and evaluate a comprehensive, multi-channel annual communications and solicitation plan across all digital, direct mail, phone, and text touchpoints.
  • Campaign Management: Serve as the primary strategic project manager for Lafayette's signature Bring the Roar campaign, shifting the division's focus from general engagement to direct revenue generation.
  • Data-Driven Segmentation: Collaborate with Advancement Operations to utilize data analytics, performance reporting, and predictive modeling to segment audiences, maximize donor acquisition, and drive upward donor retention.
  • Stewardship Integration: Oversee the end-to-end integration of campaign messaging and stewardship touchpoints, ensuring consistent, revenue-focused branding across all platforms.
• Campus Partnerships, Strategic Frameworks, & Policy Development (30%)
  • Policy & Best Practices: Work in lockstep with the Executive Director to develop, document, and implement rigorous internal policies, operational procedures, and industry best practices to govern annual giving initiatives.
  • Partnership Realignment & Vetting: Establish clear, ROI-based vetting criteria for specialized or localized campus fundraising requests. Socialize these standards with key internal partners to eliminate low-yield, distracting projects and protect the team's core fundraising focus.
  • Strategic Internal Consulting: Serve as the primary Annual Giving liaison and strategic consultant to key campus partners and distinct academic units (including Engineering, the Library, the Williams Arts Center, and targeted class-specific projects). Collaborate with division leadership and gift officers to build out specialized annual fundraising initiatives that strictly align with institutional campaign priorities.
  • Engagement Integration: Coordinate closely with Alumni & Family Engagement partners and divisional colleagues to align annual giving solicitations with major institutional engagement milestones, ensuring a seamless, donor-centric experience that converts engaged alumni into active philanthropic investors.
• Frontline Fundraising & Pool Management (25%)
  • Portfolio Management: Manage an active, high-yield portfolio of 100-125 leadership annual giving prospects.
  • The Dual Ask: Actively qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors with a strict focus on securing leadership-level annual fund gifts ($2,500+), seamlessly executing the "dual ask" by aligning donor passion with campaign and restricted priorities.
  • Performance Metrics: Meet or exceed explicit annual performance metrics established by the Executive Director for face-to-face/virtual visits, solicitations, pipeline conversion, and dollars raised.
• Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications
  • Education, Experience And Knowledge: Bachelor's degree required in relevant field (such as Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or Event Management) preferred.
  • One to three years of advancement, alumni relations, volunteer engagement/management and/or equivalent experience with Annual Fund/giving experience preferred.
• Key Competencies
  • Experience in fundraising; soliciting and closing annual fund gifts.
  • Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
  • A level of energy and a team orientation.
  • Experience working with large databases and capability to perform detailed data analyses.
  • Ability to communicate with volunteers/prospects/donors/colleagues effectively and efficiently through direct face-to-face and remote via technology.