Associate Director of Development, CANR / Development Officer II

Duties And Responsibilities

• Engage in the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of gifts from mainly individuals, and some corporations, and professional groups in support of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources strategic and campaign priorities.
• Collaborate and coordinate with University Advancement, and administrators and faculty of in the college to create and carry out fundraising strategies and solicitation of gifts of $100,000 and more.
• Identify and maintain an active pool of 90-100 prospects under strategic management.
• Achieve college fundraising goals through an active and consistent program of prospect and donor outreach that includes 180 significant contacts annually.
• Utilize phone calls, email, mail, social media, and other strategies to identify, connect with, and engage alumni with the goal of soliciting financial support.
• Identify, qualify, and work to build strong, engaged relationships with major gift prospects to determine and merge prospect passions, interests, and needs with the college’s funding priority areas.
• Schedule joint prospect visits with members of college leadership, faculty, or other Development colleagues.
• Serve as a liaison officer between the unit and donors and potential donors to ensure that such information and service as may be desired is provided to the full extent permitted by university policy, rules, and regulations.
• Serve as a consultant to donors on the tax advantage of various types of gifts.
• Plan and host campus visits for donors or potential donors and their representatives.
• Prepare annual personal fundraising goals and analyze and report on goal achievement.
• Assist in planning and implementing special-purpose appeals.
• Manage prospect activity within a few major metro areas.

Program Management

• Develop and prepare solicitation appeals, proposals, and other materials with focus on gifts of $100,000 or more that, through the clear identification of funding priorities and articulation of the case for support of the college, engender a level of understanding that is conducive to giving and that helps achieve the unit’s fundraising goals.
• Interpret needs and priorities of CANR units/AgBio Research/MSUE, verbally and in writing, to engender a level of understanding that is conducive to giving.
• Aid in the coordination of and participation in college alumni and donor engagement, prospecting and recognition and stewardship events.
• Utilize the Advance alumni and donor database to coordinate with other development colleagues, record contact activities, update donor information, record strategic moves management steps and gift documentation.
• Build working relationships with internal constituents to enhance information exchange between units within the college, including advising faculty and administrators on appropriate fundraising strategies.
• Serve as a primary development liaison with several units within the college and will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward alumni and friends of CANR, MSUE, and AgBioResearch, as well as business, industry, and foundations, in support of the Land Grant mission and the units’ priorities.

Communication and Stewardship

• Cultivate, engage, and train Michigan State University alumni, leadership, and employees as potential donors and volunteers.
• Engage faculty, department chairs, program directors, and other college leaders in order to assist in the understanding and implementation of fundraising procedures, to seek their advice on funding needs, to answer development questions, to advise them on development strategy, and to solicit them as potential donors.
• Obtain advice and counsel from peers across the enterprise in order to coordinate the cultivation and solicitation of donor prospects.
• Data Management & Planning - Prepare annual personal fundraising goals and analyze/report goal accomplishment. Assist in planning and implementing special purpose appeals as necessary. Act as a public goodwill ambassador for Michigan State University, the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, AgBioResearch, and Michigan State University Extension (MSUE).