Development Specialist

University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT · 3 wk ago

OTHRFull-time

About the Role

The Development Specialist for the College of Fine Arts (CFA) supports the fundraising program of the college, reporting to the Senior Director of Advancement. This role is part of the University Advancement function and aligns with the division's Core Values: Collaboration, Belonging, Empowerment, and Integrity. The CFA's vision is “A world where we harness the power of the arts to inspire us all to find our voices, fuel our passions, and ignite our futures.” The college comprises five academic units: Department of Art & Art History, School of Dance, Department of Film & Media Arts, School of Music, and Department of Theatre. The Advancement unit connects alumni, friends, and donors with the college’s mission through philanthropic support.

This role oversees administrative support for the CFA Advancement team, donor relations, and donor recognition/stewardship, offering an opportunity to engage a broad community of alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends to support the CFA’s mission and priorities.

Responsibilities

Administrative support for the College of Fine Arts Advancement team
- Act as the key contact with the CFA Dean's office, CFA Marketing & Communications team, and Central Advancement.
- Serve as the primary administrative contact for scheduling, business operations/reporting, and office logistics for the CFA Advancement team.
Support the College of Fine Arts frontline fundraising team
- Maintain accurate constituent and gift records.
- Prepare and run reports for development officers, alumni engagement, and stewardship efforts.
- Collect and organize donor visit and travel documentation, ensuring compliance with university and foundation expense guidelines.
- Track, review, and reconcile expense reports and reimbursements in coordination with the CFA business office and Advancement services.
College of Fine Arts donor relations administration
- Acknowledgements
  - Manage the design and production of donor acknowledgment letters.
  - Develop and maintain acknowledgment templates, segmentation strategies, and an annual calendar for acknowledgment delivery.
- Stewardship and Impact Reporting
  - Coordinate the creation and tracking of annual endowment, scholarship, and impact reports in partnership with CFA academic units and Central Advancement.
  - Collect financial, narrative, and visual content for reports to demonstrate donor impact.
- Recognition
  - Liaise with university scholarship administration teams to ensure CFA donors are appropriately matched, recognized, and informed of student impact.
  - Oversee and coordinate donor recognition activities.
- Engagement
  - Liaise with CFA and University event planners to execute donor-centric events, such as appreciation receptions, scholarship luncheons, and intimate cultivation gatherings.
  - Collaborate with CFA Marketing & Communications to create meaningful donor communications that foster connection and inspire continued support.
  - Work with the Advancement Services team to execute a best-practices stewardship program, including impact reporting, gift acknowledgment, and donor engagement.
  - Support giving campaigns in alignment with the University, including Giving Tuesday, Giving Day, and End of Year appeals, to cultivate new donors.
  - Work directly with CFA board members and volunteers.
  - Track and analyze donor engagement metrics and report on donor participation and satisfaction.
  - Work with other areas across campus to strategically steward and cultivate shared donors and prospects.
Other Duties As Assigned
- Complete other duties assigned by the Senior Director of Advancement.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in fine arts, marketing, communication, public relations, or a related area.
Four years of directly related work experience in philanthropy; or a master's degree (or equivalency) plus two years of directly related work experience in philanthropy. Work equivalency: one year of higher education can substitute for one year of directly related work experience.
Knowledge and familiarity with the visual or performing arts, museums, or other cultural organizations.
Strong human relations and excellent communication skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.

Preferences

Experience with CRM databases.
Strong organizational skills, a calm demeanor, and a great sense of humor.

Pay

$56,000–$66,000 per year.

Schedule

Typically Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, with appointments (including travel) outside of those hours as needed. The role is primarily in-office/in-person but may include some evenings and weekends, especially during college-hosted events.