Director of Annual Giving & Donor Engagement
About the role
Deep Springs College, a unique educational institution in Eastern California's high desert, is seeking an experienced development professional to be our next Director of Annual Giving & Donor Engagement.
Responsibilities
Plan, manage, and execute at least four annual giving solicitations per year tailored to various donor constituencies.
Utilize direct mail, online giving, email, crowdfunding, personal phone outreach, class chairs, and events for fundraising and donor stewardship.
Manage and solicit a small portfolio of foundations and organizations that offer grants for annual operation budgets.
Partner with the VP of Development on one-time fundraising campaigns, crowdfunding initiatives, and annual reporting to constituents.
Serve as the primary point of contact for Alumni and Constituent Relations at the College and act as both the functional and strategic lead for Deep Springs Connect, our online engagement platform.
Direct the Class Leader strategy, including managing communication and outreach with Class Leaders and providing resources and training for volunteers around expectations and direct solicitation of their peers.
In coordination with the VP of Development, execute the strategy and logistics for alumni gatherings and donor cultivation events across the United States, as well as the biennial reunion and occasional affinity reunions at Deep Springs College.
Oversee the strategy and logistics for virtual engagement events throughout the year, utilizing Deep Springs Connect and video conferencing software.
Independently utilize Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT to pull, analyze, and build reports, donor lists and dashboards; leverage fundraising metrics and historic data to evaluate solicitation performance, identify donor trends, and make data-driven decisions for future development strategies.
Attend on-campus Trustee meetings twice per year to deliver comprehensive reporting and forecasting on annual giving and donor engagement.
Serve on the student-led Communications Committee (ComCom) to help oversee the following projects: Newsletter (printed twice per year) and Community News (monthly/bi-montly e-newsletter).
Visit campus 3-4 times per year (including two Trustee meetings) to actively engage with staff, faculty and students in an effort to better understand and convey campus culture and to collaborate on development activities.
Qualifications
Demonstrated experience in annual giving execution, including managing multi-channel campaigns (digital, direct mail, phone, events).
Strong written communication skills with a proven ability to craft compelling, persuasive fundraising copy, donor stewardship reports, and engaging constituent newsletter copy across both print and digital mediums.
Direct experience leveraging Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT or another CRM to perform donor segmentation, track campaign performance, analyze annual giving results, and build data-driven reports that inform overall fundraising strategy.
Proven track record of planning, managing logistics, and executing small-to-medium scale events for donor or alumni constituencies.
Proven experience recruiting, motivating, and managing volunteer networks or alumni committees to successfully execute peer-to-peer outreach or fundraising campaigns.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with demonstrated ability to balance multiple competing deadlines.
Ability to work closely with College leadership (President, Vice President, Dean, Trustees) and the Development team on shared strategy and goals, especially as a remote employee.
Ability and willingness to travel to campus 3-4 times per year and around the country at least 4-6 times per year for alumni gatherings and donor cultivation events. This includes events that may occur during evenings and weekends.
Preferred Qualifications
Direct experience working within higher education institutional advancement, small colleges or boarding high schools, and/or a deep familiarity with unique educational models.
Experience assisting leadership with pipeline development, including identifying new major donor and foundation prospects, or assisting with planned gifts.
Experience collaborating on institutional grant applications and reporting for foundations and corporate donors.
Familiarity with managing a dedicated alumni/donor platform (such as Graduway) alongside modern digital marketing tools to optimize constituent networking, drive online engagement, and streamline email communications.
Benefits
Health, vision, and dental insurance
Generous paid time off and sick leave
14% direct retirement contribution on top of salary
Professional development funding and opportunities
Free on-site housing, paid utilities, and meals provided, if living at Deep Springs
Pay
$70,000 - 80,000
Schedule
Remote position requiring regular travel.