Director of Development, Upstate NY/Great Lakes Region

About the role

This role serves as a front-line fundraiser and member of the Regional Advancement Team. Primary duties include establishing and managing effective relationships with prospects and existing donors who have the capacity to make a major gift. The Director will identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward major gift prospects located throughout Upstate New York, in Chicago, and adjacent regions. They will play an important role in the success of the current Campaign by continuing to build, engage, and solicit gifts from new and current donors with an emphasis on increasing annual giving and gifts of $100,000 or more. The Director will engage alumni, parents, and donors in the life of the University and will collaborate with school and college-based colleagues to align donor interests with funding priorities.

The Director is expected to make gift asks at all levels, including soliciting prospects in their portfolio for a minimum annual gift of $2,500 as they build towards a major gift solicitation. The Director will also facilitate the work of the Chicago Regional Council, a core group of University ambassadors whose primary purpose is to help identify and engage key donors and prospects.

The Division of Advancement & External Affairs expresses a shared mission that is collaborative, trusted, respectful, future-focused, and aligned with the overall University. All current and new employees embrace and demonstrate dedication to promoting shared values in an inclusive work culture to propel the future of advancement operations in their everyday work.

Responsibilities

• Manage an assigned prospect/donor portfolio of approximately 80 alumni, parents, and friends to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and close major gifts for the University with an emphasis on gifts at the $100,000+ level.
• Conduct all stages of the major gift solicitation process: identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, close, and steward.
• Develop, implement, and drive fundraising strategies designed to maximize current giving potential for each individual prospect in the assigned portfolio as well as other prospects in the region by creating support and facilitating cooperation throughout the campus community in pursuit of the best strategy for each donor.
• Discover, identify, and qualify new major gift prospects throughout the region.
• Work in collaboration with Central Giving and School/College/Unit colleagues to develop and implement fundraising strategies designed to maximize current and future giving potential for each prospect identified.
• Work collaboratively with Colleges/Schools/units and central AEA offices, including Central Giving Teams, Advancement Services, Research & Prospect Systems, Alumni Engagement, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Principal Gifts, and University Communications.
• Develop and maintain relationships with faculty, administrators, and staff volunteers associated with specific programs relevant to assigned prospects.
• Facilitate the work of the Chicago Regional Council, helping to develop alumni and parent volunteer leadership.
• Report results of all major gifts efforts in the Citrus database and to the Executive Director, including but not limited to: produce meeting calendar, generate development activity reports and system contact reports; coordinate and ensure the accuracy of data entry and maintenance of regional-related development records, interactions, and donor/prospect files via CITRUS in collaboration with AEA central units.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree a plus.
• Experience in fundraising work in higher education or equivalent is required.
• A successful record of accomplishment in major gifts is necessary, and experience within an academic setting is preferred.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle is required.

Skills

• Highly collaborative with a demonstrated ability to work successfully with external constituents such as alumni and parents, as well as internal constituents such as administration, fundraising colleagues, faculty, and deans.
• Ability to work independently and manage competing deadlines and objectives.
• Enthusiasm, strategic thinking, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to problem-solve challenging situations.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, including the ability to produce presentation-quality documents.

About the organization

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings, and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint and over 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University includes:

• A pioneering history dating back to 1870.
• A choice of more than 200 majors, 100 minors, and 200 advanced degree programs offered across the University’s 13 schools and colleges.
• Over 15,000 undergraduates and over 6,000 graduate students.
• More than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries.
• A student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries.

About the location

Syracuse is a medium-sized city situated in the geographic center of New York State, approximately 250 miles northwest of New York City. The metro-area population totals approximately 500,000. The area offers a low cost of living and provides many social, cultural, and recreational options, including parks, museums, festivals, professional regional theater, and premier shopping venues. Syracuse and Central New York present a wide range of seasonal recreation and attractions, such as:

• Water skiing and snow skiing.
• Hiking in the Adirondacks.
• Touring historic sites.
• Visiting wineries along the Finger Lakes.
• Biking on trails along the Erie Canal.