Director of Philanthropy

About the Department

North Carolina State University was founded in 1887 with the purpose of creating economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina. Today, NC State is the largest university in North Carolina, with more than 40,500 high-performing students, more than 10,000 preeminent faculty and staff and more than 310,000 dedicated alumni. NC State is a Research One (R1) university known for its leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We’re also at the forefront of teaching and discovery in agriculture, business, design, education, humanities and social sciences, natural resources, textiles and veterinary medicine.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at NC State leads partnership-driven discovery, learning, and engagement. As a land-grant university and the state’s pre-eminent college of agriculture and life sciences, CALS serves North Carolina through academics, research, extension, and international programs. The college prepares students for career paths, discovers and applies unbiased knowledge through advances in science and technology, and drives economic development to improve the quality of life for North Carolinians, our nation, and the world. The college fulfills the land-grant mission by embracing an interdisciplinary approach to achieve new scientific breakthroughs that translate into solutions to meet grand challenges involving food, farming, fiber, feed, families, health, energy, water, and the environment.

The college comprises 12 academic departments, multiple research and extension units, and oversees 18 research stations and 4 field labs across the state. CALS Administration includes the office of the Dean and the offices of Research, Extension, Academics, Human Resources, and Business Operations.

The mission of the Office of College Advancement is to enhance, promote, and support the academic programs, research and extension efforts of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Within CALS Advancement is The NC Agricultural Foundation, Inc., a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization formed as a means of supporting agricultural research, extension, and teaching activities in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University. The CALS Advancement team works in close partnership with the central University Advancement Office and its partner colleges.

Essential Job Duties

• Identify, qualify, cultivate, and solicit major gift donors to NC State University.
• Serve as a member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Advancement team, reporting to a Senior Director of Philanthropy.
• Identify and coordinate the management of key volunteers as appropriate.
• Manage a portfolio of discovery and actively managed prospects.
• Collaborate with fundraising colleagues across campus.

Major Gift Prospect Identification, Cultivation, and Solicitation

• Identify, qualify, cultivate and solicit prospects to create and grow a pipeline of major gifts ($100,000 and above) donors.
• Strategically develop and manage a portfolio with approximately 150 prospects and donors capable of making gifts of $100,000 or more.

Fundraising Strategy, Goals, and Portfolio Management

• Consistently meet or exceed annual goals for outreach contacts, qualifications, visits, proposals submitted, and funds raised.
• Create and implement comprehensive strategies to leverage networks and maximize fundraising results.

Volunteer, Donor, and Campus Collaboration

• Identify, coordinate and manage key volunteers.
• Collaborate with colleagues to help align donors’ philanthropic interests with various priorities across campus.
• Coordinate stewardship efforts as needed with appropriate College Advancement and other campus colleagues.

Other Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as required or assigned.
• Attend a variety of events throughout the year.
• Regular travel (local and out of state) and occasional night and weekend work is required for this position.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of five (5) years or greater of experience, including 3 years of progressive advancement experience.

Other Required Qualifications

• Proven experience and demonstrated success in major individual gift fundraising, preferably in higher education, with a deep understanding of cultivating and soliciting prospects.
• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and ethics of successful fundraising and comprehensive capital campaigns.
• Proven relationship builder with the ability to form trusting relationships and work collaboratively with faculty, administrators, volunteers, alumni and colleagues.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, with a high attention to detail and processes.
• Excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to communicate clearly in person and in writing.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic team environment.
• Unquestioned integrity.
• Self-motivated and driven with an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving.
• Optimism, perseverance and a positive attitude.
• Computer literacy and competency with electronic donor information systems; including Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.
• Experience in cold calling and negotiating and closing gifts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Progressive responsibility and experience in institutional advancement.
• Experience staffing an academic leader and developing fundraising strategies for an academic program.
• Proficiency in portfolio management, developing and executing prospect strategy per fundraising best practices.
• An understanding of the land grant, research Tier One university environment.

Required License(s) or Certification(s)

• Valid NC driver’s license or the ability to obtain within 60 days of start.