Major & Planned Gift Officer

About the role

The Major & Planned Gift Officer II position focuses on developing and delivering targeted fundraising and communication programs and materials specific to gift contributions in alignment with strategic initiatives. This role also involves cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and prospects, managing a portfolio of donors, and identifying and promoting donor relationships.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Vice Chancellor for Advancement & University Relations to identify development priorities and create fundraising opportunities for major gift ($5K+) prospects.
• Partner with Advancement staff on strategy and giving opportunities for broad-based fundraising appeals.
• Develop written materials and publications for university fundraising projects: proposals, grant applications, collateral, reports, gift agreements.
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of approximately 75 donors with major gift and/or planned gift capacity.
• Engage with Parkside Works and Academic Area of Distinction Advisory Boards in the cultivation of gifts and development opportunities.
• Represent the University and Foundation at donor meetings and special events.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for planned giving inquiries, providing guidance to donors and collaborating with professional advisors and Foundation leadership as appropriate.
• Develop and implement stewardship and recognition strategies that strengthen relationships with planned giving donors and encourage long-term engagement with the University.
• Manage the University's planned giving marketing program, including the partnership with Stelter, to increase awareness of charitable estate planning opportunities and expand the planned giving pipeline.
• Maintain accurate records of planned gift intentions, expectancies, and realized gifts within the constituent database, and prepare reports to track program activity, donor engagement, and outcomes.
• Identify planned giving opportunities within assigned donor portfolios and integrate deferred giving strategies into comprehensive donor cultivation and solicitation plans.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Advancement to promote legacy giving and support the University's planned giving recognition society and related stewardship initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• Three to five years of experience in fundraising, development, major gifts, planned giving, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects.
• Experience managing a portfolio of donors and meeting fundraising goals.
• Experience using donor relationship management (CRM) software.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of higher education advancement, philanthropy, and relationship-based fundraising principles.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare donor correspondence, gift proposals, reports, and presentations.
• Ability to analyze donor interests and align philanthropic opportunities with institutional priorities.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment while adhering to University and Foundation policies, ethical fundraising standards, and applicable regulations.
• Proficiency with constituent relationship management (CRM) systems and Microsoft Office applications.

Skills

Knowledge of higher education advancement, philanthropy, and relationship-based fundraising principles, with a commitment to continuous professional learning and development.

Ability to cultivate and maintain meaningful relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, campus leadership, and community partners.

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare donor correspondence, gift proposals, reports, and presentations.

Ability to analyze donor interests and align philanthropic opportunities with institutional priorities.

Ability to exercise independent judgment while adhering to University and Foundation policies, ethical fundraising standards, and applicable regulations.

Proficiency with constituent relationship management (CRM) systems and Microsoft Office applications.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

$60,000/annually

Schedule

Not specified.

Contact Information

For questions regarding this position or the application process, feel free to reach out to Kim Duesing at duesing@uwp.edu.

Legal Notices and Important Information

It will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment. (see TC1 - App. 4 and p. 12)

Reasonable Accommodations It is the policy of UW-Parkside to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 262-595-2204.

Transcripts will be required upon hire.

We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.