Senior Development Program Specialist/Development Program Manager School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, and UW Athletics

WFAA, the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for UW-Madison, is seeking a highly organized and self-motivated Senior Development Program Specialist/Development Program Manager to join our development operations team. This hybrid position requires working on-site in our Madison, WI office at least two days a week. The role can be filled at either the Senior Development Program Specialist or Development Program Manager level, depending on the candidate's skills and experience.

About WFAA

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is a private, nonprofit corporation that encourages individuals and organizations to make gifts to the university and to connect with the UW. We provide engagement opportunities to link UW-Madison alumni to each other and their alma mater, fostering a strong Badger community. Inclusion and diversity are imperative to our mission, and we value the differing viewpoints and experiences that contribute to our success.

Responsibilities

• Donor and Campus Relationship Management:
  • Serve as a liaison to campus partners, including the unit’s advancement and communications team and dean’s office.
  • Triage, negotiate, and respond to inquiries, requests, donor communication list requests, proposals, and issues while building mutually beneficial relationships.
  • Collaborate on projects such as board of visitors' meetings, commencement, tailgates, emeritus events, team meetings, and printed materials.
  • Coordinate with WFAA teams (e.g., business intelligence, research) to compile data for strategic planning, donor recognition, and stewardship.
  • Plan, implement, and manage events designed to cultivate prospects and build relationships with donors (e.g., Wisconsin Club, Dean’s travel).
  • Support donor visits to campus, including logistics, guest hosting, and addressing miscellaneous needs.
  • Collaborate on the preparation, signature routing, and distribution of gift legal documentation (e.g., Memoranda of Agreements, Pledge Agreements).
• Strategy Development, Planning, and Project Execution:
  • Partner with development unit leads, directors, and advancement teams to plan, implement, and evaluate strategies for prospect/donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
  • Create and implement standards of practice to provide exemplary customer service to donors and campus partners.
  • Provide directors of development with materials for donor visits and document follow-up in Constituent Relationship Management (CRM).
  • Collaborate with WFAA teams (e.g., marketing, communications, gift planning) to facilitate projects and enhance donor experiences.
  • Manage and track the unit’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and support accurate CRM data entry.
  • Serve as a CRM subject matter expert for the development team.
• Stewardship:
  • Assist with comprehensive donor stewardship, including gift acknowledgements, milestone thanks, scholarship/faculty award cycles, and impact reporting.
  • Review and implement new opportunities for donor stewardship and engagement.
  • Coordinate fund administration, including creation, documentation, notification, and review of unit funds.
  • Respond to campus questions about unit gifts and funds, identifying compliance or usage issues.
  • Coordinate, distribute, and analyze routine gift reports.
• Prospect Data Management:
  • Manage stewardship, fund, and constituent activities in CRM.
  • Maintain contact updates, donor biographic information, and other constituent management duties.
  • Provide KPI data to units’ advancement and dean’s office for strategic review.
  • Refine and customize alumni/donor lists for mailings, invitations, and stewardship projects.
• Office Administration:
  • Collaborate on scheduling, agenda creation, and note-taking for team meetings.
  • Coordinate direct mailings for solicitations, stewardship projects, announcements, and event invitations.
  • Suggest and implement process improvements.
  • Serve as a leader on the team, including project management, mentoring colleagues, and delegating tasks.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• 2+ years (Senior Development Program Specialist) or 5+ years (Development Program Manager) of relevant professional experience in higher education, non-profit, or fundraising.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize issues, act independently, and apply appropriate urgency to achieve results.
• Self-motivation, proactivity, persistence, flexibility, and dependability.
• Ability to work effectively in a team and interact well with internal/external constituents.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, manage competing tasks, and maintain discretion and professionalism.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); CRM software experience preferred.
• Creativity and resourcefulness in designing donor relations materials (e.g., using Canva).

Benefits

• Competitive pay.
• Outstanding benefits program, including a generous 10% 401k contribution after one year of service.