Senior Leadership Gifts Officer

About the role

Reporting to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, this individual is responsible for working independently to manage a portfolio of prospects and donors and grow financial support for USJ. A successful Senior Leadership Gift Officer will proactively develop appropriate cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies and lead moves management program to build on-going relationships within the donor community. This individual will remain focused on the identification, cultivation and solicitation of individuals, corporations and foundations to support all areas of the University.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management: Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward an active portfolio of 100 to 150 prospective and current donors, moving through the stewardship cycle.
• Donor Engagement: Conduct appropriate and consistent contact, making regular face-to-face or virtual visits annually to build trust-based relationships and match donor passions with USJ priorities.
• Direct Solicitation: Lead gift discussions, prepare proposals, draft gift agreements, and close major financial commitments.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with board members, institutional leaders, and faculty experts to develop opportunities; and provide support of USJ targeted initiatives.
• Metrics & Tracking: Use Raiser Edge databases to gather, record and properly store information along with tracking tools to forecast revenue, and meet performance goals.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Decision making

• Manage time to initiate on and off campus prospect visits
• Match institutional funding priorities to donor interests
• Craft persuasive solicitations that result in gifts for the University

Qualifications

Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required. Ten+ years fundraising experience in higher education or relevant alternate experience strongly preferred.

Skills

• Strong analytical skills, organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent oral and written skills and ability to communicate comfortably with external constituents, colleagues and students
• Exhibits a high level of professionalism, leadership, creative problem solving, diplomacy, negotiation and sales skills, and the ability to manage complex projects with minimal supervision
• Demonstrated ability to establish and build relationships with individual donors, corporations and foundations and to understand the needs and interests of donors
• Willingness to travel extensively and work evenings and weekends as necessary
• Strong personal and professional integrity; must handle confidential information and materials with discretion
• Excellent computer skills; proficiency with MS Office Suite with strong working abilities in Microsoft Word and Excel, ability to utilize technological resources to maximum advantage
• Experience with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge strongly preferred
• Flexible and able to multi-task
• Able to function independently while operating effectively within a team environment
• Ability and willingness to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends
• Enthusiastic belief in the mission, core values and future of the University of Saint Joseph
• Physical ability to perform essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation