Assistant Director of Annual Giving for College and School Development

Chapman University seeks to hire an Assistant Director or Associate Director of Annual Givingfor College and School Development. Reporting to the Vice President of Development, this position is responsible for developing and implementing Annual Giving campaigns and initiatives that generate excitement among prospects, alumni, and donors about 10 of Chapman’s colleges and School and create new opportunities for engagement and philanthropic giving. This role will increase financial support for Chapman’s colleges, schools, and select campus partners through the strategic engagement and solicitation of new and established donors at the $100-1,000 level.
This role will collaborate with development officers and representatives of the schools and colleges as well as the offices of Strategic Marketing and Communication (SMC), the Chapman Fund, Engagement and Volunteerism, and Development Communications to coordinate efforts and create new philanthropic opportunities. This role will monitor and evaluate key metrics such as donor count, retention rate, the giving level of established donors, and alumni participation rate and make recommendations for program improvements accordingly.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Support for Collegesand Schools

1. Together with the Vice President of Development and college/school leadership, develop a strategic plan to increase Annual Giving for each of 10 Chapman colleges and Schools, with a focus on digital marketing campaigns, communications, and targeted events and initiatives. Oversee and participate in the implementation of the plan, to include:

• The development and implementation of a 365-day Annual Giving plan/communications calendar for 10 schools and colleges, to include weekly, monthly, and/or quarterly communications to segments of alumni and donors. Collaborate with other campus offices to ensure communications are well-coordinated/timed with other communications being sent to constituents.
• The development and implementation of digital marketing campaigns (including email, social media, and website) together with SMC, campus marketing liaisons, the Director of Development Communications, and the Alumni Engagement team.
• The curation, planning, and execution of select events and initiatives to engage alumni, donors, and prospects and educate them about current initiatives and accomplishments at the college/school level.
• Develop and implement initiatives and campaigns with identified groups of constituents to meet specific philanthropic goals.
• Collaborate with the Engagement and Volunteerism office to engage interested constituents in the schools, colleges, and campus offices.
• Meet or exceed annual goals set by the Vice President of Development.

Fundraising Support for Select Campus Partners/Offices

• Work with campus partners and offices, including Athletics, the Fish Interfaith Center, Leatherby Libraries, Student Affairs, and others to develop and implement periodic communications and appeals.
• Develop programs to retain donors, secure renewals, and increase donor count.

Administration; Data Collection and Assessment

• In collaboration with the Director of Development Communications and SMC, optimize Chapman’s website for giving functionality and ease of use by donors.
• Work with the Advancement Systems and Prospect Research teams to identify segments of alumni and donors for targeted appeals.
• Request and/or prepare reports related to key metrics such as donor count, renewal rate, alumni giving rate, and increase in giving over time. Evaluate progress and trends and make strategy improvements.
• Provide reports and projections to the VP of Development as requested.
• Manage expenses in line with annual budget.

Required Qualifications

Assistant Director: A minimum of 2 years of direct experience managing Annual Giving programs and marketing support for fundraising or equivalent relevant experience.
Associate Director: A minimum of 5 years of direct experience managing Annual Giving programs and marketing support for fundraising or equivalent relevant experience.
Additional qualifications for all candidates:

• Bachelor’s Degree or a combination of equivalent education and relevant experience required.
• Demonstrated understanding of principles and practices of Annual fundraising and its role in developing and executing strategic institutional advancement fundraising strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience creating successful fundraising appeals and campaign collateral
• Knowledge of fundraising concepts related to digital campaigns and web content
• Superior command of grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to interact and work with diverse individuals and groups at all organizational levels, both inside and outside of the University, and develop and maintain relationships with prospects and donors.
• Proven ability to plan, coordinate, and implement multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy and maintain a high level of confidentiality and customer service.
• Ability to learn and comply with all University policies and procedures, as well as relevant laws, rules, and regulations, including FERPA and best practices.
• Ability to forecast expenses and manage a budget
• Technical skills to use Microsoft Office and position relevant design-related software, and to learn and use enterprise systems
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate data, assess alternatives, and make appropriate decisions and recommendations
• Working knowledge of current messaging tools, styles and best practices for diverse audience appeals