Associate/Senior Associate Director, Individual Giving

Position Title:

Associate/Senior Associate Director, Individual Giving

Work Type:

Full time

Location:

Swarthmore College

Approved Location Type:

Hybrid

Department:

Work Shift:

Day Shift (United States of America)

The Opportunity:

The Associate/Sr. Associate Director of Individual Giving will be responsible for the engagement and solicitation of Swarthmore alumni, parents, and friends having the capacity to make outright, blended, and planned gifts of $100,000+ to the College. They will manage the College’s relationships with a portfolio of 100-150 major gift prospects, traveling regularly and extensively in order to carry out these responsibilities. They will partner closely with colleagues across the Advancement division to achieve individual and team goals, including Gift Planning, Prospect Discovery and Development, Reunion Giving, Annual Giving, Donor Relations and Stewardship, Parent & Family Programs, and Alumni Relations.

Essential Responsibilities:

●      Manage a portfolio of 100-150 major gift prospects at the $100,000+ level in support of the College's fundraising priorities. Successful management requires:

o   development and implementation of appropriate donor-centric engagement and solicitation strategies in keeping with best practices of the fundraising profession;

o   maintaining accurate and up-to-date database records in alignment with divisional standards, including the development and maintenance of individual donor strategies and through documentation of contacts with prospects;

o   preparing a written work plan, performance metrics, and a personal goals statement at the start of each fiscal year, and updating as circumstances require.

●      Travel within assigned geographic regions to qualify, engage, solicit, and steward leadership giving and gift planning donors to the College, completing solicitations for leadership annual fund gifts as appropriate. The Associate/Sr. Associate Director is expected to, on average, schedule 10 face-to-face meetings with Swarthmore constituents per month. They will deliver, on average, 1-2 outright, blended, and/or planned gift proposals per month.

●       Complete paper and electronic correspondence with prospects and donors in a timely fashion, and in a clear, concise, and well written manner that is reflective of the College’s academic standards.

●       Assist as appropriate with planning and implementing special events and programs designed to attract, identify, cultivate, and steward prospects and donors, both regionally and on campus.

●       Recruit fundraising volunteers as assigned in order to increase alumni engagement and involvement and maximize fundraising potential.

●      Collaborate with divisional and campus partners to execute on donor engagement strategies.

●      Develop and maintain knowledge of the College’s history and current activities and programs to ensure thoughtful engagement of and discussion with the alumni community.

 

Additional Responsibilities

●       Attends and assists other College Advancement staff at College events as needed.

●       Serves voluntarily on ad-hoc or standing College committees, as appropriate and with approval of the supervisor.

●       Takes advantage of opportunities for professional development at least twice annually.

●       Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

 

Qualifications

Required

●       Bachelor’s degree.

●       For Associate Director, a minimum of 3-5 years working in institutional advancement with major gift prospects or equivalent professional experience. For Sr. Associate Director, a minimum of 7-10 years working in institutional advancement with major gift prospects or equivalent professional experience.

●       Exceptional communication skills with special emphasis on ability to connect and engage with a broad constituency in both written and oral communications.

●       Ability to communicate effectively with prospective donors and College administrators and work collaboratively with colleagues.

●       Mature judgment and the ability to act independently to plan and accomplish goals.

●       Strong organizational skills, and in particular, the abilities to manage multiple projects, strategically prioritize portfolio management, pay close attention to detail, and remain focused and effective while traveling.

●       Strong skill in dealing with people, using tact and diplomacy, and the ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality. Strong customer service skills.

●       Strong skill in articulating the value of higher education.

●       Ability to use a variety of computer applications, including demonstrated skills in the use of word processing and spreadsheets (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Docs and Sheets), and fundraising databases and reporting software.

●       Demonstrated ability to prioritize work, manage multiple tasks involving many stakeholders, and meet deadlines in a time-constrained environment.

 

Preferred

●       Advanced Degree.

●       Knowledge and experience with planned giving vehicles.

●       Experience working in a college or university setting, especially in a comprehensive fundraising campaign environment.

●       Understanding of how data is used to inform decision making.

●       Proficiency with G Suite (especially Google Docs and Sheets), PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat.

 

Physical Demands

●       This position requires the ability to focus in a stationary position for extended periods, including at a desk in front of a computer.

●       Documents may occasionally be stored in physical form and require positioning oneself to access file cabinets, remove files, and transport them, and require lifting of light-weight boxes.

●       Incumbent must be able to meet the physical demands of frequent off-campus travel for meeting constituents and attending meetings or events.

 

Working Conditions

●       Incumbent must be able to ride an elevator or climb stairs to get to office or work space.

●       Office and work space environments are not individually controlled, resulting in possible variance from personal preferences or needs. Incumbent must be able to adapt to a range of conditions.

●       On occasion, incumbent may be required to work outside of normal office hours, including nights and weekends, for such tasks as staffing events, meeting with constituents, or completing tasks required to meet deadlines. These responsibilities may require travel off-campus

The market range for this position is $118,000-$129,000 per year, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

PA Criminal Clearance Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Education Verification Required by Position

An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

MVR Clearance Required by Position

Due to operating a College owned motor vehicle while performing essential job responsibilities for this position, a motor vehicle report (MVR) clearance is required prior to the start of employment.

Applications received are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. An optional cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position is preferred. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).

We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

Swarthmore Benefits and Programs 

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by law or College Policy.