Description

Mission Statement: University Advancement creates the conditions for opportunity – human, financial, & experiential – by garnering and stewarding the resources that advance William & Mary.

The William & Mary Foundation’s (WMF) defining and essential mission is to support the university’s people and programs. By seeking private support, and then diligently managing those funds, the WMF advances and furthers the work of William & Mary’s students and faculty — providing vital resources for scholarships, professorships, research, and program funding.

Consistent with the university’s shared services agreement with the William & Mary Foundation (WMF), this position is assigned 5% effort to support WMF with the responsibilities outlined below.

Summary:
The Director, Leadership & Digital Annual Giving is a senior team member on the Annual Giving team in the Office of University Advancement at William & Mary.

The Director, Leadership & Digital Annual Giving reports to the Associate Vice President (AVP) of Annual Giving and Philanthropic Engagement and is responsible for leading the strategy, implementation and oversight of a comprehensive university-wide program for leadership and digital annual giving. The leadership and digital annual giving team generates support through digital and in-person visits. The Director manages a team of digital gift officers and is responsible for developing and managing a donor portfolio, maintaining relationships with donors, and promoting new giving opportunities. The Leadership & Digital Annual Giving team is also responsible for the management of W&M’s virtual engagement officer, Wren, who is an autonomous fundraiser.

This is a hybrid position based in Williamsburg, Virginia, that offers a flexible work environment. We will consider a fully remote hire with a requirement to be on campus monthly.

Review the full position description with all job duties under the “Featured Job Opportunities” on the University Advancement recruitment website: https://advancement.wm.edu/come-work-with-us/open-positions/index.php

Job Description:

For full consideration, submit application materials by the review date, 1/26/2026. Applications received after the review date will be considered if needed. A resume and cover letter are required for this position.

Salary: Up to $80,000, commensurate with experience and internal alignment.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or the equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.

• Strong fundraising skills with the demonstrated ability to identify, qualify, and cultivate prospective donors or clients, and desire to reach aggressive goals, working in a fast-paced environment with a good understanding of general office procedures, practices and prioritization of workflow.

• Demonstrated understanding of donor relations as it relates to confidentiality of information that relates to the donor base.

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage and oversee a team of direct reports and a desire to build consensus, collaborate, and lead across multiple teams.

• Strong analytical, computational, and quantitative skills, with the ability to extract and analyze data, produce reports in a variety of formats, as well as strong problem-solving and organizational skills, with the demonstrated ability to resolve problems, respond to inquiries, obtain, and disseminate information.

• Strong administrative and project coordination experience with the demonstrated ability to plan, manage, and track projects through completion.

• Proficiency with a variety of software applications to include web-based applications and MS Office (with strong skills in Word and Excel), to include creating mail-merges and develop spreadsheets with formulas and data links.

• Excellent customer service skills, oral and written communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with a variety of internal and external constituencies, while exercising tact and diplomacy in all interactions.

• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities concurrently within strict deadlines.

• The ability to develop positive, strategic working relationships among Advancement and campus partners to help in the overall fundraising initiatives of the university. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with database applications and CRM systems (typically 3+ years).

• Experience working in fundraising and/or marketing and/or volunteer management.

• Demonstrated project management experience in a related field. 

• Experience working with sales software.

Conditions of Employment: 

• Flexibility is required as this position is subject to overtime during high peak times (to include occasional evenings and weekends around college events and deadlines), as directed.

• Flexibility and ability to travel as needed.

Job Duties:

70% - Leadership & Digital Giving Program Management:

• Serve as the lead member of the Leadership & Digital Annual Giving Team with a primary focus on building a lead annual giving and digital giving team.

• Develop and coordinate the digital giving strategy alongside the AVP and/or vendor partnerships.

• Organize and coordinate portfolios for both the digital and leadership annual giving team members.

• Manage and analyze budgets for strategic use, transparency and future programming. Adhere to overall goal and budget guidelines.

• Work in partnership with other University Advancement colleagues; develop strategic solicitation programs, participation and dollar goals for each team members portfolio.

• Evaluate the results of solicitation activities for each prospect over time and evaluate/re-evaluate potential for future solicitations.

• Structure gift opportunities and collaborate with other fundraising colleagues, as needed, to maximize giving.

• Promote positive donor relations in person and via phone/mail/email/social/etc.

• Travel with and without Development Officers to meet with donors and prospects as needed.

20% - Pipeline Development & Donor Solicitation:

• Manage and continually evaluate and develop a portfolio of donors and prospects capable of making lead annual and major gifts to William & Mary in coordination with Prospect Development. 

• Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects, focusing on pipeline development to meet and exceed increasingly aggressive annual fundraising goals.  

• Execute appropriate communication/cultivation plan for each prospect.  

• Manage and coordinate the oversight of Wren (AI virtual engagement officers) portfolio in coordination with Prospect Development.

• Prepare written proposals to solicit prospects for gifts in support of William & Mary. 

• Virtually interact and travel in the continental United States to meet personally with current and potential donors to promote the priorities of William & Mary. 

5% - William & Mary Foundation:

• Steward prospects to meet and exceed increasingly aggressive annual fundraising goals.  

• Prepare written proposals to solicit prospects for gifts in support of the WMF.

• Steward relationships with donors based on giving history.

5% - Performance Management:

• Establish expectations which are clear, well communicated, and related to the goals and objectives of the unit. 

• Provide staff with frequent, constructive feedback, including interim evaluations as appropriate. 

• Ensure staff have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to accomplish goals. 

• Complete evaluations and EWPs by established deadlines with proper documentation. 

• Address and document performance issues as they occur. 

• Review and communicate safety issues to ensure a safe and healthy workplace and a reduction in work related absences. 

Additional Job Description:

Job Profile:

JP0418 - Senior Annual Giving Officer - Exempt - Salary - S12

Qualifications:

Compensation Grade:

S12

Recruiting Start Date:

2026-01-05

Review Date:

2026-01-26

Position Restrictions:

EEO is the Law.  Applicants can learn more about William & Mary’s status as an equal opportunity employer by viewing the "Know Your Rights" poster published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. https://www.eeoc.gov/know-your-rights-workplace-discrimination-illegal

Background Check: William & Mary is committed to providing a safe campus community. W&M conducts background investigations for applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial (credit) report or driving history check. 

Remote Work Disclaimer: Remote work eligibility is not guaranteed and is subject to approval. Employee eligibility depends on the likelihood of the employee succeeding in a remote work arrangement and the supervisor’s ability to manage remote workers. Departments and/or Human Resources may amend, alter, change, delete, or modify eligibility.