Description

Director of Philanthropy

Office of Philanthropy + Engagement

The Director of Philanthropy will be an innovative development professional responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and securing major individual gifts to Wofford College as part of the Office of Philanthropy + Engagement. The Director of Philanthropy works closely with the Assistant Vice President for Philanthropy and works collaboratively and strategically with and in support of the College President, faculty, campus leaders, volunteers, staff, and students to develop and implement strategies to meet the short and long-term fundraising goals of the department and Wofford College. The primary objective of the Director of Philanthropy is to develop genuine relationships with alumni, donors and prospects built on a firm understanding of the donors’ interests, passions and values, with the purpose of closing five and six figure gifts.  We are seeking an experienced and highly professional individual responsible for the development and implementation of a strategic gift solicitation plan for generating major gifts from high-level donors and prospects.

Duties & Responsibilities:

 Position responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

- Act as primary manager for a portfolio of 150 prospects, moving potential donors in an appropriate and timely fashion through validation, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship phases generating donations of $25,000 and up;
- Monitor weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual activity to achieve individual performance measures including 150 meaningful visits, 25 proposals, and $850,000 in gift revenue;
- Recommend and implement short, intermediate and long-term major gifts cultivation and solicitation strategies for individual prospects (e.g. alumni, parents, trustees, friends of the college, faculty and staff);
- Work with administration, faculty, board members, volunteers (as appropriate) to identify and engage new prospects for purposes of meeting established personal and college fundraising goals;
- Plan and implement events and activities (volunteer experiences, tours, receptions, friend-raisers, etc.) for individual major gift donors, using existing activities as appropriate; engage in networking activities or other opportunities to generate potential prospects for cultivation;
- Cultivate and expand planned giving opportunities with new and existing donors, and integrate planned gift objectives into major individual donor requests in collaboration with the Office of Gift Planning;
- Collaborate closely with members of the athletic department, planned giving office, annual giving team, stewardship office, alumni engagement, operations and other staff members as a representative of Wofford Philanthropy;
- Track and report relationship management activity using Slate constituent relationship management system, including cultivation phases, interactions, opportunity submission, stewardship of prospective and current major donors;
- Maintain knowledge of current tax laws, investments and planned giving opportunities;
- Participate in regular Philanthropy + Engagement events including Homecoming, Family Weekend, athletics events, Golden Terrier Weekend, and Graduation Weekend;
- Position requires significant travel and some work after regular business hours;
- Know and follow the CASE Code of Ethics for Fundraisers.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university is required;
- Individual must have five years’ successful, demonstrated experience in fundraising, with a preference in higher education, with at least two years’ experience securing major gifts, or significant comparable work in sales, marketing or other client-management professions;
- Must have a demonstrated ability to meet financial goals for major gift giving, with a proven track record of cultivating and securing five figure+ gifts through intentional cultivation and solicitation strategies;
- Individual must be able to think strategically and creatively, and must have excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated record of completing assignments and deadlines with a multitude of stakeholders;
- Must possess strong written and oral communication skills, and have experience in developing clear and concise funding proposals;
- Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office Suite computer skills are required;
- Experience with constituent relationship management system, such as Slate, is preferred.
 

APPLICATION

All application materials must be submitted electronically through the Wofford College website. Application materials include: (1) a letter of application explaining how you meet the qualifications of this position, (2) a current resume, and (3) names and contact information for three professional references (including email addresses and phone numbers).