Leadership Gifts Officer

The Leadership Gifts Officer increases Middlebury’s fundraising capacity through the successful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a pool of prospective donors with the capacity to make gifts of $100K and above through outright gifts and estate giving. The pool of prospective donors covers all of Middlebury’s programing from undergraduate alumni, parents, the Language Schools, Schools Abroad, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) at Monterey and Bread Loaf alumni. The Leadership Gift Officer serves as a regional point-person for implementation of engagement and pipeline development strategies. The majority of the LGO’s time will be spent cultivating and soliciting alumni, parents, and friends of the institution through in-person and digital media. The managed portfolio will include assignments requiring domestic travel. This is considered a full time benefits eligible position exempt position. The starting salary range for the position is $67,700 $84,700 per year. This role primarily serves to support the West Coast geographic region and is eligible for Remote and/or Hybrid work. Maintain oversight of a pool of Leadership Gifts prospects ($100K+), including the qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of gifts from $100,000 and above. Build and advance strong personal and professional relationships with alumni, parents, and friends of Middlebury that result in philanthropic contributions; serve as a resource, advocate, and spokesperson for development programs at Middlebury. Build strong relationships with alumni, parents and friends of the College, Language Schools, Schools Abroad, MIIS, and Bread Loaf School of English. Work independently and creatively to match donor interests with institutional priorities and develop funding proposals and negotiate and structure complex gifts. Negotiate gifts of greatest possible value to the institution. Prepare briefings, stewardship plans/letters and other correspondence for prospects, collaborating with Advancement colleagues and other staff. Solicit an annual gift for each prospect, either through a personal visit, solicitation by a volunteer, or through Annual Giving programs. Collaborate with Annual Giving and Gift Planning teams to build increased leadership annual support and Cane Society estate intentions among assigned pool of prospects. Collaborate with Alumni and Parent Programs and Donor Relations teams, provide regional leadership for pipeline development and engagement events in assigned metropolitan regions, seeking participation by rated alumni, Cane Society members, and loyal donors. Ensure the timely capture and recording of data relating to identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activity relating to the assigned prospect pool. Maintain in-depth knowledge of Middlebury’s fundraising priorities, academic and extra-curricular programs and key faculty and administrators. Collaborate with other Advancement colleagues on special fundraising projects and/or events. Possess superior communication skills with the ability to connect to a variety of audiences; clarity, crispness, and persuasiveness in written and oral communications. Resourceful, goal-oriented individual with a strong work ethic, high degree of creativity, and sound judgment. Work cooperatively with others and accept direction from supervisors. Offer is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check. Requirements Education Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Knowledge of institutional advancement and advanced fund-raising techniques, including planned giving, essential. Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and relational databases. Strong writing and verbal skills. Ability to motivate and collaborate with staff and volunteers. Ability to work independently and make decisions. Must handle confidential materials with appropriate discretion. Experience Minimum 3-5 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, including soliciting and closing gifts. Physical Demands As an employee of Middlebury College, you will enjoy being part of a vibrant supportive community. Middlebury Colleges offers its employees excellent compensation and competitive health, dental, life, disability, generous retirement matching, and vision benefits, Middlebury offers a generous time-away program - up to 34 days per year during the first two years of service, increasing as the term of service lengthens. Middlebury employees are eligible for robust educational assistance programs as well as free or reduced rates for cultural events and use of sporting facilities (including the College's golf course and Nordic and alpine ski area). The result is a very high quality-of-life in a gorgeous setting. Middlebury Colleges offers its employees excellent compensation and other perks of employment including: MiddCard Privileges: access to athletic facilities, discounts at the College store, library privileges, and discounts at cultural and sporting events. In addition, the card allows door access to certain campus buildings. Spouses or domestic partners of benefits-eligible employees are eligible to receive a Spouse/Partner card with the same privileges as the employee card (except door access). Discounts on season passes at Middlebury College Snow Bowl, the Ralph Myhre Golf Course and the Rikert Ski Touring Center. Access to our Partner Inclusion Program that provides comprehensive support services to the spouses and partners of Middlebury employees. A full listing of our benefit offerings can be found on our website by following this web link: #J-18808-Ljbffr Middlebury College - Middlebury, VT