Associate Director of Development (Discovery)

Department: Advancement and Alumni Relations


Classification: Administrative Faculty


Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty


Job Type: Full-Time


Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)


Location: Fairfax, VA


Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship


Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience


Criminal Background Check: Yes


About the Department:


The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations division is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 135 FTE. Functional units within Advancement include development/fundraising, alumni relations, stewardship and donor relations, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services.


Advancement's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents, while matching their philanthropic interests with the university aspirations and priorities. The division is committed to serving the needs of the university, our alumni, and the greater community by providing access to quality education and lifelong learning. Respect, service, integrity, collaboration, diversity, transparency, and creativity are the values that guide our work and culture.


About the Position:


The Associate Director of Development (Discovery) is part of the University Priorities team and is responsible for a high-volume of prospect discovery, qualification, and solicitation. Their strategic priority is to rapidly strengthen George Mason University's donor pipeline and raise funds for all areas and priorities in the short-term, while investing in long-term relationship building with prospects to build the foundation for future campaigns.


Responsibilities:

Support Comprehensive Fundraising Program

• Executes strategy to discover and qualify as many unique prospects as possible;
• Raises funds for all schools, units, and priorities by soliciting gifts of $2,500, $25,000, and higher;
• Aids in the execution of a robust discovery program, helping to establish processes and procedures for the handling of prospects that are willing to take a personal visit or call by a development officer for further engagement, cultivation, and solicitation;
• Develops, directs, and implements pre-qualification strategies for lead annual gift and major gift prospects through discovery calls, personal visits, virtual engagement, and email;
• Assists in the strategy and execution of solicitations;
• Manages a dynamic portfolio of prospects with interest across the university;
• Works closely with the Prospect Management team and development officers to expand the donor base and build a robust pipeline for major gift support for the university;
• Collaborates with communications and outreach, annual giving and development officers to ensure consistency of fundraising messages and to enhance the impact of the overall university campaign;
• Identifies opportunities and coordinates strategies to broaden the prospect's relationship with the university through additional engagement with institutional partners;
• Maintains data integrity of prospect records, including entering and updating contact entries, next steps, and strategic donor plans and proposals according to established protocols;
• Supports successful execution of a comprehensive fundraising program that appropriately partners with and leverages resources from the Central Advancement team to accomplish objectives;
• Coordinates the efforts of those who can assist in fundraising; tracks contacts, asks, and funds raised; drafts proposals and pledge agreements for potential donors; and proposes and coordinates appropriate cultivation and stewardship activities;
• Travels as necessary for donor outreach and cultivation;
• Works with offices across campus to coordinate related activities that further the University's mission and achieve fundraising goals;
• Finds new and creative ways to engage donors that will enrich the donor experience and add value to the academic life of the University;
• Works with staff to engage all alumni to advance the percentage of active involvement and increase alumni donations;
• Engages a wide range of colleagues, alumni, donors, prior faculty and staff, and individuals who might be able to help in pursuing/winning major gifts;
• Seeks the assistance of a wide range of people in identifying prospects who might make major gifts in the future; and
• Displays good judgment and confidentiality.

Coordination with Central Advancement and Schools/Colleges/Units

• Coordinates fundraising with other departments and utilizes services as appropriate;
• Ensures consistent and adequate communication between the school/unit and Central Advancement; and
• Works closely with Central Advancement services including, but not limited to, Planned Giving, Annual Giving, Parents and Family Philanthropy, University Priorities, Alumni Relations, Communications, Systems, Operations, Donor Relations, Gifts and Records, etc.

Performs other related duties as assigned within the scope of the role .


Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Some experience designing and executing annual-level donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies;
• Some (generally one - three years) successful professional advancement and/or fundraising-related experience or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience;
• Experience with successful collaboration with teams or stakeholders;
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and meeting continuous deadlines;
• Experience documenting appropriate information in a donor management database system;
• Experience interacting with a wide variety of constituents, such as, donors, prospects, trustees, and faculty and staff.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills;
• Demonstrated writing skills associated with proposals, solicitation letters, etc.;
• Ability to interact positively with a wide range of constituencies in person, via phone, email, and in writing;
• Strong interpersonal skills necessary to build relationships with internal and external constituents;
• Ability to handle highly personal information and maintain confidentiality;
• Excellent research, writing, and interpersonal communication skills;
• Familiarity with CRM fundraising software;
• Ability to work evenings and weekends;
• Ability to work independently; and
• Skill in accountability.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in fundraising in higher education or nonprofit;
• Familiarity with Salesforce;
• Familiarity with MicroStrategy, or similar reporting platform; and
• Possess an understanding and the ability to articulate the accomplishments and goals of a complex organization.

Instructions to Applicants:


For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Associate Director of Development (Discovery) at Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.


Posting Open Date: April 6, 2026


For Full Consideration, Apply by: April 20, 2026


Open Until Filled: Yes

Mason Ad Statement


Mason is currently the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, as well as at learning locations across the commonwealth. Rooted in Mason's diversity is a campus culture that is both rewarding and exciting, work that is meaningful, and opportunities to both collaborate and create.


If you are interested in joining the Mason family take a look at our current opportunities and catch some Mason spirit at jobs.gmu.edu/!


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Equity Statement


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