Director of Annual Giving

Job Description

Job Description

Title : Director of Annual Giving

Department : Annual Giving

Reports to : Jackie Nowell, Associate Vice President, Engagement

Location : Kingston, RI

Employment Type : Exempt Full-Time

Position Summary

The URI Foundation is seeking an innovative, strategic, results and relationship-driven development professional to serve as the Director for Annual Giving. This leadership role will oversee a comprehensive and integrated program of strategic solicitations designed to reflect best practices in philanthropy while maximizing donor participation, engagement, and revenue growth.

This is a significant opportunity to help shape and advance the future of philanthropy at the University of Rhode Island by strengthening relationships with alumni, parents, friends, and supporters of the University. The Director will play a critical role in building a sustainable pipeline of philanthropic support while enhancing the Foundation’s culture of engagement and giving.

Reporting directly to the Associate Vice President for Engagement, the Director will provide strategic leadership for the annual giving team, and help drive institutional fundraising priorities through data-informed decision making, innovation, and cross-campus collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising & Donor Engagement

• Lead the growth of annual giving revenue, donor participation, and retention across alumni, parents, athletics constituents, and friends of the University.
• Oversee a coordinated, multi-channel annual appeals strategy including digital campaigns, direct mail, social media, volunteer outreach, and emerging engagement platforms.
• Manage a comprehensive annual appeals calendar to ensure coordinated outreach across all constituencies and fundraising priorities.
• Elevate the visibility of annual giving among alumni, parents, advisory councils, and friends through strategic communications, storytelling, and engagement initiatives.
• Support consistent inclusion of annual gift solicitations throughout the donor lifecycle to strengthen long-term philanthropic engagement.

Strategic Leadership & Program Management

• Develop and execute a comprehensive, data-informed Annual Giving strategy aligned with institutional priorities, campaign objectives, and fundraising goals.
• Set team priorities, establish performance expectations, and implement accountability measures that support organizational success and continuous improvement.
• Establish and monitor key performance metrics, reporting structures, and benchmarks to evaluate effectiveness and inform strategic decision-making.
• Represent Annual Giving within the broader Advancement organization, ensuring alignment with institutional initiatives and integrated fundraising strategies.
• Define and implement segmentation and targeting strategies to maximize donor engagement, participation, retention, and return on investment.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and manage the Annual Giving team while fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and results-oriented culture.
• Provide ongoing coaching, training, and professional development opportunities to strengthen effectiveness in donor engagement, solicitation, stewardship, and pipeline development.
• Support and guide team members in the cultivation and solicitation of annual and leadership-level gifts, including parent prospects and emerging major gift donors.

Campaign Management & Collaboration

• Provide strategic leadership, planning, and execution oversight for the University’s signature annual campaigns, including Day of Giving, Giving Tuesday, and the Rhody Athletic Challenge, as well as designing new signature campaigns.
• Partner closely with college, athletic, and unit-based development teams to integrate annual giving strategies into broader fundraising efforts and donor engagement plans.
• Collaborate with Foundation Marketing & Communications to strengthen campaign visibility, messaging, and donor-centered outreach.
• Support engagement and solicitation strategies for parent prospects in collaboration with Advancement colleagues and campus partners.

Pipeline Development & Data Strategy

• Develop systems and strategies to identify, qualify, and transition annual donors into leadership and major gift pipelines.
• Partner with Advancement Operations to ensure strong data integrity, accurate reporting, and access to actionable donor insights.
• Evaluate performance across all campaigns and solicitation efforts, refining strategies and tactics based on results, trends, and donor behavior analytics.
• Participate in the Foundation’s conversion to Salesforce, elevate its use of GiveCampus and evaluate a potential conversion to Marketing Cloud.

Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will be a forward-thinking fundraising professional with demonstrated experience in annual giving, donor engagement, and strategic program leadership. They will possess exceptional communication and relationship-building skills, a strong understanding of modern fundraising strategies, and the ability to inspire both colleagues and constituents around the mission of the University of Rhode Island.

Required Education and Experience:

• A bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, nonprofit management, business, higher education administration, or a related field.
• A minimum of five to seven years of experience in Annual Giving orin fundraising for a nonprofit organization with a proven track record of building and implementing successful annual giving programs.
• Knowledge of digital fundraising trends, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer fundraising, and donor acquisition strategies.
• A minimum of three years of supervisory experience.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Experience leading annual giving programs in higher education, healthcare, independent schools, arts/culture organizations, or large nonprofits.
• Demonstrated success increasing donor participation, retention, and annual fund revenue.

Salary : $110,000 to $120,000 based on experience.

Join the URI Foundation team!

We offer competitive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, generous paid time off, and unparalleled retirement savings programs. Join our team of talented, mission-driven advancement professionals!

We are an equal opportunity employer and provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, making decisions based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic characteristics, or any other characteristic protected by law.