Associate Director of Gift Planning

Associate Director Of Gift Planning

Join Our Team and Make a Difference in Higher Education! At the System Administration office at the University of Colorado, we are dedicated to building a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Our office is committed to fostering a culture where employees find community, a sense of belonging, and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our mission and purpose. By joining our team, you'll have a direct impact on shaping the future of higher education. In addition to the Office of the Board of Regents, the University of Colorado's system administration includes 19 units that provide essential services to CU's campuses in Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver, as well as the Office of the President. While not a part of any one campus, we are proud to serve in the centralized office for the University system. Together, we ensure CU continues to deliver outstanding education, groundbreaking research, and valuable service to our communities. We believe in creating an environment where the unique experiences and perspectives of everyone are embraced, enriching the work we do and the strategic outcomes we pursue. If you're passionate about making a difference, contributing to a dynamic team, and supporting a mission that matters, we encourage you to apply and be part of our journey. Learn more about CU System Administration.

Position Summary: The CU System Office of Advancement provides excellent customer service, strategy, expertise, and efficiency to our partners on CU's campuses and at the University of Colorado Foundation. We support CU's fundraising and engagement goals through advancement operations that include constituent research and development, data management, business intelligence, technical architecture, annual giving, planned giving, gift administration, marketing and communications, IT, budget and finance, and more. We believe that a healthy office culture is foundational to our success. We create this by bringing together a diverse team of colleagues and infusing our core valuesWork Together, Think Big, Be Good and Have Funinto our work every day. The Associate Director of Gift Planning is a centralized University of Colorado (CU) system position embedded within the CU Anschutz Office of Advancement. This position works closely with the CU Anschutz Director of Gift Planning and the broader CU Gift Planning team to enhance the giving experience by supporting donors and development officers as they explore blended and planned gift opportunities. This position reports to Director of Gift Planning, Anschutz and is exempt for the State of Colorado Classification system.

Where You Will Work: This position will follow a hybrid work model, working mostly in person from the Anschutz Medical Campus.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Collaborates with CU System Advancement staff to develop a prospect pipeline; cultivate, solicit, negotiate, and close gifts, focusing on multi-faceted outright gifts; gifts of complex or unique assets; gifts-in-kind; revocable designations; and irrevocable gifts such as charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, retained life estates, or charitable lead trusts.
• Works within the CU Anschutz Advancement office to cultivate and advance gifts that benefit CU by providing technical gift planning expertise to colleagues and donors.
• Advises CU Anschutz development officers on prospect identification for planned gifts and development of solicitation strategies.
• Supports CU Anschutz development officers by adding value to the cultivation, proposal and solicitation phases of gift conversations, to include in-person and virtual meetings with donors as needed, and development of gift agreements.
• Remains current and shares up-to-date information with colleagues about planned giving strategies that can benefit both donors and the university, including assisting in conducting regular training and/or updates to Advancement staff on planned giving, tax laws, and other regulations pertaining to charitable giving.
• Contributes to University system, campus, and Gift Planning department goals by supporting the implementation of an annual gift planning workplan to achieve strategic goals and benchmarks for program growth.
• Contributes to system-level advancement of gift planning strategies to include creation of a strong future "pipeline", development of staff trainings, stewardship of existing legacy society members, strengthening relationships with the advisor community, evaluation of counting standards, gift acceptance policies and procedures, and similar.
• Works to cultivate existing and new benefactor relationships (i.e.: through thank you calls, prospecting/cold calls, discovery visits, stewardship touches, etc.) with the intent of sustaining and increasing the relationship with benefactors and potential benefactors on behalf of and in support of the CU Anschutz Campus. The benefactor pool and pipeline are comprised of CU Anschutz alumni, grateful patients and/or their loved ones/families, leadership volunteers, CU Anschutz faculty, organizations and community members.
• Works daily to ensure timely, accurate completion of discovery outreach, proposals, pledges and fund agreements.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned such as database maintenance, gifts-in-kind support, and estate distribution efforts.

Software Utilized

• Microsoft Office products, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and similar.
• Process management products, including Monday.com and MS Teams.
• Gift planning software, such as PGM Anywhere, TIAA Kaspick GiftAdvisor.
• Donor tracking and reporting software, such as Salesforce.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis)
• Five (5) years' experience securing major and/or planned gifts, fundraising, acting as a financial planner, or directly comparable work
• One (1) year of experience in a team lead or supervisory role, which may include assigning and reviewing the work of others, providing guidance to internal and external team members, and/or assisting management with performance reviews
• Ability to travel

Preferred Qualifications:

• Post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education (e.g. Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctorate, Master of Arts, etc.)
• Seven (7) years' experience securing major and/or planned gifts, fundraising, acting as a financial planner, or directly comparable work
• Two (2) years' experience in a team lead or supervisory role, as indicated above
• Professional certification (e.g. Certified Financial Planner)
• Experience in a nonprofit, higher education, or healthcare environment
• Experience working within large, complex organizations

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the University of Colorado's mission, demographics, faculty, current programs, departments, and culture
• Knowledge of gift planning principles, procedures, and best practices
• Donor-centric customer service skills, including the ability to actively listen, address customer needs, defuse tense situations, and maintain an open, flexible, and friendly demeanor
• Interpersonal skills, including the ability to facilitate interaction, communication, and teamwork between others
• Skilled in the use of computer equipment, software, and other relevant technology (including smart phones) including the Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and similar)
• Ability to persuasively engage donors and articulate how CU distinguishes itself from peer institutions
• Ability to make persuasive verbal and written cases for supporting key programs and projects, effectively matching the interests of prospective donors to specific university needs
• Ability to deliver a high level of commitment to customer service
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ages
• Ability to navigate complex, multi-layered environments and organizations
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team setting
• Ability to develop strategies to achieve operating goals
• Ability to interact with high-level donors, maintain a high level of professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with faculty, staff, and others
• Ability to promote diversity and equity

Supplemental Information

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please attach the following as separate documents to your application at :

1. A cover letter identifying the job specific minimum qualifications you possess and interest in the position.
2. A resume including all relevant experience to be accurately assessed against the qualifications