Director of Development

The Director of Development serves as a strategic fundraising leader responsible for advancing philanthropic support for the Cotsakos College of Business and the Honors College. This role partners closely with academic leadership to translate institutional priorities into compelling donor opportunities and drives major gift fundraising through relationship-building, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration. This role reports to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

Core Competencies & Skills

Strategic Fundraising & Revenue Generation

• Demonstrates advanced ability to design and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies aligned with institutional and academic priorities.
• Proven success in cultivating, soliciting, and closing major and principal gifts ($25K+).
• Ability to translate academic initiatives (scholarships, faculty support, innovation, student success) into compelling donor investment opportunities.
• Experience contributing to and advancing comprehensive fundraising campaigns and long-term revenue goals.

Relationship Management & Donor Engagement

• Exceptional skill in building, managing, and deepening relationships with high-net-worth individuals, alumni, corporate leaders, foundations, and community stakeholders.
• Ability to develop trust-based, long-term partnerships that result in sustained philanthropic support.
• Demonstrated ability to engage diverse stakeholders, including faculty, administrators, volunteers, and advisory boards.
• Strong interpersonal skills with cultural competence and emotional intelligence.

Leadership & Strategic Partnership Development

• Ability to serve as a trusted advisor and primary liaison to academic leadership, including Deans and senior administrators.
• Demonstrated success aligning fundraising initiatives with academic vision and institutional priorities.
• Skilled at influencing and collaborating across departments without direct authority.
• Ability to engage and mobilize volunteers, advisory boards, and leadership prospects in advancement efforts.

Corporate, Foundation & Alumni Engagement

• Knowledge of corporate and foundation relations, including grant development, sponsorships, and partnership cultivation.
• Ability to identify and secure strategic partnerships that enhance institutional visibility and financial support.
• Experience leveraging alumni networks, events, and engagement initiatives to strengthen donor pipelines.

Communication & Proposal Development

• Advanced written and verbal communication skills, including persuasive storytelling and case development.
• Ability to create compelling proposals, presentations, stewardship reports, and donor communications.
• Skilled at tailoring messaging for diverse audiences (individual, corporate, foundation).

Portfolio & Data Management

• Proven ability to manage a portfolio of major gift prospects using data-driven strategies.
• Experience utilizing CRM systems (e.g., Banner, Raisers Edge, Salesforce) to track activity, manage pipelines, and forecast revenue.
• Strong analytical skills to assess donor capacity, engagement, and strategy effectiveness.

Project Management & Execution

• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and complex initiatives simultaneously.
• Strong planning and execution skills in support of events, campaigns, and donor engagement strategies.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining alignment with broader advancement goals.

Professionalism, Ethics & Stewardship

• Demonstrates integrity, discretion, and adherence to ethical fundraising standards and confidentiality.

• Commitment to best practices in donor stewardship and institutional compliance.
• Exercises sound judgment, initiative, and accountability in managing donor relationships and institutional resources.

General Job Duties

• Manage a portfolio of 100125 major gift prospects, leading identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts.
• Serve as the primary development liaison to the Deans of the Cotsakos College of Business and the Honors College.
• Develop and implement fundraising strategies supporting scholarships, faculty excellence, experiential learning, and innovation initiatives.
• Collaborate with academic leadership, advancement teams, and external stakeholders to identify and advance funding opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with alumni, parents, corporations, foundations, and community leaders.
• Partner with Corporate and Foundation Relations and Alumni Engagement teams on donor strategy and outreach.
• Prepare proposals, stewardship reports, and donor communications aligned with institutional priorities.
• Support campaign planning, pipeline development, and fundraising goal achievement.
• Maintain accurate donor records and activity tracking within CRM systems.
• Represent the institution at events and engagement opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with ethical fundraising practices and institutional policies.
• Perform additional duties in support of advancement initiatives as assigned.

Education and Experience

Minimum Required

• Bachelors degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 57 years of progressive fundraising experience, preferably in higher education or nonprofit environments.
• Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising and donor relationship management.
• Experience working with academic leadership, corporate partners, alumni, foundations, and volunteer boards preferred.
• Proven ability to manage complex stakeholder environments and contribute to strategic initiatives

This description indicates the general nature and level of work performed by employees in the above job. It is not intended to be a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

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