Director of Philanthropy

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Applicant required documents: Cover Letter, CV/Resume, Contact Information for Professional References.
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Posting Information

Posting Number

Posting Number PG194776EP

Internal Recruitment

Internal Recruitment No

Working Title

Working Title Director of Philanthropy

Anticipated Hiring Range

Anticipated Hiring Range Commensurate with Experience

Work Schedule

Work Schedule Monday-Friday, 40 hours per week

Job Location

Department

Department Agriculture Related Foundation

About the Department

North Carolina State University was founded in 1887 with the purpose of creating economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina. Today, NC State is the largest university in North Carolina, with more than 40,500 high-performing students, more than 10,000 preeminent faculty and staff and more than 310,000 dedicated alumni. NC State is a Research One (R1) university known for its leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We’re also at the forefront of teaching and discovery in agriculture, business, design, education, humanities and social sciences, natural resources, textiles and veterinary medicine. NC State is consistently named as one of the best values in higher education, and many of our programs are ranked at the top of their respective disciplines. We take a great deal of pride in our collaborative, supportive and collegial team culture. All staff are provided opportunities for training and professional development, with an eye to personalized career growth.
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences ( CALS ) at NC State leads partnership-driven discovery, learning, and engagement. As a land-grant university and the state’s pre-eminent college of agriculture and life sciences, CALS serves North Carolina through academics, research, extension, and international programs. The college prepares students for career paths, discovers and applies unbiased knowledge through advances in science and technology, and drives economic development to improve the quality of life for North Carolinians, our nation, and the world. The college fulfills the land-grant mission by embracing an interdisciplinary approach to achieve new scientific breakthroughs that translate into solutions to meet grand challenges involving food, farming, fiber, feed, families, health, energy, water, and the environment. The college comprises 12 academic departments, multiple research and extension units, and oversees 18 research stations and 4 field labs across the state. CALS Administration includes the office of the Dean and the offices of Research, Extension, Academics, Human Resources, and Business Operations.
The mission of the Office of College Advancement is to enhance, promote, and support the academic programs, research and extension efforts of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences ( CALS ). Within CALS Advancement is The NC Agricultural Foundation, Inc. a non- profit, 501©3 organization formed as a means of supporting agricultural research, extension, and teaching activities in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University. The CALS Advancement team works in close partnership with the central University Advancement Office and its partner colleges.

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The Director of Philanthropy is responsible for identifying, qualifying, soliciting, and stewarding major gift donors to NC State University. This position will serve as a member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences ( CALS ) Advancement team, reporting to a Senior Director of Philanthropy with an effort to maximize support to all areas of the College. As appropriate, the Director will also identify and coordinate the management of key volunteers. The Director will be expected to manage a portfolio of discovery and actively managed prospects while also collaborating with fundraising colleagues across campus.

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Major Gift Prospect Identification, Cultivation, and Solicitation

• Identification, qualification, cultivation and solicitation of prospects to create and grow a pipeline of major gifts ($100,000 and above) donors.
• Strategic development and management of a portfolio with approximately 150 prospects and donors capable of making gifts of $100,000 or more.

Fundraising Strategy, Goals, and Portfolio Management

• Consistently meet or exceed annual goals for outreach contacts, qualifications, visits, proposals submitted, and funds raised.
• Creation and implementation of comprehensive strategies to leverage networks and maximize fundraising results.

Volunteer, Donor, and Campus Collaboration

• Identification, coordination and management of key volunteers.
• Collaboration with colleagues to help align donors’ philanthropic interests with various priorities across campus.
• Coordination of stewardship efforts as needed with appropriate College Advancement and other campus colleagues.

Other Responsibilities

Other Duties, Events, and Travel

• Perform other duties as required or assigned.
• Attend a variety of events throughout the year.
• Regular travel (local and out of state) and occasional night and weekend work is required for this position.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline from an accredited college or university and a minimum of five (5) years or greater of experience, including 3 years of progressive advancement experience.

Other Required Qualifications

• Proven experience and demonstrated success in major individual gift fundraising, preferably in higher education, with a deep understanding of cultivating and soliciting prospects.
• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and ethics of successful fundraising and comprehensive capital campaigns.
• Proven relationship builder with the ability to form trusting relationships and work collaboratively with faculty, administrators, volunteers, alumni and colleagues.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, with a high attention to detail and processes.
• Excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to communicate clearly in person and in writing.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic team environment.
• Unquestioned integrity.
• Self-motivated and driven with an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving.
• Optimism, perseverance and a positive attitude.
• Computer literacy and competency with electronic donor information systems; including Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite.
• Experience in cold calling and negotiating and closing gifts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree relevant discipline from an accredited college or university and a minimum of five (5) years or greater of experience, including 3 years of progressive advancement experience.
• Progressive responsibility and experience in institutional advancement.
• Experience staffing an academic leader and developing fundraising strategies for an academic program.
• Proficiency in portfolio management, developing and executing prospect strategy per fundraising best practices.
• An understanding of the land grant, research Tier One university environment.

Required License(s) or Certification(s)

• Valid NC driver’s license or the ability to obtain within 60 days of start.

Valid NC Driver's License required

Valid NC Driver's License required Yes

Commercial Driver's License required Yes

Commercial Driver's License required No

Recruitment Dates and Special Instructions

Job Open Date

Job Open Date 08/31/2026

Anticipated Close Date

Special Instructions to Applicants

Applicant required documents: Cover Letter, CV/Resume, Contact Information for Professional References.
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Position Number

Position Number 00112217

Position Type

Position Type Exempt Professional Staff

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week)

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week) 1.00

Appointment

Appointment 12 Month Recurring

Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather Non Mandatory - Adverse Weather

Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events Non Mandatory - Emergency Event

Department ID

Department ID 110199 - Agriculture Related Foundation

EEO

NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact View phone number on click.appcast.io to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io .
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.
NC State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * How did you learn of this opportunity?
  • NCSU Website
  • Job Alert (automated email from our system)
  • NCSU Executive Search Services
  • Monster.com
  • CareerBuilder.com
  • InsideHigherEd.com
  • The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • Professional Journal
  • Print Advertisement (Newspaper / Periodical)
  • Professional Organization
  • Direct Contact from NCSU HR Representative / Recruiter
  • NCSU Employee Referral
  • Social Media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Other)
  • Other
• If you learned about this vacancy from "other source" or "other website", please provide the source.

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Do you have, or will you have by date of hire, a Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline from an accredited college or university and a minimum of five (5) years or greater of experience, including 3 years of progressive advancement experience?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Please highlight your recent fundraising / sales results. Specifically, include details such as amounts raised, volume of gifts /sales closed and results in each of the past two or three fiscal years. Feel free to highlight a significant gift or equivalent business transaction you are especially proud of, including your role in the process. (250 words or less)

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Please discuss your experience, if any, in institutional advancement.

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Do you have a valid NC Driver's license or the ability to obtain one within 60 days of your start date?
  • Yes
  • No

Required Documents

• Cover Letter
• Contact Information for References
• Resume/CV

Optional Documents

NC STATE UNIVERSITY
RALEIGH, NC 27695
PHONE: View phone number on click.appcast.io