Development Coordinator, OSU Agriculture

VISION: Transform the university through the power of generosity.

MISSION: Unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of Oklahoma State University.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE: The department exists to raise major gifts for Oklahoma State University.

PRIMARY PURPOSE: The development coordinator will provide proactive, collaborative, and comprehensive support for development officers in securing private funds for Oklahoma State University.

KEY AREAS OF FOCUS:

Develop & execute processes designed to support development officers in their efforts to prospect, discover, cultivate, solicit and steward donors-

• Ensure smooth travel for development officers by booking cars, flights, and hotels, ensuring that calendars and contacts are complete and accurate and managing competing demands on the officers’ time.
• Assist in donor meeting preparation by pulling reports related to the donor’s giving and engagement history with Oklahoma State University, or other community involvement.
• Assist in meeting/appointment preparation by gathering agenda information, contacting meeting participants, and taking meeting notes and delivering meeting notes/summary to participants as necessary.
• Assist development officers by interacting with others in the Foundation and University to retrieve needed information, create gift documentation, and answer questions resulting from donor visits.

Perform administrative tasks for the department-

• Perform required administrative tasks such as filing expense and reimbursement reports, creating, and tracking progress of new gift agreements, creating recognition and new project agreements.
• Complete and submit gift deposit forms, complete gift-in-kind forms (as needed).
• Provide service to development officers with drafting, proofing, editing, formatting, and finalizing correspondence to prospects and donors according to foundation standards. Document correspondence within electronic databases.
• Oversee budgets, invoice processing, travel reimbursements, expenditures and travel authorizations for development officers.

Manage information effectively and confidentially-

• Master the use of internal systems, particularly Ascend and OnBase, to retrieve needed data, to input new information and to answer questions from donors and campus partners about their giving history and gift management.
• Maintain confidential donor documents and donor information stored in the OSU Foundation’s donor database and archive systems. Prepare, enter, and modify Ascend contact reports, action items and proposals for development officers.
• Evaluate and analyze data to meet fiscal and fundraising needs for continuous improvement.

Team Lead Support-

• Internal meeting preparation by providing development officer summary and other materials for development officer monthly meetings.
• Review and discuss team budget monthly.
• In partnership with the Team Lead, prepare and draft meeting agendas for the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources team meeting, and the Team Lead’s meeting with the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Vice President and Dean.
• Work with the Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Dean’s administrative support team to help coordinate the Vice President and Dean’s travel schedule for donor visits and events regarding donor engagement.

Other duties as assigned.

JOB COMPETENCIES AND EXPERIENCE:

Education & Certifications -

• High school graduation is required; bachelor’s degree is preferred.

Experience -

• A minimum of three years of full-time administrative work is preferred; previous work experience involving administrative tasks supporting other staff is required.
• Experience with databases and spreadsheets is required, as is skills with word processing software; systems used within the Foundation include the MS Office suite (especially Word and Excel); in addition, the Foundation uses The Ascend software for alumni and donor records.
• Experience in completing detailed work, meeting tight deadlines, solving problems and managing concurrent tasks in a complex environment is essential.
• Sense of humor and experience having fun!

Organizational Competencies -

• Effective Communication: Communicates well (written and verbal); exhibits exceptional listening skills, and is transparent through open dialog and informational sharing; seeks first to understand and assumes positive intent; deals with others in a straightforward and honest manner while conveying both good and bad news; avoids “telling themselves a story” and works to deploy crucial conversation communication techniques; shows the highest level of understanding, courtesy, tact, empathy and concern with all interactions
• Execution & Initiative: Demonstrates a high level of initiative on assignments; expresses interest in taking on more responsibilities and contributing to overall goals; proactively contributes to problem solving and pursues continuous improvement efforts at all times; takes responsibility to ensure that quality and timeliness of deliverables meets organizational and donor expectations; ensures work is accurate; delivers upon commitments while demonstrating integrity, stewardship of resources and service to OSU
• Teamwork/Interpersonal Skills: Builds and maintains strong internal working relationships that promote open and honest communication; cares for others personally and professionally; values diversity and treats all individuals with respect and professionalism; demonstrates an open mind-set when presented with opportunities to learn about different culture, approaches or opinions; supports team efforts and makes the Foundation a more enjoyable place to work
• Problem Solving/Judgment: Seeks guidance and expert opinions in decision-making and planning process; gains understanding of how to apply approved policies and procedures; when and why escalation of issues is needed and to whom; responds appropriately and timely to issues; accepts responsibility for actions
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Committed to continuous improvement; adapts to change, is open to new ideas; takes on new responsibilities, handles pressure, and adjusts plans to meet changing needs; shows ability to listen actively to different perspectives and consider alternate views based on new information; demonstrates self-control and remains productive during times of uncertainty
• Courage & Conviction: Proactively takes responsibility for individual outcomes regardless of success, and learns from all results; demonstrates dedication to the principles of truth and honesty, even when the message may not be welcome; maintains confidentiality; supports company values, walks the talk; behaviors and actions are consistent with statements, values and beliefs; practices ethical decision making; has courage to try something new when encouraged by others; shows accountability and credibility by following through on commitments; receives constructive feedback from others and looks for continually improvement
• Donor Centered: Follows through with appropriate actions and/or information to meet the requests of donors; actively shares contacts and relationships with those who may have common goals or needs; embraces development and stewardship strategies that build relationships and respect the donors' interests, while balancing university priorities; solidifies personal relationships with mutual trust and fulfillment on commitments

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Must use a computer terminal and view a computer screen for extended periods of time. Must talk in person or by phone (frequently and sometimes for extended periods) to people on campus and across the country. Must constantly use visual acuity to check printed and designed materials of various types. Must be able to navigate within the OSU Foundation. Typical office working conditions.