Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations

Reinhardt University is currently accepting applications for a Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations.

Position Summary:

The Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations is responsible for managing, planning, and implementing a strategic annual fundraising and alumni engagement program for Reinhardt University. The Director focuses on growing unrestricted giving, recurring giving, and consistent annual support from the current donor base as well as cultivating prospective donors. The role requires a creative thinker and self-starter with attention to detail and strong fundraising skills who prioritizes data-centric program planning. The Director will foster strong alumni engagement and active participation in the Reinhardt University community through events and activities and is responsible for the leadership and coordination of the Alumni Board of Governors. The position coordinates with colleagues in the Office of Advancement, Marketing and Communication, with faculty and staff across the university seeking annual support, with current and former members of the Alumni Board of Governors, and with the broader alumni base.

Minimum Qualification Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in English, history, communications, marketing, business, or relevant field of study from an accredited institution.

• Three to five years’ experience in a non-profit or educational fundraising environment, with a minimum of two years’ experience in fundraising, volunteer management, engagement or customer service.
• Familiarity with and proficiency in Alumni Relations and Annual Giving best practices to ensure Reinhardt leverages effective annual fund planning, measuring, and evaluation tactics.
• Familiarity with concepts relating to financial management and reporting, compliance, volunteer management, public relations, marketing, and communications.
• Knowledge of database systems (CRM and Raiser’s Edge preferred) and maintaining records and appeal information within a central donor database considered a plus.
• Excellent organizational, time and project management, problem-solving, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Practiced and superb interpersonal skills with the ability to listen carefully and patiently, and thoughtfully respond to internal and external constituent questions or resolve concerns.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Demonstrated strong writing, copy editing, analytical abilities with the ability to compose correspondence and make effective and persuasive presentations to internal and external constituents.
• Capacity to communicate with high-level executives and officials, volunteers, and campus constituents in a professional, respectful, and collaborative manner.
• Ability to work with attention to detail, especially when organizing meetings, events and coordinating schedules.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize work assignments, solve complex problems, and resolve conflicts.
• Ability to manage time effectively and work on multiple complex assignments at one time.
• Demonstrated experience working with senior administrators or faculty, managing workplace demands of a high-profile office, and protecting the confidentiality of information shared.
• Comfortable working in a demanding, face-paced, and deadline-based environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a team and with many diverse constituents.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Willingness to work evening and weekend hours for special projects and events.
• Successful completion of background check.

Personal Characteristics:

• 
  A motivated self-starter who takes initiative, anticipates challenges, and follows through with tasks to provide a superior alumni and donor experience.
• A personable and engaging individual with a consistently professional appearance when interacting with internal and external constituents.
• A positive individual possessing high levels of initiative and comfort working with teams or independently.
• An individual who embraces diversity and fosters inclusion in all aspects of life.
• Intuitive, perceptive, and skilled at reading both people and situations as well as flexible and willing to adapt, especially when advancing multiple projects and priorities.
• An individual who balances a sense of urgency in addressing needs with the patience required of a team-oriented environment.
• A service-oriented person who engenders support among colleagues, staff, and the community through knowledge, experience, creativity, vision, and dedication to the mission, vision, and values of Reinhardt University.

Work Environment/Physical Requirements of the Job:

Intermittent sitting, standing, stooping, crouching, walking, and occasional moving of objects. Must be able to walk between buildings and climb stairs on a routine basis. Physical ability to occasionally lift to 20 pounds. Physical capacity to occasionally lift, carry, push, and pull. Work is performed in person and in an office setting.

Primary Responsibilities/Essential Job Functions:

Annual Giving

• Leads, plans and implements strategies to achieve yearly fundraising and participation goals. Focus on retaining and upgrading existing donors, as well as increasing the overall participation rate of all constituencies through the acquisition of new donors.
• Works closely with the Vice President for Advancement to set yearly goals and metrics for annual giving at Reinhardt and then tracks progress against those goals regularly throughout the fiscal year.
• Plans and implements annual appeals leveraging multi-channels including online, social, direct mail, and calling efforts. Focus on new and emerging technologies to stay relevant with trends in donor preferences and habits to identify opportunities for growth or efficiency and to identify viable new channels. Manages vendor relationships related to direct mail, telemarking, and crowdfunding, as appropriate.
• In collaboration with Marketing and Communications, assists in writing and producing fundraising appeals and other content aimed at educating and informing constituents about the importance of annual giving at Reinhardt University.
• Monitors, analyzes, and reports on qualitative and quantitative data from multiple sources to drive continuous improvement and performance of annual fundraising efforts.
• Develops and executes a Leadership Annual Giving program with the priority to grow and strengthen Reinhardt’s major gift pipeline.
• Prioritizes stewardship and fosters positive relationships with constituents.
• Ensures confidentiality of departmental or office administration by exercising discretion when communicating information to faculty, staff, or students and in handling Advancement records, files, and other confidential materials.

Alumni Engagement

• Develops and executes strategies for alumni relations efforts at Reinhardt University that are designed to meet the goals set forth in coordination with the Vice President.
• Work with the Vice President to establish metrics and goals for Alumni Relations and provide consistent reports that measure progress against stated goals.
• Manages and implements annual alumni activities including events such as reunions, Homecoming and Alumni Weekend.
• Coordinates with and facilitates the work of the Reinhardt University Alumni Board of Governors and the activities of the Reinhardt Alumni Association by helping plan and implement alumni programming. Responsibilities include supporting the development of a leadership pipeline for the Alumni Board of Governors and coordinating the Reinhardt Alumni Awards.
• Collaborates with others in Advancement and Marketing to promote the importance of Alumni engagement, build student-alumni engagement, and foster young alumni activities to enhance the experience of each student as they graduate and become alumni of the institution.
• Assists in fostering Reinhardt University traditions and campus experiences alive in the minds and hearts of all alumni.
• Prioritizes staying informed and well-versed on the academic programs, strategic priorities, and financial needs of Reinhardt University.
• Serve as a host and representative of the University at all alumni events and important campus functions.

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by the Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Reinhardt University is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE/M/V/H/V).

Reinhardt University is an equal opportunity institution. The University respects the essential dignity of all individuals and is committed to providing equal access to and support for education and employment opportunities. Reinhardt does not discriminate in any of its policies, programs, or activities on the basis of race, color, age, culture, national origin, socioeconomic status, veteran’s status, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, religious belief, physical (dis)ability, political affiliation, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. All persons involved in the operations of the University are prohibited from engaging in such discrimination. Direct inquiries regarding the equal opportunity and non-discrimination policy to: Director of Human Resources, Reinhardt University, 7300 Reinhardt Circle, Waleska, GA 30183, 770-720-9146.

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