Assistant Director of Development, Main Campus Regional Gifts

Advances the University of Iowa (UI) and the initiatives of the Main Campus Regional Gifts team by building and managing a portfolio of major gift prospects and moving those prospects through the steps of an established process of donor engagement, collaborating with other UI Center for Advancement (UICA) fundraisers as needed. Maintains strong relationships with campus partners and understanding of university programs and funding priorities. Serves as a trusted philanthropic advisor, educating donors about giving opportunities that would enable them to achieve their desired impact on the University of Iowa and beyond.

The Main Campus Regional Gifts Team serve as generalists who raise funds for University of Iowa Colleges such as the Tippie College of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Law, etc. Main Campus Regional Gifts Team also works with Athletics and the Arts. This position serves as Assistant Director of Development representing the South-Central region (Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma). Expected travel is 50%. 

*This position is eligible for hybrid work (telecommuting) which includes working on-site at our office in Iowa City.*

Job Responsibilities:

Identification
• Assists Prospect Management staff with identification of prospects (based on capacity, giving history, and affiliation) from among pools that may include alumni, fans, patients, or other supporters of the university
• Completes significant volume of proactive outreach calls and messages in order to secure face-to-face qualification meetings
• May assist with the planning and implementation of engagement events and referral programs designed to build long-term relationships and attract major gifts
• Conducts all activities, particularly those involving patient data, according to established laws, policies, procedures, and standards and with the full support of UICA, UI, and UI Hospitals and Clinics as relevant

Qualification
• Builds qualification pool of potential major gift prospects with the goal of building a continuous pipeline of donors capable of making gifts of $50,000
• Learns and applies the processes of active listening and structured questioning to validate prospect’s capacity and inclination and understand strength of affinity
• Uses gathered information and input from supervisor or skilled colleagues to determine whether prospects should be disqualified or moved into the portfolio
• Serves as a trusted philanthropic advisor, practicing transparent communication and educating donors about the giving process

Cultivation
• Manages portfolio of active major gift prospects and works with supervisor to develop their readiness to advance
• Builds travel plans that include qualification meetings, stewardship meetings, strategic meetings with active prospects, and opportunities to learn from colleagues
• Works with supervisor and colleagues to implement donor-centric cultivation strategies
• Works with supervisor to manage deliberate sequence of interactions with each prospect, intended to build engagement and move them through the steps of an established donor engagement process
• Builds knowledge of funding priorities within and beyond assigned unit, consulting with UICA colleagues and campus partners as needed
• Facilitates prospects’ decision-making process; helps them understand next steps and articulate the link between their personal objectives and institutional priorities
• Builds knowledge needed to facilitate solicitation of planned gifts; knows when expert consultation is required

Negotiation
• Meets expectations for solicitations, gifts closed, and average gift size (goals established annually with the supervisor in alignment with organization-wide metrics)
• Knows where prospects fall in the donor engagement process and works with supervisor to plan next steps accordingly
• Works with supervisor and colleagues to identify meaningful ways for donor to achieve their desired impact while meeting funding needs
• Knows how to employ communication and meeting preparation tools in order to achieve stated objectives for each step of the process
• Works with supervisor and others to ensure documentation reflects donor intent and sets expectations for recognition and stewardship

Stewardship
• Develops, implements, and participates in appropriate stewardship activities (e.g., acknowledgement letters, publicity events) for donors as relevant, working with supervisor and stewardship staff as needed
• Maintains integrity of constituent database through timely submittal of stewardship plans and contact reports for all significant interactions

Constituent Management
• Works with supervisor to develop strategies to identify donors and increase private gift support for the unit
• Builds comprehensive understanding of unit’s programs and priorities and works to communicate them to others
• Attends programs and events to build knowledge and relationships and supports special projects related to fundraising for unit priorities
• Cultivates working relationships with campus partners as well as external groups with ties to the unit
• Collaborates with Corporate and Foundation Relations staff as relevant to identify and cultivate corporate and foundation gift prospects for assigned unit

Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree and 1-3 years of related experience required, preferably in a fundraising, nonprofit, or higher education setting

Salary : $50,000