Donor Engagement Officer

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

Welcome to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)… a world unlike any other. We combine learning, research, creativity, service and discovery with a commitment to inclusive excellence. Ranked by U.S. News as one of the 30 “most innovative” public universities in the country, VCU is a premier, urban, public research university home to multiple nationally ranked programs. Here, your success is supported, and your career can thrive. VCU offers a generous leave package, career paths for advancement, competitive pay and mission-driven work. We advance a conscientious drive to support a climate where excellence and success for all people are valued and differences are celebrated. Together, we can be unstoppable. 

The Donor Engagement Officer (DEO) role is an annual giving fundraising position in the Office of Medical Philanthropy and Alumni Relations (MPAR) at Virginia Commonwealth University, serving VCU Massey Cancer Center (MCC), VCU School of Medicine (SOM) and VCU Health (VCUH). This position leads pipeline development and engagement, working with grateful patients and donors to VCU Health. Reporting to the Donor Engagement Officer, Team Lead, this role works closely with the School of Medicine and VCUH frontline fundraising teams representing Internal Medicine and Health and Wellness to achieve quarterly and annual fundraising and donor engagement metrics.  

The Donor Engagement Officer position is  unique consisting of traditional leadership annual giving work, soliciting and stewarding gifts up to $50,000, as well as dynamic donor engagement work connected to the Medical Philanthropy Strategic Engagement team. The Donor Engagement Officer bridges the gap between strategic engagement campaigns and major and principal-level giving initiatives by focusing on annual giving donor renewal and retention, supporting cultivation and fundraising initiatives and events, and qualifying and referring newly acquired donors. 

The Donor Engagement Officer will gain experience working with a wide variety of donors across Medical Philanthropy audiences and should expect to take on progressively more responsibility for closing larger and more complex gifts. The successful candidate must demonstrate an ability to plan, execute, secure and steward lead annual gifts. A strong orientation for collaboration is required, along with an enthusiasm for maintaining relationships among VCU’s development partners. Candidates must be able to demonstrate a commitment to promoting a diverse, inclusive and team-oriented work environment.

Responsibilities:

•  Build and manage a portfolio of assigned prospects.
• Successfully execute fundraising visits, solicitations and dollar goals which are evaluated and determined annually.
• Successfully secure a high number of quality engagement interactions with prospects through personal visits, phone calls, e-mail communication and event engagement; this includes engagement on several platforms including but not limited to virtual visits and in-person travel throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of donor interactions and cultivation activities in the university's Blackbaud CRM system.
• Work in collaboration with the Director of Annual Giving, MPAR Strategic Engagement staff, MPAR’s frontline fundraising pods and the affiliated university foundations to meet or exceed fundraising goals.
• Create and develop awareness about Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine and VCU Health with prospective donors.
• Steward relationships with donors and provide opportunities for them to stay connected to Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine and VCU Health and our programs.
• Provide assistance to donors regarding tax laws, policies and procedures and in resolving problems with university administrators and faculty in order to maintain a positive image of VCU.
• Through effective identification and qualification, build a pipeline of qualified prospects
• Work with prospect development staff to identify prospective donors.
• Track portfolio activity and progress in the donor database and create reports of portfolio activity and performance.

Minimum Qualifications:

•  Bachelor’s degree or equivalent training and work experience
• Previous professional fundraising or sales experience
• Demonstrated success in planning, executing and closing personal solicitations
• A strong command of fundraising principles and a familiarity with the objectives of
  annual and unrestricted-gift fundraising
• Familiarity with technology, software, and digital tools to communicate and engage with
  others and experience with fundraising databases
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, ethics and practices of successful fundraising
• Working knowledge of tax laws and HIPPA and their impact on charitable giving.
• Ability to work and navigate within a complex organization and diverse constituencies
• Must be willing to travel via automobile as part of duties
• Strong communication skills (written and oral)
• Strong data-analysis skills
• An outgoing and positive personality, strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative
  working style
• Organized and detail-oriented with proven ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
  in a fast-paced and goal-oriented environment
• A self-starter who can work effectively as a team member and independently
• Demonstrated ability to execute objectives and goals aligned to the mission of a complex, urban university and the ability to persuasively represent its goals to multiple constituents
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering a diverse faculty, staff and student
  environment or commitment to do so as a university professional at VCU

Preferred Qualifications:

•  Master's degree from an accredited institution or work experience within fundraising that
  equates to an advanced degree
• Two years of professional fundraising or sales experience
• Experience in frontline fundraising in higher education or an academic medical center
• Proven ability to motivate, engage, solicit and steward a range of prospects
• Ability to draw correlations between engagement and giving levels then make
  appropriate solicitation
• Valid driver’s license

A resume and cover letter are required for consideration. A diversity statement is preferred, but not required. Preference will be given to applications received before March 3, 2025.

Izzy Kane
irkane@vcu.edu