Assistant/Associate Director of Development

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Summary

The Assistant/Associate Director of Development will be responsible for securing major gifts for the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan (AAUM). They will spend 80% of their time identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors and prospects who demonstrate an interest in supporting various AAUM priorities, especially LEAD Scholars, Camp Michigania, and Alumni Center named spaces. The Assistant/Associate Director of Development will build and manage a portfolio of major gift prospects with the capacity to give $50K or more. They will work closely with Alumni Association staff and leaders while also partnering with university-wide development colleagues in order to promote a donor-centered, collaborative environment.

In addition to the responsibilities and qualifications listed below and most importantly, candidates must share and hold to the highest regard, the same values that are uniquely inherent to AAUM:

ALL IN

• You believe in our mission.
• You are trustworthy and loyal to AAUM and to each other.
• You are passionate about what we're doing and proud to be a part of it.
• You are an employee who goes above and beyond the call of duty.
• You are committed to building a culture that keeps DEIJ at the heart of everything we do and recognizes and embraces the myriad of identities, experiences, and backgrounds of all staff, volunteers, and alumni.

SERVING HEART

• You are open and willing to listen to others and help in whatever way possible.
• You are dedicated to selflessly following the Platinum Rule: treat others the way they want to be treated.
• You are passionate about fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture.
• You are willing to put the needs of alumni and staff colleagues ahead of your own if that is what is best for AAUM.

SOLUTION SEEKER

• You are a creative problem solver.
• You are never satisfied with the status quo.
• You find a way to say yes.
• You embrace new ideas and approaches from different perspectives.
• You are collaborative, flexible, and adaptive.
• You incorporate DEIJ into every part of your work's equation to boost relevance and value over time with evolving world views and demographics.

Who We Are

We enrich the University of Michigan's impact by serving as an independent gateway for alums of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences, across the globe and in our neighborhoods, in order to create and deepen belonging to the Michigan Family, the Leaders and Best.

AAUM values a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to the continual development of a diverse staff who thrive and contribute to a positive, equitable and inclusive environment. Our commitment to DEI work is showcased here: https://alumni.umich.edu/about/diversity/ .

Responsibilities*

• Demonstrate a deep commitment to social impact philanthropy.
• Identify, assess, analyze, and design appropriate strategies for approaching prospects and donors and making the vitally important match between donors' philanthropic interests and Alumni Association (AAUM) priorities.
• Proactively manage a portfolio of individual major gift prospects, with an emphasis on giving capacity over $50K. Identify and plan personalized outreach for each individual in the portfolio in order to effectively qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward them on behalf of AAUM.
• Collaborate with Major Gift Officers across campus to provide donor-centered giving opportunities while supporting the overall Alumni Association fundraising goals.
• Participate in professional development opportunities to remain current with trends in fundraising.
• Initiate regular reports, analyze data, and maintain accurate and current records including contact /interaction reports and individual development plans in the University's donor database.
• Strategically focus 80% of time on direct fundraising efforts in order to meet or exceed annual gift officer dollars-raised goals.
• Meet or exceed Office of University Development standards for gift officer metrics by conducting approximately 90-120 visits and approximately 15 - 30 solicitations with prospects and donors per year (metrics subject to change based on Office of University Development standards).
• Have a comprehensive understanding of Alumni Association priorities and make a persuasive verbal and written case for supporting key programs and projects, effectively matching the interests of prospects to specific Alumni Association needs.
• Complete specific follow-up with individual donor prospects from events and meetings.
• Actively participate in regular training sessions, workshops, seminars that further advance the DEIJ mission statement of AAUM.
• Serve as a social impact ambassador on behalf of AAUM when working with both internal and external constituents.

General Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide organizational leadership by demonstrating AAUM core values: All In, Serving Heart and Solution Seeker, and helping other staff members demonstrate those values.
• Value and embrace different identities and diversity of thought recognizing that everyone has unique and different experiences that contribute to the best solution seeking and success for AAUM.
• Work with AAUM staff members to gain a clear and consistent understanding of the details of the strategic plan and feel equal ownership of every piece of it, including pieces for which there is no direct responsibility.
• Be inclusive and collaborative with every other member of the staff and every other team. Operate as a critical contributing member of the staff to complete objectives in many different areas in order to move the whole organization toward the strategic plan.
• Support University Relations efforts by demonstrating AAUM value to campus units/partners (i.e., schools/colleges, campuses).
• Continually build digital skill sets in order to implement into work.
• Staff and participate in team meetings, Alumni Association events that may be during evenings or weekends, and staff retreats including offsite, overnight staff retreats at Camp Michigania.
• Provide staff support to the Alumni Association's Board of Directors, its committees, and other volunteers as needed.
• Coordinate special projects as assigned or required.
• Participate in Alumni Association and other University committees as required.
• Share knowledge through internal communication.
• Support the Alumni Association's vision of creating a place of belonging for all alumni.
• Remain current with respect to technology and the University's educational resources.

Supervision Received:

Direct supervision is received from Chief Development Officer

Supervision Exercised:

May coordinate the work of temporary and/or student employees.

Required Qualifications*

• A Bachelor's degree and at least 3 or 5 (3 years for assistant level and 5 years for associate level) years of professional experience in philanthropy depending on job level and candidate pool including direct fundraising, alumni relations, sales, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to exercise a high degree of strategic thinking, sound judgment, and diplomacy, with a commitment to confidentiality.
• Must have the ability to work comfortably and professionally with broad and diverse constituencies such as students, staff, volunteers, and high net-worth individuals.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both oral and written), strong organizational abilities, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated track record of financial development and/or sales productivity in a complex work environment.
• A proven ability to handle conflicts and reach consensus.
• A proven ability to generate creative, innovative solutions to issues with a can-do attitude and results-driven mindset.
• Demonstrated commitment to doing whatever it takes to make positive contributions to the larger organizational mission.
• Experience and comfort with software programs including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and database management. Ability to effectively present and communicate data.

Work Locations

This position works a hybrid schedule that includes weekly in office time, time in the field, and some remote work. 

Additional Information

• AAUM welcomes applications from people of all abilities. This particular position requires the occasional moving of 10 lbs or less.
• This position requires frequent evening and weekend work and frequent travel.
• The salary range for this position will depend on level of experience as described in the required qualifications.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.