Holy Names University in Oakland, CA is seeking a Director of Major Gifts.
The Director of Major gifts will play a critical role in building a best-in-class advancement program to support the mission of Holy Names University. The University seeks an experienced, entrepreneurial, and strategic development professional to collaborate with the Vice President for University Advancement, to build a comprehensive advancement program at Holy Names University. The candidate will be someone who will relish the opportunity to build a thriving and sustainable major and leadership gifts program from the ground up. They will also collaborate with advancement colleagues, build partnerships across the university with faculty, staff, and volunteers to build a major and leadership gifts portfolio and prospect pipeline. The Director of Major Gifts should be skilled in designing cultivation and solicitation strategies, works with faculty and institutional leadership to identify key fundraising priorities, and partners with the Vice President for University Advancement to identify and design cultivation and solicitation strategies, for a pool of principal gift prospects for the President and senior institutional leaders.
This is an opportunity to build a program, in an educational community with a proud history, a worthy mission, and create a plan to make the changes necessary in a challenging time for small, independent college, who serve the common good. The successful candidate will make a profound difference at Holy Names University.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF POSITION:
- Lead the effort to develop a major and leadership gifts prospect pool.
- Partner with the Director of Advancement Services and Prospect Research to establish a prospect tracking system.
- Meet dollar and activity metrics as set with the Vice President for University Advancement.
- Assist in the development of priorities for programmatic and capital philanthropic support.
- Develop gift strategies for major and leadership gift prospects, working closely with the Vice President for University Advancement and institutional leadership as appropriate.
- In collaboration with the Vice President for University Advancement, recommend strategies to the President and Provost to maximize funding from individuals in support of HNU’s key initiatives.
- Produce well-written, accurate, and timely follow-up and related correspondence such as contact reports, cover and thank you letters, e-mails, reports, briefings and proposals in support of cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual donors.
- Work closely with the Director of Advancement Services and Prospect Research to expand and rate the major and leadership gifts prospect pool.
- Carry a personal portfolio of 125-150 leadership gift prospects.
- Work closely with the Vice President of University Advancement to manage the Annual Giving program.
- Maintain a working knowledge of planned giving techniques and assist in the management of planned giving efforts.
- Assist in writing proposals for prospects as necessary.
- Participate as an active member of the Office of University Advancement, sharing information and collaborating with colleagues in a respectful and professional manner.
- Serve as a key member of the Vice President for University Advancement’s leadership team.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Five to ten years of increasingly responsible advancement experience, preferably in an educational setting.
- Major gift experience required.
- Working knowledge of advancement related database systems, i.e. Raiser’s Edge (or equivalent) required.
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
- Demonstrated ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts.
- High professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information. Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Ability to pay attention to detail and to meet deadlines.
- High level of energy, enthusiasm, and the willingness to work long hours. Flexibility, creativity and initiative are important.
- Listening skills are essential.
- The ability to travel.
- Strong written, planning, and management skills essential.
- A proven team player with the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in Advancement and throughout the university essential.
- A strong belief in and respect for the mission of HNU essential.
- Flexible and available for evening, weekend, or early morning events and meetings.
- The ability to navigate the HNU campus, drive or fly to events is necessary and expected.
To Apply:
*We are unable to offer remote work outside of the state of California.
The review of applications will begin immediately. For consideration, applicants should submit a Holy Names University staff employment application, cover letter and resume to [email protected].
About Holy Names University
Oakland’s Holy Names University was founded in 1868 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Rooted in Catholic intellectual and spiritual traditions, the university’s mission is to empower and prepare a diverse student body for productive lives of leadership and service in a complex world. HNU offers a liberal arts and professional education through 15 undergraduate majors and 7 master’s degree programs. HNU’s student-centered education, with small class sizes and courses in varied formats and schedules, meets the current needs of adult learners, including first-generation students and working adults. The University’s idyllic, 60-acre campus is nestled in the Oakland hills of California and offers panoramic views of San Francisco Bay. To learn more, visit www.hnu.edu.
Holy Names University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome applications from the community, alumni and the general public. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.