Annual Giving Officer Intermediate

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How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and must be attached as the first page of your resume.  The letter should address your specific interest in and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.  Applicants who do not meet these requirements will not be considered.

Summary

The Annual Giving Officer reports to the Director of Development and Alumni Relations and is responsible for directing and expanding Rackham's $500,000 annual giving program, direct mail, telefund solicitations, digital fundraising, and recent alumni philanthropy. A central function of this position will be developing donor loyalty and building a foundation for future lead annual and major gift donors. The ideal candidate will enjoy creating, planning, and executing annual giving and engagement plans to support Rackham's mission. 

The Annual Giving Officer will contribute to Rackham's positive and inclusive work community by building trusting partnerships across the graduate school, continually learning and working with a sense of ownership for outcomes and being able to prioritize tasks within a fast-paced, team-oriented environment and work independently. The ideal candidate approaches the role with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind, treating others with respect and dignity and in a manner where individuals feel they belong, listening, valuing feedback, and learning from the perspectives of others. 

Because we are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility we aspire to develop and nurture the individual and collective skills to recognize, celebrate, and deploy difference as a path to engagement, innovation, and the generation of new ideas and knowledge. 

If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can excel in the role, we'd love to learn more about you. 

PLEASE NOTE: Rackham is currently offering hybrid work schedules to staff, requiring 2-3 days per week on-site with the remaining time being remote. 

To learn more about the Rackham Graduate School visithttps://rackham.umich.edu/ 

Why Work at Michigan?

Being part of something greater, of serving a larger mission of discovery and care _ that's the heart of what drives people to work at Michigan. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. It's adding a purpose to your profession. Work at Michigan and become a victor for the greater good.

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

• Generous time off
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
• Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Responsibilities*

Job responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

Annual Giving and Donor Acquisition Activities (40%): Develop strategic solicitation plans focused on acquiring, retaining, and upgrading annual donors, resulting in increased gifts to Rackham's unrestricted annual fund from alumni, non-alumni, and students to achieve annual targeted goals. Develop and test new initiatives and innovative concepts for graduate education fundraising. Work with the Office of University Development (OUD) to maximize all available central annual giving services. Oversee strategy and execution of a comprehensive multi-channel annual giving program. Create, plan, and execute donor-centric annual appeal collateral with the Rackham Communications team for all media channels while leveraging services of the Office of University Development Development's Annual Giving team for direct mail, email, and phone solicitations. Routinely analyze current practices to identify opportunities to optimize efforts and take corrective actions based on trend analysis, peer benchmarking, and best practices across U-M. This requires being innovative in building tactical plans to increase production and participation. Responsible for donor/customer service required via phone, email and in person regarding how to make a gift, giving history, engagement opportunities, etc. 

Digital Fundraising (25%): Develop and implament plans to drive donor and prospective engagement via social media, social communities, digital, mobile, crowdfunding programs, and developing channels. Responsible for maintaining and updating Rackham's online fundraising pages as needed. Manages the execution of Rackham's participation in giving days, including Giving Tuesday, U-M's annual day of giving, Giving Blueday, and Rackham's Giving Day. Develop standardized digital fundraising procedures and ensure those standards are followed so that online and digital facing constituents receive a tailored and structured set of online and digital giving opportunities. Set performance benchmarks and targets across all digital fundraising channels. Collaborate with Rackham's Communications team to increase following and engagement on the School's social media channels. 

Recent Alumni and Affinity Group Engagement and Philanthropy (25%):Establish a plan to build a culture of philanthropy among recent alumni and affinity groups. Develop and maintain recent alumni philanthropy programs, including: 

• Recruitment of volunteers as philanthropy ambassadors and peer solicitors 
• Cultivation of alumni affinity groups and related annual fund activities. 
• Track the progress of the program and provide annual reports. 

Increase participation and donor acquisition among students and recent alumni through targeted programming, communication, and engagement opportunities. Coordinate with and advise Rackham student organizations to promote campus wide giving and gratitude activities. 

Other Duties as Assigned (10%): Undertake special projects as assigned by the Dean or the Director of Development and Alumni Relations. Participate as a member of Development or Rackham teams, committees, and working groups as needed. Represent Rackham Annual Giving program with peers internal and external to the organization. May supervise temporary/work study employees and interns. 

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree with 2 to 4 years of relevant experience
• Experience in fundraising, public relations, communications, or a related field
• Strong knowledge of current and developing online fundraising strategies, social media, mobile, and new technologies.
• Understanding of best practices across multiple platforms and the knowledge base to develop best practices for emerging media types.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a high level of sophistication and maturity in social and professional settings 
• Project management experience, including development and managing processes, and excellent problem solving skills required
• Demonstrated superior interpersonal and teamwork skills, with the ability to keep deadlines and work in an intensive, fast-paced, diverse environment
• Must be able to work evenings and weekends with prior notice as required
• Appreciation for and understanding of graduate education and the important role it plays in advancing innovation, scholarship, and research at Michigan

Desired Qualifications*

• Previous experience with face to face solicitations.
• Previous experience with fundraising in higher education
• Prior experience using DART (Donor and Alumni Relationship Tool) or other constituent relationship management systems used for fundraising efforts
• Demonstrated ability to work with diverse constituents
• Knowledge of university policies and procedures

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

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