Development (Major Gift) Officer (Revised Review Date)

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, United States

Updated: 1 day ago
Location: La Crosse, WISCONSIN
Deadline: ;

Posting Details 
Position Information


Recruitment Number 1456
Number of Vacancies 1
Working Title Development (Major Gift) Officer (Revised Review Date)
Classification Title Gift Officer II
Proposed Salary to be Offered $65,000 depending on experience and qualifications
Appointment Percentage (Budget) 100%
Position Summary
This position is under the general supervision of the Executive Director of Development and will work extensively with a team of employees within the Division of University Advancement and the Board of Directors of the UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation. The Development Officer is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of approximately 100 prospective donors with the capacity to make gifts greater than $25,000+. The Development Officer plans and conducts strategic face to face meetings followed by contact documentation and follow-up to secure and steward support for UWL.
Focusing on donor solicitation, the Development Office works closely with Alumni & Friends Foundation leadership as well as experienced academic and administrative leaders in one or more assigned areas. For each area, the Director of Development is expected to establish and work a gift pipeline and portfolio. Key responsibilities may include:
Academic Unit Leadership
  • Become the academic unit expert and serve as liaison between the academic unit and the Alumni & Friends Foundation. Establish competency and be able to communicate on academic unit departments, degrees, key faculty, areas of research, programs, awards and recognition, cultivation opportunities, needs, funding initiatives, and other areas as appropriate;
  • Create and implement a comprehensive development plan based on major giving goals for the academic unit;
  • Attend events that assist in the identification, cultivation, solicitation or stewardship of major gift prospects and/or donors;
  • Meet monthly with the Dean/Director and appropriate academic unit leadership to review monthly reports by unit, and to discuss key prospect strategies, development assignments, prospect identification, and progress to goal; and
  • Educate Alumni & Friends Foundation peers as appropriate about the academic unit.


Regional Leadership
  • Cultivate philanthropic relationships with individuals and entities interested in the success of UWL by travelling in-state, regionally, and nationally to solicit prospects; and
  • Achieve competency in Alumni & Friends Foundation and UWL history and purpose as well as an understanding of UWL’s strategic plans and priorities, academic units, funding priorities, and general needs.
  • Development Specialty, Initiative or other Priority Leadership
  • Become the expert in development specialty, initiatives, or other UWL priorities as assigned;
  • As directed, establish goals and report on progress to meet fundraising targets; and
  • Develop and implement fundraising plans and associated strategic prospect plans.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Develop and manage volunteer teams as appropriate to leverage gift success;
  • Draft formal correspondence, proposals, and other written materials for assigned prospects;
  • Collaborate with other Alumni & Friends Foundation departments and team members to ensure development success;
  • Affect and maintain a professional, proactive, positive, highly collaborative, and performance-centric work environment; and
  • Complete all other duties as assigned by supervisor (Executive Director of Development). Duties and responsibilities may change at any time.
Position Type Staff/Administrative
Pay Basis Annual
FLSA Exempt
Contingent Upon Funding No
Is this position eligible for employment sponsorship, (H1B or PERM)? No
Required Qualifications
Education: 
Bachelor’s degree.
Skills: 
1) Strong communication skills including verbal, written, and listening
2) Self-motivated and able to lead initiatives independently
3) Detail oriented
4) Time management skills-able to juggle complex tasks and meet deadlines
5) Have the ability to work both independently and as part of a dynamic team
6) Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Experience: 
Prior non-profit or higher education development experience; related and relevant skills and experience also acceptable
Preferred Qualifications
Other: 
Proficiency with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge. 
Experience: 
Three years of non-profit or higher education development experience.
Physical Demands
Candidate must be able to travel via all modes of transportation. Must have valid Driver’s License. Position requires significant time using telephones and computers
Reasonable Accommodations
UWL provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact [email protected] or 608.785.8013. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.
All position descriptions are required to provide physical demands and working condition/environment and may not be published in the job announcement. For information on the physical demands and/or working conditions/environment for this position, please contact Human Resources at [email protected] or 608.785.8013.
Working conditions and environment
  • Local, regional and national travel required (up to 25%).
  • Some evenings and weekends required as well.
  • Office setting
Miscellaneous Information
Information about your benefits
Your benefits add an additional 40%+ to the overall financial package from the university.
Highlights include:
  • excellent flexible health insurance with low co-pays and good coverage.
  • paid holidays and sick days.
  • sick leave may be converted at retirement to pay for health insurance post-work at UWL.
  • after 5 years of employment, you become vested in our retirement system which ensures income post-career.
  • benefits at UWL are highly competitive with local industry and some of the strongest in state and nation.


Learn more at: https://www.uwlax.edu/globalassets/offices-services/human-resources/benefits-info/fasl.pdf

Benefit eligibility is determined at point of hire. This information is provided for illustrative purposes only. Benefits are also pro-rated based on the appointment percentage.
Information about UWL and the Surrounding Region
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is a top-rated, comprehensive University of Wisconsin campus, located in the beautiful Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin. Known for scholarship, academic rigor, physical activity and a close-knit community, UWL remains dedicated to its century-old mission to train the whole person — “the mind and body.”
UWL has earned a strong reputation nationally for factors such as graduation rates, return on investment and great outcomes for low-income students. It is the No. 2 public college in Wisconsin on Forbes’ 2023 America’s Top Colleges list. And it is Wisconsin’s top-ranked public university with fewer than 25,000 students, according to U.S. News & World Report’s list of the Best National Universities.
UWL offers 130-plus degree programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels in the arts, social sciences and humanities; science and health; business; and education. UWL has three colleges: the College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Humanities, the College of Business Administration, and the College of Science & Health, as well as the School of Education and the School of Visual & Performing Arts. UWL has about 447 full-time faculty and instructional academic staff, including 82% with doctoral or terminal degrees.
UWL has strong student success programs that have contributed to a strong retention rate. This fall, students returned to UWL at one of the highest rates on record with 86.5% of the 2022-23 first-year class retained — the highest mark in a decade and the fifth-highest mark in the past 50 years.
UW-La Crosse’s strategic plan Sustaining Excellence continues to move our community forward through its four pillars: increasing community engagement, achieving excellence through equity and diversity, investing in our people, and advancing transformational education. More information about the ongoing work of Sustaining Excellence is available at www.uwlax.edu/info/strategic-plan.
The UW-La Crosse campus is in southwestern Wisconsin, nestled in a residential area of the City of La Crosse and positioned as part of a larger metro area with a population close to 140,000. The area, known as the 7 Rivers Region, is famous for its exceptional natural beauty, which includes the Mississippi River on one side, majestic bluffs on the other, and views of rolling farmland and forested valleys in between. Abundant water, woodlands and varying terrain provide ample opportunities for year-round outdoor recreation. Only a couple of hours from Minneapolis or Madison, La Crosse enjoys the affordability and charm of small- town living with larger city benefits. Three colleges, two world-class medical institutions, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra, a restored 19th century downtown business district, and a number of galleries and art centers have made La Crosse a regional center for culture, entertainment, medical care, shopping, sports and recreation. More information about the La Crosse metro area can be found at Explore La Crosse and Choose La Crosse.
Learn more about UW-La Crosse here: https://www.uwlax.edu/human-resources/services/talent-acquisition-and-employment/finalist-welcome/
AA/EO Statement
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. We strongly encourage women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans to apply. UWL, in compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or protected veteran status.
DEI Statement
UW-La Crosse’s diversity and inclusion efforts are guided by our adherence to Inclusive Excellence. We define Inclusive Excellence as “… our active, intentional and ongoing commitment to bridge differences with understanding and respect so all can thrive." The goals of Inclusive Excellence are to increase the retention of diverse faculty, staff, and students while encouraging a campus climate that is inviting and welcoming to all. UW-La Crosse strives to promote acceptance of all facets of diversity from racial/ethnic diversity to diversity of thought and experience. UW-La Crosse ranks 6th nationally among the Top LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges for 2018-19 by AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO).
Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)
For the UWL Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see https://www.uwlax.edu/police/annual-security-report/ or contact the University Police Department at 608.785.9999.
Redbook Position
Division/College Advancement and External Relations Division
Description of College / Department / Program / Division / Unit
TThe mission of the UWL University Advancement Division is to strengthen relationships with University stakeholders and manage engagement and fundraising activities to secure resources and support for the University’s mission and vision. Advancement is an integrated function of strategic engagement, fundraising and communications, which coordinates images, messages and constituency engagement activities to disseminate critical information, create powerful experiences, and offer essential services to key constituencies.
The UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation works to create a lifetime connection with UWL by building and maintaining relationships among students, alumni, friends and the University. In addition, the Development Program, serves to maximize private gift support for the University. We strive for philanthropic results through donor-centered service and student-focused opportunities in order to enhance the academic activities in instruction, research, education and public service.
University Communications’ mission is to serve UWL by setting the highest standards for its creative work using the power of words and images to advance its educational mission. The office provides campus news bureau and publication services, web design and development, and social media support. Its primary responsibility is to share information about the UWL with the publics who influence our success including the campus community, alumni and friends, current and prospective donors, and the local and global community our campus serves

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