POSITION TITLE:
Vice President of Advancement
DIVISION:
Office of the President
DEPARTMENT:
Advancement Office
CLASSIFICATION:
Full-time; Exempt
POSITION DESCRIPTION
OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY
The Vice President for Advancement is responsible directly to the President for developing, managing, and sustaining all campus development functions including fundraising, alumni and donor relations, stewardship, and donor relations systems.
The Vice President will be a member of the President’s cabinet with the purpose of providing leadership that aligns with the University’s vision, mission, and core values. This position will work closely with executive leadership to establish strategies coordinated with institution-wide efforts in key areas of focus that align with the university’s strategic plan and priorities.
Major Responsibilities:
FUNDRAISING
- Develops, implements, and evaluates fundraising plans and strategies to increase philanthropic support of Martin University.
- Solicits individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations for annual, major, and planned gifts towards annually determined goals to meet the strategic priorities of Martin University.
- Plans, coordinates, and executes the advancement of relationships with prospective donors through appropriate stages of the donor cycle (identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship).
- Establishes annual and campaign fundraising goals, budgets and implementation plans, based on the needs of the university.
- Collaborates with internal and external partners to identify opportunities to develop and submit funding proposals in support of university initiatives.
- Identifies opportunities to involve campus staff in order to enhance fundraising efforts.
STEWARDSHIP AND ALUMNI AND DONOR RELATIONS
- Provides stewardship of gifts including the acknowledgement process, coordinating recognition events, dedications, naming opportunities, and endowment reports, in coordination with the Systems Office Foundation staff.
- Ensures all donors receive appropriate and timely follow-up after making a gift commitment.
- Assists in developing plans to appropriately record, manage and spend contributions in accordance with donor intent.
- Develops and implements communication strategies in conjunction with the Marketing and Communications Department to inform internal and external constituencies (including alumni) about the university plans, progress, and overall development.
- Plans, hosts and/or attends development-related receptions and events.
- Provides reports, data analysis and/or impact stories for donors, board meetings, campaign needs and campus leadership.
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION
- Supervises the maintenance of database information on donors and prospects, fund balances and fundraising activities.
- Ensures effective records maintenance, including recording new proposals and tracking their status and recording action reports in a timely manner, using the Foundation’s prospect management system.
- Plans and implements a comprehensive calendar of development events, programs, communications, stewardship, and solicitations to correspond with campus goals and needs, and coordinate with overall statewide Foundation efforts and strategic plan.
- Reports regularly on the progress toward annual goals and action plans.
- Assists in the development of coordinated fundraising materials, campaigns, themes and projects with campus and Systems Office staff.
- Represents the University at community events and through community organizations in order to identify new avenues of philanthropic support.
GENERAL
As a member of the President’s cabinet:
- Assures assessment of functional area needs, investigates and develops alternative strategies, establishes priorities and goals, recommends implementation activities, and evaluates progress.
- Oversees the development and administration of budgets and determines priorities for expenditures.
- Serving as a model for strong leadership by being student- and employee-centered.
- Builds and sustains a process-managed organization and culture that delivers measurable value for the organization targeting efficiency and cost optimization in functional areas.
- Collaborates with other cabinet members to implement the university’s strategic plan. Executes strategic initiatives and resource allocation at a local level to achieve university-wide metrics.
- Continually improves professional competency through participation and/or leadership in professional and other not-for-profit organizations.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.
- CFRE or equivalent professional credential is preferred (commitment to attainment of CFRE or other appropriate credentials expected).
- Five years of progressive development or similar experience, preferably in higher education or with a not-for-profit organization.
- Working knowledge of principles of philanthropy and fundraising, including annual and major gift campaigns, special events, and planned giving.
- Capability to build partnerships with internal and external groups for the overall success of the university.
- Excellent planning, supervisory and evaluation skills.
- Results-oriented and proven track record of accomplishing goals.
- Self-starter and team player.
- High ethical standards for fundraising and donor relations.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise confidentiality with information and financial transactions.
- Willingness and ability to perform some evening and weekend work.
- Must have excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Proven ability to identify key issues and to carry forward an idea or project from conception to execution.
- Good judgment, discretion, tact and the ability to work easily with senior leaders within the higher education, charitable, government, and business sectors.
The intent of this position description is to provide a representative level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.