Director of Development

The Director of Development is part of an experienced front-line major gifts team, providing strategic, results-driven approaches to enhance both immediate and long-term philanthropic support for Palmer College. The Director creates, executes and manages comprehensive, multi-year donor engagement plans that result in increased donations in support of College priorities. The Director is responsible for an assigned geographic region including part the Midwest and Mideast United States. As Director, the position represents the entire College when engaging alumni who have graduated from any of Palmer College’s campuses.

The Director of Development is a member of collaborative, and impact-driven Advancement team whose mission is to amplify college pride, build lifelong connections with alumni and friends, and inspire impactful generosity.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with Senior Director to develop yearly plan, goals, and metrics for success;
• Utilize prospect research tools to identify potential major donors with philanthropic interests aligned with the College’s priorities. 
• Priority must be given to direct and intentional contact with donors and prospects;
• Conduct an average of 10-15 planned strategic donor/prospect in-person meetings per month, traveling to assigned regions in the continental United States;
• Articulate Palmer’s vision, mission, goals and core values in the cultivation and nurture of positive relationships with potential and existing donor stakeholders that will help donors accomplish their philanthropic goals and ambitions through a deep relationship with Palmer College;
• Identify and qualify prospects with the ability to make mid-level, major, planned, or principal gifts to Palmer College;
• Build and actively manage a dynamic portfolio of 60 active prospects and donors, with a focus on those with potential for giving $25,000 or more;
• Create and execute individualized donor engagement plans that utilize best practices in mid-level, major and planned giving including: identifying; qualifying; soliciting; and stewarding donors;
• Share commitment to Palmer’s investment in professional development, actively participating in Discipline of Frontline Fundraising (DFF) program provided by Plus Delta Partners;
• Maintain current professional and technical knowledge;
• Maintain institutional compliance regulations;
• Perform all responsibilities in a manner that fully complies with Palmer’s Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action policy; and
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and three years of fundraising experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience with a record of closing major gifts is required.
• Must be a self-starter who regularly sets and achieves activity and results-driven goals.
• Demonstrated understanding of higher education alumni and advancement programs, specifically as related to fundraising and alumni engagement.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate, both orally and in writing, with all levels of constituents and colleagues.
• Ability to set solicitation goals and participate in the ongoing evaluation of fundraising endeavors.
• Work in a team context, accepting responsibility for the success of colleagues as well as your own.
• Actively participate in prospect management meetings to set fundraising strategy.
• Maintain and enhance familiarity with current and deferred gift vehicles.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues, providing written and verbal documentation of prospect activity reports in the CRM system.
• Display integrity in the development, management and use of individual travel budget.
• Confidence in researching and analyzing data to discover prospects and utilizing research tools to identify and qualify prospects.
• Knowledge of moves management strategies, donor cultivation/life cycle and portfolio management.
• Experience using constituent relationship management (CRM) software or system. preferably Salesforce, Affinaquest Advancement RM, and Agyl.
• Knowledge of fundraising techniques including, but not limited to, major gifts principles, proposal writing; donor relations and stewardship; and volunteer engagement.
• Skilled in proposal development for higher education or non-profit organizations.
• High analytical and decision-making ability.
• Talent for motivating and engaging others.
• Understanding and commitment to achieving the College’s mission and goals.
• Represent the College professionally with integrity, character and professional drive.
• Ability to evaluate and resolve difficult and crisis problems, applying effective discretion and judgment in a variety of situations.
• Ability to handle confidential information with the highest ethical and professional standards, and ability to maintain a high level of diplomacy and discretion with constituents.
• Ability to utilize general office equipment, personal computer and various software packages, and other necessary equipment.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively as required with varied work hours, including evenings and weekends.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with five-plus years of direct and successful experience in fundraising, preference given to years of prior major gift experience in higher education.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment:

• Perform sedentary to light work in a ventilated, lighted, and temperature-controlled office setting. 
• Regular travel by car and plane, up to 50% of the time.
• Frequent need to stand, stoop, walk, sit, lift objects (up to 10 pounds) and perform other similar actions during the work day.