Employment Opportunities at USD

Position Title & Department:

 Associate Director, Leadership Giving and Engagement; Donor Relations and Communications Posting #

5735

Department Description: The Department of Donor Relations and Communications formulates and executes the university’s donor stewardship, recognition, and strategic communication strategies. Responsible for acknowledging supporters whose commitment to the values, students, and legacy of the university is demonstrated with an annual gift, Donor Relations ensures each donor is appropriately recognized for their remarkable generosity and strives to optimize donor engagement across diverse demographics, from recent graduates and mid-career alumni to current parents and President’s Club members. University Description:

The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges.

Detailed Description:

The associate director of Leadership Giving and Engagement is responsible for increasing annual giving participation and activity from alumni, parents, and friends. In collaboration with the senior director of Donor Relations and Communications, the associate director initiates strategies to engage President’s Club prospects and move $500 annual donors to the President’s Club giving level ($1,500). This position, working with the senior director and the director of Annual Giving, will develop and execute the overarching annual giving strategy through direct mail, email, phone calls, social media, etc. The associate director will also cultivate and solicit prospects through personal outreach and written communication. The associate director will oversee special fundraising projects, serving as a key contributor to the university’s annual Students First! Employee Giving campaign, Torero Tuesday day of giving, and donor appreciation events, among others. This position will oversee student philanthropy initiatives and serve as advisor to the Student Philanthropy Council (SPC). Working with Alumni Relations, this position will promote initiatives that effectively connect students with USD’s alumni community and build awareness among the student body of the importance of philanthropy and giving back to their alma mater.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership Gift Qualification, Solicitation, and Stewardship 

• Work through President’s Club Prospect lists to qualify potential leadership gift prospects ($1,500 annually), confirming capacity and inclination to support USD as part of the discovery process.
• Responsible for coordinating donor stewardship programs customized for leadership annual giving prospects.
• In coordination with central and decentralized development teams, strategically coordinate fundraising activities, cultivate and close leadership gifts through a high volume of phone calls, emails, traditional mail, face-to-face visits, and personal invitations to events on campus or regionally.
• Generate unrestricted and designated philanthropic support toward annual goals for dollars raised, new donor acquisition, and donor retention; annual goals established in concert with senior director.
• Identify new leadership gift prospects, assess areas of philanthropic interest against institutional needs, request research to understand capacity, and work with development staff to coordinate solicitation of new prospects and upgrade current donors who have the potential to increase their annual giving.
• Create strategies and broaden project/initiative marketing to interest and engage undergraduate alumni prospects from the College and Schools based upon affinity group (Club Sports, PRIDE, Veteran Network, etc.).
• Work proactively with unit development partners to ensure successful prospect and pipeline management; transition prospects to major gift officers’ portfolios in accordance with their interests, capacity, and propensity.
• Develop effective communication techniques and systematic practices using Salesforce CRM, Agentic engagement tools and emerging technologies.
• Enter annual fundraising goals into Salesforce CRM and track progress through proper recording of proposals
• Enter all appropriate donor and prospect information in a timely manner including accurate contact reports, future steps and plans.
• Monitor records and reporting of donations to ensure donors receive proper recognition and documentation for their gifts.
• Draft appropriate correspondence to donors and prospects.
• Develop appropriate leadership gift recognition and stewardship events in collaboration with Donor Relations, Special Events, Alumni Relations, and Development, capitalizing on existing programmatic opportunities across campus.

Student Engagement, Philanthropy, and Partnership Programming 

• Responsible for developing a student to alumni/lifelong engagement pipeline and fostering alumni brand recognition with current students.
• Serving as a leadership, engagement, and philanthropy hub for student leaders, develop and manage the Student Philanthropy Council (SPC).
• Working closely with the division of Student Affairs, specifically directors of student organizations and Associated Students, creatively integrate SPC into current student programming to demonstrate to the student body the importance of the lifelong affiliation with USD.
• Working with Student Affairs, develop, stage, and evaluate alumni-connected programming that engages undergraduate students through their time at USD.
• Through partnership programming, build awareness among the student body regarding the importance of philanthropy and giving back, working in collaboration with other student organizations.
• Create advisory focus groups to understand the unique needs of the undergraduate student population as it pertains to being engaged alumni.
• Provide front-line, daily oversight, mentorship, and guidance to student leaders; delegate and assign tasks to student members for ownership and collaboration of events.
• Plan and successfully execute annual Senior Class Legacy fundraising project.
• In collaboration with the Office of Alumni Relations, develop and implement strategies that prepare students to become engaged alumni, from admission to graduation and beyond, through an established pathway that supports plans for recruitment, yield, and student journeys.
• Represent the university at donor, prospect, and alumni events on and off campus to build relationships and strengthen partnerships.

Special Fundraising Projects

• Working with the Office of Alumni Relations’ volunteer coordinator, recruit volunteers as needed for fundraising projects and campaigns.
• Create training materials for volunteers and staff supporting fundraising projects and campaigns.
• Work independently to develop promotional materials; partner with Advancement Communications team for large scale projects and themed campaigns.
• Draft and distribute email communications to volunteers and staff throughout the project/ campaign to motivate and report progress.
• Work with Special Events to coordinate donor appreciation events, as needed.

Professional Development/Other Responsibilities

• Assist senior director in long-range planning.
• Assist Annual Giving and Advancement Operations and Engagement staff with development and execution of overall annual giving program.
• Responsible for keeping current with annual giving and engagement trends through research and professional development opportunities, especially in the area of social media and online giving.
• Other duties as assigned by the senior director.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• Valid driver’s license required.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, for engagement activities and events.
• Ability to travel as needed for engagement activities and events.
• Ability to meet mutually set goals for contact and solicitation.

Background check:  Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes. 

Job Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• At least five years of experience in annual giving, volunteer leadership, alumni programming, fundraising, and/or related field.
• Ability to supervise and galvanize staff and to recruit, train, manage, and motivate students and volunteers to achieve strategic goals.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills required as well as exceptional critical listening and thinking skills. Command of the English language, including AP writing style, and standard grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and proofreading skill.
• Self-starter with good project management skills and the ability to exercise good judgment in advancing projects toward completion.
• Must be able to work independently, taking initiative and be able to ascertain priorities in a dynamic environment of regular interruptions, multiple projects, and deadlines.
• Must exhibit attention to detail with excellent organizational and time management skills; remain professional under pressure.
• Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office applications including but not limited to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Must be friendly and personable; mature, positive attitude; a team player.

Performance Expectations - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Commitment to working as a member of a team and collaborate with colleagues.
• Strong sense of integrity and ethical conduct.
• Cultural competency and sensitivity a must; ability to understand different cultural contexts and viewpoints, demonstrate respect for others, adapt to different cultural settings; and accept cultural differences.
• Ability to work with donors one-on-one for solicitation and stewardship purposes.
• Knowledge of fundraising strategies and proven ability to secure gifts.
• Knowledge of online communication to increase contacts with alumni and others.
• Ability to effectively troubleshoot and exercise independent judgment to accommodate constituent (i.e., alumni, volunteers, etc.) concerns.
• Understand the role of technology in annual fundraising and exhibit the ability to effectively utilize sophisticated fundraising software.
• Must have the ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships with a diverse group of staff and volunteers and maintain an attitude that conveys respect.
• Proficient with new technology and CRM platforms.
• Ability to produce and utilize statistical data for evaluation.
• Skill in investigating, analyzing, and solving problems.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with tact and discretion.
• Knowledge of USD’s policies and procedures.

Posting Salary:

$6,650 - $7,166.67 per month; Excellent Benefits

The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical, dental, vision, a retirement contribution given to you by the University, and access to on-campus Fitness Centers.  Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer.  USD: Human Resources: Benefits

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position.  Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.

Special Application Instructions:

Click the 'Apply Now' button to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review.  If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at jobs@sandiego.edu.

Additional Details:

Hours: 40 hours per week

Closing date: Open until filled 

Note: External job postings will be up for at least three days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.

The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit www.sandiego.edu/smokefree.