Director of Annual Giving

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

ID: 7236824 (Ref.No. BSU42525)
Posted: April 18, 2024
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Job Description

Reporting to the Senior Director of Annual Giving (SDAG), the Director of Annual Giving focuses on qualifying and soliciting leadership annual giving prospects ($1,000-$25,000) for Ball State University. The director supervises the Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving and the Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving, Athletics, while growing revenue and donor numbers through a digital-first approach for solicitations, donor engagement, and targeted campaigns.

The director partners with the SDAG to develop the overall strategic direction for the leadership annual giving program by identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors. The primary goals of this position are to lead and inspire, secure leadership annual gifts, assist with donor pipeline development and help identify major gift leads.

The director maintains their own portfolio with the expectation of securing gifts in the $10,000-$24,999 range. This position is involved with goal setting and various annual giving initiatives, including the annual fund, capital projects, and recurring programs across the University.

Would you like to work with an energetic group of staff at a unified foundation, one with no barriers between advancement, alumni relations, and stewardship? Now is your chance to be part of a dynamic team dedicated to reinventing higher education through philanthropy and cutting-edge partnerships. You’d be joining our team as we embark on our most ambitious fundraising goal ever — to take student support to the next level, both financially and academically.

We currently have an opening for the position of Director of Annual Giving. If you’re looking for a high-achieving work environment with a culture of camaraderie and a mission to change lives, check out the job details below.

Job Function:

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree.

Minimum Experience:

At least three years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary for this role. Experience using data to drive strategy; broad knowledge of the principles of fundraising and stewardship; experience building relationships with individuals, corporations, and/or foundations.

Preferred Experience:

Higher education, sales, and/or non-profit fundraising work experience. This could include successfully serving in roles such as a student caller, alumni ambassador, or related giving/engagement roles during college.

Supervisory experience; self-motivated, creative, and have great attention to detail; dedication to promote Ball State’s priorities through developing excellent relationships with all constituents; knowledge of or experience in an educational setting; awareness to change fundraising tactics and strategy mid-year to achieve stated program goals as needed; demonstrate willingness to learn new skills and take on challenging tasks; experience using fundraising and engagement platforms such as ThankView and Blackbaud NTX; maintain confidentiality and accuracy with respect to all donors and prospect information; use of social media to leverage effectiveness of fundraising.

Duties and Responsibilities:

In collaboration with the Senior Director of Annual Giving, set the overall strategic direction for the leadership annual giving program that is responsible for increasing annual donors at the $1,000-$24,999 level.
Engage and acquire new donors for the University through in person and virtual meetings as well as encourage current annual donors to increase their giving over time while assessing future major gift capacity. The Director will focus on building a stronger foundation for engagement & philanthropy by helping to create a more robust pipeline of gifts, which can lead to future major gift support.
Supervise the Assistant Director of Leadership Annual Giving and the Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving, Athletics, responsible for soliciting in person and digital annual gifts of $1K and greater. Mentor them as they devise and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies (including ask amounts) to meet and exceed clearly defined metrics.
Serve as the liaison to Foundation Development by attending meetings, sharing annual giving updates, staying aware of policy changes and procedures, and partnering with major and planned giving colleagues to realize the best philanthropic opportunities for alumni, friends, and fans of the University. Communicate with the deans and campus partners as applicable.
Increase the number of mid-level donors who give annually, ultimately increasing the amount of private support raised from university constituents each year; concentrate on renewal, upgrades and acquisition within the prospect pool to assist in raising more private support each year and enhance the major gift pipeline.
Use the database, platforms and tools to develop data-inspired fundraising strategies. Continually assess quality of portfolios and meet with prospect research to ensure time and effort are being used effectively, and giving opportunities are being maximized. Provide monthly reporting on progress to goal.
Partner with Donor Relations to help manage the effective stewardship of annual mid-level donors.
Partner with the AVP of Engagement and Strategy on Women of Beneficence to help identify, secure and renew female donors at mid-level amounts.
Perform other related duties as assigned. This includes One Ball State Day, annual giving activities and other Foundation strategies.

At Ball State University, we recognize inclusive excellence as an integral endeavor to fulfill our University’s mission and our strategic plan. We recruit, support, and retain a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff. We encourage and reward diversity of thought. We promote a work environment that encourages and rewards innovation and creativity. We pledge to keep Inclusive Excellence at the highest level of institutional importance and as a foundation in all that we strive to do. Our over-arching goal for Inclusive Excellence is to adopt a university-wide Inclusive Excellence approach to academic, administrative support, and service functions of the university. We believe Inclusive Excellence must be infused in every step we take.

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