Associate Director of Development

SUMMARY

The Associate Director of Development, reporting to the Associate Vice President of Advancement, is responsible for the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of leadership annual donors capable of making gifts of $1,000 to $9,999. This role manages a portfolio of approximately 150 to 200 leadership annual giving prospects and builds meaningful relationships to increase donor participation, retention, and philanthropic support for Oglethorpe University.

The Associate Director partners closely with colleagues in annual giving, alumni engagement, and advancement to strengthen the pipeline from leadership annual giving to major gifts of $10,000 and above, while supporting university-wide fundraising priorities.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Portfolio Management and Fundraising

• Manage and grow a portfolio of approximately 100 leadership annual giving prospects, with a focus on securing gifts of $1,000 to $9,999.

• Develop and execute individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for assigned donors and prospects. 
• Conduct discovery outreach to unassigned prospects to qualify new donors for the portfolio.

• Conduct regular outreach, including in-person visits, virtual meetings, phone calls, and personalized communications. 

• Meet and exceed annual performance metrics, including visit, solicitation, and revenue goals. 

• Identify and qualify donors with major gift capacity ($10,000 and above) and transition them to the Senior Associate Director of Development or advancement leadership; flag potential planned giving prospects.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of donor interactions in the CRM system. 

Donor Engagement and Stewardship

• Build strong, long-term relationships with alumni, parents, and friends to deepen philanthropic engagement. 

• Partner with stewardship and events colleagues to deliver meaningful recognition and appreciation experiences for leadership annual donors. 

• Ensure timely and personalized follow-up after solicitations and gifts. 

• Engage volunteers, campus partners, and colleagues when appropriate to support donor outreach. 
• Serve as a liaison between donors and campus stakeholders to demonstrate the impact of giving. 
• Work closely with campus partners (faculty, athletics, programs, and departments) to identify funding opportunities aligned with donor interests. 

Annual Giving Partnership

• Partner with the annual giving team, which leads appeals, giving days, and digital outreach, by providing personal solicitation and follow-up for leadership-level donors within those campaigns.
• Assist in developing targeted strategies to upgrade donors into leadership giving levels. 
• Partner with alumni engagement to leverage reunions, affinity groups, and campus events as opportunities for donor cultivation and solicitation. 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Two to four years of frontline fundraising experience, with a demonstrated record of securing gifts through personal visits and solicitations.
• Ability to support annual giving efforts and provide coverage when needed.
• Demonstrated readiness and ability to listen and to work with others collaboratively to reach critical decisions, and the ability to communicate effectively about difficult decisions.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong customer service skills and phone and e-mail etiquette.
• Able to handle multiple tasks or projects at one time, meeting assigned deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team-oriented environment.
• Proficiency in CRM systems (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce).
• Ability to travel locally and regionally and to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, for donor visits and events.
• Appreciation of, a sensitivity to, and respect for a diverse academic environment, inclusive of students, faculty, and staff of many social, economic, cultural, ideological, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.