Reporting to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, this individual is responsible for working independently to manage a portfolio of prospects and donors and grow financial support for USJ. A successful Senior Leadership Gift Officer will proactively develop appropriate cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies and lead moves management program to build on-going relationships within the donor community. This individual will remain focused on the identification, cultivation and solicitation of individuals, corporations and foundations to support all areas of the University.
Portfolio Management: Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward an active portfolio of 100 to 150 prospective and current donors, moving through the stewardship cycle.
Donor Engagement: Conduct appropriate and consistent contact, making regular face-to-face or virtual visits annually to build trust-based relationships and match donor passions with USJ priorities.
Direct Solicitation: Lead gift discussions, prepare proposals, draft gift agreements, and close major financial commitments.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with board members, institutional leaders, and faculty experts to develop opportunities; and provide support of USJ targeted initiatives.
Metrics & Tracking: Use Raiser Edge databases to gather, record and properly store information along with tracking tools to forecast revenue, and meet performance goals.
Other responsibilities as assigned.
DECISION MAKING
- Manage time to initiate on and off campus prospect visits
- Match institutional funding priorities to donor interests
- Craft persuasive solicitations that result in gifts for the University
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
- Ten+ years fundraising experience in higher education or relevant alternate experience strongly preferred
Other Qualifications
- Strong analytical skills, organizational skills and attention to detail
- Excellent oral and written skills and ability to communicate comfortably with external constituents, colleagues and students
- Exhibits a high level of professionalism, leadership, creative problem solving, diplomacy, negotiation and sales skills, and the ability to manage complex projects with minimal supervision
- Demonstrated ability to establish and build relationships with individual donors, corporations and foundations and to understand the needs and interests of donors; willingness to travel extensively and work evenings and weekends as necessary
- Strong personal and professional integrity; must handle confidential information and materials with discretion
- Excellent computer skills; proficiency with MS Office Suite with strong working abilities in Microsoft Word and Excel, ability to utilize technological resources to maximum advantage. Experience with Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge strongly preferred
- Flexible and able to multi-task
- Able to function independently while operating effectively within a team environment
- Ability and willingness to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends
- Enthusiastic belief in the mission, core values and future of the University of Saint Joseph
- Physical ability to perform essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
- Ten or more years of fundraising experience in higher education or relevant equivalent experience
- Strong analytical, organizational, and attention-to-detail skills
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Professionalism, leadership, creative problem solving, diplomacy, negotiation, and sales skills
- Ability to establish and build relationships with individual donors, corporations, and foundations
- Willingness and ability to travel extensively
- Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends
- Strong personal and professional integrity and discretion with confidential information
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word and Excel
- Experience with Blackbaud Raiser's Edge
- Ability to multitask and work independently within a team environment
- Physical ability to perform essential job functions, with or without reasonable accommodation
What We Do
Steeped in nearly a century of tradition and excellence, the University of Saint Joseph blends professional education with the sciences and humanities to prepare students for lives and careers that meet social and workforce needs. Minutes from Connecticut’s capital city and surrounded by corporate, medical, and cultural resources, USJ students live and learn on a quintessential New England campus, meld classroom learning with pre-professional experience, and compete on NCAA Division III conference championship teams. Students seeking an undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral degree will find a place to shine at our small university with big outcomes.
