Associate Director, Major Gifts - New York Regional Office

Department: Alumni Relations & Dev NYC
Salary/Grade: EXS/10

Target hiring range for this position will be between $90,000-$95,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

 

Job Summary:

The Associate Director of Major Gifts will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major gift support from a prospect pool of alumni, friends, and family members in the New York tri-state area. This frontline fundraiser will develop and manage a fluid portfolio of prospects through qualification visits, cultivation efforts and customized solicitations that align with prospect interests and financial capacity. This position collaborates with colleagues across Alumni Relations and Development and the greater University, including deans, faculty, program directors, and other University volunteers to plan and execute compelling prospect meetings and solicitations of donors.

The candidate must be a self-starter who is highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize multiple tasks. This is an ideal position for someone who is proactive, motivated, able to incorporate feedback, and demonstrates resilience in uncovering prospects to become loyal donors. The role will be based in Northwestern University’s New York Regional Office and will report to the Executive Director of Development, New York.

Our office operates in a hybrid model and offers the option of working three days in the office and two days remote. There will be occasional work outside of standard business hours for donor engagement events.

This role includes structured professional development through Plus Delta’s Discipline of Frontline Fundraising program, which provides high quality training to strengthen fundamental skills in donor cultivation, solicitation, portfolio management, and strategic relationship building. Additional ARD resources further connect Northwestern policies and processes with the best practices introduced in Plus Delta’s curriculum.

 

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Gathers data, assesses leads, and develops strategies designed to realize the current and lifetime giving potential of individual prospects.
• Maintains consistent and appropriate contact.
• Facilitates or makes direct solicitations.
• Ensures effective stewardship.

 

Collaboration

• Involves moderate- to-high-level collaboration with both internal department partners and moderate level of collaboration with broader University partners to identify & integrate resources to accomplish strategic goals & objectives.

 

Prospects & Gifts

• Develops, plans, and implements strategies and approaches to identify, personally solicit, and steadily close major gifts of six-figures or more.
• Collaborates with New York Major Gift and Donor Engagement teams and other areas of alumni relations and development, including Schools & Programs and Planned Gifts, to coordinate donor strategies.
• Builds a portfolio through discovery and qualification with a target of 40 prospects at a time. Manages portfolio by strategically moving them through the major gift pipeline.
• Secures visits with prospects and effectively articulates University fundraising priorities to gauge donor interest and capacity.
• Collects and synthesizes information from a wide array of sources to prepare compelling donor proposals that strategically align with donor interests and their full philanthropic capacity.
• Oversees and completes associated stewardship activities, maintains up-to-date best practices, and evaluates closed projects.
• Gathers, records, and retrieves information about prospects and donors utilizing University’s donor and alumni database, internet, meetings with development staff, faculty, etc.
• Prepares contact reports on meetings and interactions with alumni.

 

Events

• Supports strategy for regional donor engagement events.
• Staff alumni and donor engagement events to advance prospect pool and giving.

 

Administration

• Proactive, productive team contributor with a positive attitude and commitment to an inclusive workplace. Offers recommendations to enhance innovation, objectives, and goals.
• Demonstrated ability to follow through and take responsibility for outcomes.
• Driven by challenging individual and team fundraising goals.
• Requires travel throughout the New York tri-state region and periodic travel to the Evanston campus.

 

Miscellaneous 

• Performs other duties as assigned.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS  (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's degree or higher.
• 4 years development, marketing, sales or the equivalent experience is required.

 

MINIMUM COMPETENCIES (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Analytical Thinker: Able to analyze a broad set of data and synthesize information into compelling and succinct points.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, in addition to being an active listener. Strong interpersonal skills with a diverse group of internal and external constituencies.
• Teamwork and Collaboration: Effective team player who understands individual performance drives overall team success and organizational outcomes.
• Strategic and Critical Thinking: Organized in planning both short-and long-term goals. Uses logic and reasoning to assess alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems and ambiguity.

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS  (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Experience in development frontline fundraising at a higher education institution or complex nonprofit organization.
• Experience with CRM databases.
• Experience connecting with prospective donors—or similar audiences—via events and other engagement opportunities.

 

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Proven ability to personally solicit and close major gifts and pledges of six-figures or more.
• Understanding of New York tri-state philanthropic landscape
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook)
• Ability to function at a high level within a complex organization.

 

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://hr.northwestern.edu/benefits/ to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://hr.northwestern.edu/well-being/ to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://hr.northwestern.edu/talent-development/ to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern’s non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.

 

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