"Director of Leadership Annual Giving"

Position Summary

The Director of Leadership Annual Giving, reporting to the Executive Director of Annual Giving, is responsible for driving philanthropic growth through both personal fundraising and the leadership of a high-performing team. This individual will be a dynamic and strategic frontline fundraiser with a proven track record of closing major gifts, while also serving as a mentor and manager to a team of development officers. The Director will play a central role in strengthening the leadership annual giving program, ensuring a robust pipeline of current and future major gift donors in alignment with the overall advancement goals.

The Director will manage and grow a personal portfolio of leadership and major gift prospects, with a focus on securing commitments at the five- and six-figure level in support of Villanova's mission and strategic priorities. The incumbent will engage donors through the full cycle of identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, inspiring them to invest in the public phase of Villanova's comprehensive campaign, Espiritus Nova.

The Director of Leadership Annual Giving will lead, mentor, and develop a team of development officers, fostering a collaborative and mission-driven culture that emphasizes accountability, professional growth, and success. The Director is expected to establish clear fundraising goals and performance metrics for the team, providing coaching and guidance to ensure individual and collective achievement.

The Director will collaborate with colleagues across Advancement, and partners throughout campus to advance institutional priorities. A successful Director will be independent, self-motivated and metrics-driven, and represent the University with professionalism and passion while articulating the University's mission and impact.

Villanova is a Catholic university sponsored by the Augustinian Order. The University is an equal opportunity employer and seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to the University's mission and values.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Frontline Fundraising: Identifies and manages a portfolio of 100-125 prospects rated $100K+ with a focus on securing multi-year commitments at the five- and six-figure level. Conducts 8-10 prospect visits per month to qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward alumni, parents and friends. Builds effective relationships and implements strategies to increase support of unrestricted funds and University and Campaign priorities. Prospects will be located primarily on the East Coast, with a concentration between New York and Washington DC.
• Staff Management: The Director provides leadership, direction and mentorship to the Leadership Annual Giving Officer team, comprised of four Development Officers and the Young Alumni Officer. These roles will each manage a portfolio of 150 prospects rated between $25K and less than $100K, with a minimum ask of $2,500 annually (multi-year commitments of $12,500 and above). The Director is responsible for hiring, training and monitoring the performance of each position. Provides coaching and guidance on best practices for donor engagement, solicitation strategies and stewardship.
• Annual Giving Campaign Committee: In collaboration with the Executive Director of Annual Giving, will serve as a liaison to the Annual Giving Campaign Committee. Will identify opportunities for this committee to support the identification, cultivation and stewardship of Annual Giving prospects.
• Strategy and Collaboration: Partner with colleagues across University Advancement, academic leadership and campus partners to align donor interests with institutional priorities and funding opportunities. Contribute to the development and execution of fundraising strategies that strengthen donor pipelines, increase engagement and grow philanthropic support.
• Blackbaud Fundraiser Performance Management (FPM): Effectively use Blackbaud's FPM software to identify and evaluate prospects by leveraging the Targeter query tool, Advancement and Annual Giving viewports, and the six-square segmentation model. Train the Leadership Annual Giving Team on effective use of FPM and serve as the primary point of contact for coordinating additional training for all frontline officers with Blackbaud consultants.
• Perform additional duties and assist with special projects and events, such as Homecoming and Reunion weekend activities. Support the Annual Giving Team's efforts around 1842 Day, especially to secure gifts for challenges, matches and sponsorships.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5-7 years of successful frontline fundraising experience. Professional sales experience may be considered as part of overall fundraising experience.
• Successful frontline experience with leadership-level donors required.
• Knowledge of annual giving strategies, donor pipeline development and multi-year commitments required.
• Commitment to higher education and a strong desire to champion Villanova's mission required.
• Understanding of university culture and decision-making required.
• Ability and willingness to travel required.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills required.
• Proven ability to build relationships and collaborate across teams.
• Must be results-oriented with strategic planning and goal-setting skills.
• Ability to work independently managing a prospect portfolio while contributing to overall team success.
• Knowledge of general office equipment, including use of laptop computers, required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree preferred.

Physical Requirements and/or Unusual Work Hours

Ability to travel and work evenings and weekends required.

Salary Posting Information

This position falls within salaried grade 19 and the range for this position is $109,300-142,100. The final salary will be determined with consideration of several factors including the selected candidate's qualifications, department budget availability, market data, and internal equity.