Leadership Annual Gift Officer

Skidmore’s Office of Advancement is building a team in anticipation of an upcoming fundraising campaign. The Leadership Annual Gift Officer will be joining a group of energetic, hard-working, and fun individuals who are committed to our college and its mission. In an effort to increase leadership annual donors (members of the President’s Society) as well as participation, the Leadership Annual Gift Officer will be responsible for soliciting annual gifts of $2,500 or more. They will carry a portfolio of approximately 100+ individual prospects nationally, as well as work with a dynamic group of prospective donors who – once identified and engaged with – may become part of their permanent portfolios. In addition to achieving annual fundraising goals, they will focus on discovery work, helping to identify new major- and principal-gift prospects through superior qualification outreach, and also helping to build engagement and connection with those they contact. This position is an ideal opportunity for a high-performing, collaborative and motivated professional looking to build a career path in front-line fundraising.

Responsibilities

• Builds meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, family members, and friends who seek to grow their connection and engagement as donors, volunteers, and contributors in the Skidmore community.
• Provides outreach, information, and invitations that increase engagement with Skidmore, solicits annual gifts, and reports back to help demonstrate the impact of giving.
• Utilizes a broad spectrum of communications channels (in-person meetings, email, social, video conferencing, phone) to facilitate discussion.
• Creates a donor engagement process that qualifies, cultivates, and solicits Skidmore constituents capable of making leadership annual and capital gifts to the College while managing and maintaining a significant travel schedule.
• Directly solicits gifts to fund College priorities in an effort to meet or exceed annual goals.
• Develops and implements retention strategies to upgrade donors. Recognizes disinterested donors and devises strategies to redirect their interests.
• Participates in execution of events/programs in support of development activities.
• Provides support to gift initiatives within reunion classes, forging collaborative partnerships among Major Gifts, Skidmore Fund, Alumni Engagement colleagues, as well as class volunteers.
• Acts as a poised ambassador, regularly attending high-level programmatic meetings, adeptly representing the organization's vision, initiatives, and impact to inspire donor engagement and volunteerism.
• Fosters robust connections and collaboration with college administrators, faculty members, influential alumni, supportive parents, passionate friends, and trustees to cultivate a vibrant culture of philanthropy.
• Embraces a collaborative and inclusive approach, seamlessly integrating with cross-functional teams while maintaining accurate recordkeeping in database to ensure seamless coordination and a comprehensive understanding of donor interactions.

The position requires significant travel and outreach, as well as the ability to effectively communicate the college's mission, needs, and priorities to match prospective donors' interests. Strong communications skills and the capacity to interact is crucial. Timely and accurate recordkeeping and working collaboratively with colleagues and volunteers is essential.

Education

Bachelor's degree required.

Experience

• Minimum of 2-3 years of fund raising or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• An active listener with a successful track record of interacting with donors, volunteers, colleagues, and philanthropic stakeholders.
• Conduct interpersonal relationships maturely, thoughtfully, and empathetically.
• Proactive, productive colleague with a positive attitude and sense of humor.
• Commitment to an inclusive workplace. Ability to engage with diverse audiences (age, gender, nationality, race/ethnicity, profession, sexual orientation, etc.).
• Driven, autonomous contributor with a resourceful and a data-driven work ethic. Innovative, flexible, with excellent organizational and analytical skills. Demonstrated ability to follow through on commitments and take personal responsibility for outcomes.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Handles confidential material responsibly.
• Experience with email, social media, google, etc. Familiarity with Raiser’s Edge or similar CRMs.

Required documents needed to apply

• On-line application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• List of Three References