"Leadership Annual Gifts Officer, The Penn Fund"

Job Description Summary

Organizational Mission and Values:
Established in 1927, The Penn Fund supports the University's mission through upholding the core values set forth by Development and Alumni Relations and raising both dollars and engaging donors to enhance undergraduate life and learning for all students. We are proud to serve as one of the primary annual giving vehicles within our generous Quaker community. Gifts that count toward The Penn Fund benefit the University's highest priorities across the academic, extracurricular, and residential experience.

Future members of our team will hold the utmost integrity and accountability for their work; lead with collegiality to form bonds with colleagues united in common purpose; actively seek out collaboration with the best intention to work together; recognize and embrace differences in background and of thought to create an inclusive environment; utilize transparency and open communication as regular tools to benefit both internal and external culture; and honor the dignity and personal rights of others through mutual respect and trust.

Position Overview:

The Leadership Annual Gifts Officer will cultivate, solicit, and steward undergraduate alumni in support of the University's annual giving program. This frontline fundraiser will focus on securing leadership-level annual gifts ($2,500 and above), including gifts to support and establish individual endowed scholarships, which provide lasting impact on student access and opportunity at Penn. Reporting to the Director of Leadership Annual Gifts, this individual will play a critical role in achieving annual fundraising goals, expanding the pipeline of major gift prospects, and fostering a culture of philanthropy among undergraduate alumni.

The Leadership Annual Gifts Officer will manage a personal portfolio of prospects, design tailored solicitation strategies and conduct in-person and virtual donor visits. This individual will collaborate with colleagues across Development and Alumni Relations to align annual giving and scholarship support with university-wide philanthropic priorities and help build the major gift pipeline.

Job Responsibilities

Portfolio Management & Fundraising

• Manage a portfolio of approximately 200 undergraduate alumni prospects with leadership annual giving capacity ($2,500-$100,000).
• Cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership annual gifts-including individual endowed scholarship gifts-through personalized engagement.
• Conduct at least 180 individual donor visits per fiscal year, including in-person, virtual, and phone meetings.
• Meet or exceed an annual personal solicitation goal, including specific benchmarks for dollars raised and number of gifts closed.
• Tailor cultivation and solicitation strategies in partnership with prospect managers across the division and the university.
• Solicit multi-year commitments and gifts to priority areas across The Penn Fund.

Prospect Research & Pipeline Development

• Identify and qualify new leadership and scholarship giving prospects using donor data, engagement trends, and referrals.
• Partner with major gift officers to help transition high-potential prospects for further cultivation.

Data Tracking & Analysis

• Maintain accurate records of prospect activity, solicitations, and results donor database.
• Use data tools to track progress, refine strategies, and report on outcomes.

Internal Collaboration & Donor Engagement

• Collaborate with colleagues across The Penn Fund, Alumni Relations, and School/Center teams to support coordinated outreach and donor strategy.
• Represent The Penn Fund at events including Alumni Weekend, Homecoming, and scholarship recognition gatherings.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Support departmental initiatives and contribute to team projects as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and 1 to 2 years of professional experience in fundraising, sales, alumni relations, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Demonstrated success in relationship-based solicitation, preferably including leadership or scholarship giving.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Enthusiasm for data-driven decision-making and a commitment to goal achievement.
• Experience with donor databases (e.g., Salesforce, Blackbaud, or similar CRM systems) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Desired skills include, but are not limited to: excellent interpersonal skills, strong attention to detail, ability to organize and manage multiple projects, and a willingness to work both individually and collaboratively while contributing to the total team culture and effort.
• Ability to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends.

Please provide a resume and cover letter in order to be considered for this role. Please upload all documents in the "Resume/CV" section of the application prior to submitting.

Job Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Development and Alumni Relations

Pay Range

$49,500.00 - $65,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.