Create detailed cultivation/solicitation plans for the top 50
donor prospects each year.
Spend 8-10 days of each four-week period traveling both
independently and with key volunteers or
other members of the college administration to meet with current
and prospective donors.
Work with a departmental team to identify, qualify and assign
new leadership gift prospects.
Plan and organize events for high-level donors to showcase
Bates and college priorities.
Develop a thorough knowledge of Bates history, academic,
extracurricular and athletic programs, and its faculty, students
and administration.
Maintain a thorough understanding of the college’s priorities
and initiatives of the faculty and administration.
Participate in departmental and professional training programs
to increase expertise in the profession.
Understand and meet departmental standards, policies, and
procedures with respect to all aspects of work.
Serve as the department point person for specific projects,
priorities or for campus partners.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Driver’s license required.
Experience
- 5+ years of experience in advancement in a higher education
setting or equivalent experience.
- Progressive achievement in fundraising, financial services,
marketing/sales or educational management.
- Proven experience cultivating and closing major or deferred
gift commitments.
Skills and Knowledge
- Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a
culturally and educationally diverse community.
- High attention to detail balanced with a strategic vision for
multifaceted programs.
- Self-starting strategic thinker whose hallmark qualities
include being persistent, personable, team-oriented, and possessing
a desire to succeed.
- Must be able to relate to a variety of people of all ages and
backgrounds.
- A personal commitment to excellence and the mission of a
top-tier liberal arts college, and the ability to work in a goal-
oriented environment.
- Flexibility and a sense of humor are both essential.
- Excellent communication (written, verbal and presentation)
skills. Ability to write concise, logical, analytical
reports to convey complex issues. Lead group discussions.
- Ability to remain composed, friendly and demonstrate poise
under stress while working in a deadline driven environment.
- Excellent analytical and problem solving skills; ability to
synthesize complex or diverse information; and experience working
with complex data sets.
- Impeccable organizational skills and ability to coordinate
resources and staff within the college community.
- Strong presentation skills and ability to develop dynamic
presentations.
- Strong interpersonal skills with ability to develop and
maintain collegial relationships. Must be flexible, collaborative
and have a positive attitude.
- Ability to work independently and as a team player and handle
multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
- Keen attention to detail necessary for successful
documentation, planning and execution.
- Proficiency in basic data management systems, business office
software, and prospect moves management platform and basic computer
applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Willingness and ability to learn additional applications as
needed.
- Ability and willingness to travel (by car, air, train or bus)
domestically and internationally as needed.
- Ability and willingness to work weekends, evenings and other
non-traditional schedules.
Benefits:
Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits
(health, dental, 9% retirement contribution with potential for an
additional 3% match, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal
days, 13 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking,
access to library and athletic facilities & more), and a
supportive, collegial environment in a drug and smoke-free
workplace.
Hiring Range: The hiring range for this position is $105,254
to $130,000. Placement within the range depends on experience and
other factors.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity
and providing an educational and work environment free from
discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis
of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability,
genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected
statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the
administration of its education policies and programs, or in the
recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all
applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and
regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors,
visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and
complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.
Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with
applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII,
Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to
Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at
glexow@bates.edu .
About Bates:
Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts
college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around
the world.
Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person
through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative
residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence,
Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race,
religion, or national origin.
Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates
prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for
responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the
forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology —
that are transforming higher education and the world into which our
students graduate.
Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent
of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn
graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550
staff.
The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn
community, Maine’s second-largest urban area with a population of
approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre,
traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with
an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic
business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles
north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.
Advertised: Sep 21 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: