Asst./Assoc. Dir, Annual Giving & Class Eng.

The Darden School Foundation at the University of Virginia seeks a highly motivated professional to join its Advancement team. The Assistant/Associate Director of Annual Giving & Class Engagement works with the Senior Director of Annual Giving & Class Engagement and the Advancement and Engagement team to develop and execute strategies to increase donors, dollars and participation for the Darden Annual Fund and other annual giving and engagement priorities. The position independently manages assigned class, volunteer and donor portfolios, including recruiting, motivating and managing class volunteers; developing fundraising and engagement strategies for assigned alumni groups; coordinating reunion committees and reunion giving activities; and identifying, cultivating, soliciting and closing leadership annual fund gifts.

The Assistant/Associate Director is expected to proactively identify priorities, develop and execute strategies, manage multiple workstreams and consistently advance work. The successful candidate is a self-directed relationship manager who combines high-touch engagement with alumni, donors and volunteers with disciplined follow-through, strong organization and a focus on measurable results. The position works collaboratively across Advancement and Engagement and with other Darden partners to advance the School's engagement and fundraising goals.

At the Associate Director level, the incumbent is expected to demonstrate a high degree of autonomy, initiative and judgment and to independently move complex work from strategy through execution.

The hiring range for the Assistant role begins at $65,000.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Works with the Senior Director and Advancement and Engagement team to develop, implement and manage the goals and strategies for Darden's annual giving program.
• Serves as an active contributor to the Annual Giving and Engagement team by sharing strategies, communications, insights and lessons learned; seeking colleagues' expertise when appropriate; and contributing ideas and resources that strengthen the work of others.
• Proactively recruits, trains, motivates and manages class volunteers, both in and out of reunion years, maintaining consistent and personalized engagement throughout the year. Builds trusted relationships with long-standing volunteers, responds promptly to volunteer needs and follows through reliably on commitments and next steps.
• Develops an engagement strategy and appropriate outreach cadence for assigned classes and volunteers, identifying gaps in volunteer leadership and proactively recruiting and activating new volunteers.
• Proactively develops reunion and milestone class strategies well in advance of the reunion year, including identifying and recruiting committee leadership, establishing engagement and fundraising plans and maintaining consistent communication with volunteers throughout the planning cycle.
• Supports strategic growth of affinity-based volunteer and fundraising campaigns in order to increase overall annual fund support.
• Develops, executes, and manages fundraising and engagement strategies for each class that aim to achieve dollar and participation goals and increase the number of leadership gifts in each class.
• Coordinates Darden Society and Hickory Club communication, activities and events.
• Works to acquire, renew, and upgrade leadership level annual giving donors. Travel will extend to areas where there is the greatest concentration of prospects.
  • Manages a portfolio of annual giving prospects and donors.
  • Identifies, cultivates, solicits, and closes annual fund commitments, with agreed upon yearly proposal submission and close goals.
• Coordinates with the major and principals gifts team on prospect strategy and goal-setting, closing multi-year commitments, using leadership annual fund giving opportunities as a pipeline for future major gifts.
• Assists with crafting annual giving marketing messages and oversees the production of multi-channel campaigns.
• Tracks and analyzes fundraising, participation and engagement results; uses data to evaluate effectiveness, identify opportunities and adjust strategies; and regularly communicates progress against established goals.
• Maintains a high standard of constituent service by responding promptly to alumni, donors and volunteers, tracking commitments and follow-up actions and ensuring requests and next steps do not stall without resolution.
• Leads assigned projects and special initiatives in support of annual giving and engagement priorities from concept through execution, including defining objectives, identifying stakeholders, establishing timelines, gathering and synthesizing information, developing recommendations and driving work toward completion.
• Maintains a clear understanding of performance against established goals and proactively adjusts strategies and activities when results are not on track.

Successful candidates will have a proven track record that includes:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of three years of relevant experience for the Assistant Director level and five years for the Associate Director level in fundraising, development, volunteer management, alumni affairs, engagement, or a related field.
• Experience in a nonprofit, foundation, or academic institution preferred.
• In-depth understanding of philanthropy, sales, or business development; knowledge of various levels of philanthropy preferred.
• Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills, with the ability to establish rapport and credibility and engage effectively with alumni and volunteers across generations, as well as donors, colleagues, vendors and other diverse constituencies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong research, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to promote a positive image of the School and represent the School's interests before the public, media, and other schools.
• Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, discretion, and accountability, with the ability to work independently and recognize when collaboration or guidance is appropriate.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to independently prioritize and manage multiple competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Results-oriented and highly responsive, with the ability to manage a large constituency efficiently while exercising judgment about when personalized, high-touch engagement is necessary to strengthen relationships and achieve results.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to assess information, develop effective solutions, and exercise sound judgment in complex situations.
• Demonstrated ability to translate broad or complex objectives into concrete plans, priorities and actions, independently move work forward and follow through to completion.
• Proficiency with standard office productivity software and demonstrated experience using a CRM or comparable database to manage constituent relationships and track activity and results. Experience with Salesforce Ascend, Advance, Raiser's Edge, or another fundraising CRM preferred.
• Collaborative team member who actively contributes ideas, information and resources to colleagues.
• Strong personal and professional integrity.
• Knowledge of business issues and developments affecting business, industry, and the economy is helpful.

Please attach a cover letter and resume when applying for this position.

The Darden School Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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