Support and participate in leadership annual gift fundraising efforts, and initiatives for the College. Cultivate, solicit and steward leadership annual gift donors to meet established fundraising goals with the allocated expense budget.
POSITION ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Develop leadership annual gift fundraising plans and strategies; establish realistic and achievable timelines and remain current with fundraising trends and techniques.
Collaborate with colleagues in the Office of Institutional Advancement and external vendors; and make recommendations on ways to best increase alumni and overall individuals giving.
Manage a portfolio of leadership annual gift prospects (50-100). Conduct one-on-one solicitations to strengthen constituent relations and increase donor giving.
Responsible for achieving annual fundraising goal and assisting in meeting unit goals; allocating and prioritizing time and resources to achieve the greatest return on investment. Performance and productivity will be measured on the following core metrics as determined annually:
Dollars raised
Number of Leadership Annual Gift solicitations from $1,000-$25,000
Number of Leadership Annual Gifts closed from $1,000-$25,000
Number of face to face meetings (visits)
Number of major gift prospects qualified
Develop strategies and implement activities such as giving challenges/matches and giving days that acquire and solicit donors at $1,000 or higher using strategies like peer-to-peer solicitations. Other activities in the future may include the implementation and management of a class, parent or reunion giving programs.
Develop and implement strategies needed to ensure appropriate stewardship of prospects and donors, including custom strategies for top donors. Coordinate with the Director of Advancement Operations to secure personal notes written by the President, Chairs and others on specific acknowledgement letters as needed. Evaluate and recommend improvements to the stewardship and thank you process for leadership annual gift donors.
Collaborate with Advancement and College colleagues (e.g. Office of Partnerships, Foundation Relations, Major Gifts, Planned Giving, Donor Relations, Marketing/Communications, Alumni Relations, Financial Aid, Events) as well as other College departments to ensure operational efficiencies and communication.
Ensure timely and accurate record keeping, including documentation of contacts, solicitations and prospect management data. Adhere to confidentiality and data usage policy for the division.
This position requires a high level of commitment and enthusiasm. Due to travel requirements, evening meetings and special events, etc., incumbent must be willing to work extended hours as needed.
Perform related work as assigned.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in marketing, public relations, business administration, design/communications or related field.
3-5 years working as a fundraising professional in direct solicitations in excess of $5,000.
Direct experience preparing proposals and conducting gift solicitations required.
Fundraising experience in higher education.
Experience managing volunteers.
Effective and flexible interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to work with a diverse student and faculty population.
About College for Creative Studies
About CCS:
College for Creative Studies is a nonprofit institution; it is one of the leading art and design colleges in the world. CCS is ranked by LinkedIn as a top three design school in the US and the best in the Midwest, based on alumni success. CCS has state-of-the-art facilities to support the complete range of creative production, from traditional art forms such as painting, glassblowing, foundry, and printmaking, to the most contemporary systems, including the latest digital imaging technology and extensive rapid prototyping output tools. The College currently enrolls more than 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 13 majors: Advertising Design, Art Education, Art Practice, Communication Design, Craft and Material Studies, Entertainment Arts, Fashion Accessories Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Photography, Product Design, and Transportation Design. It also offers a Master's degrees in four majors: Color and Materials Design, Interaction Design, Systems Design Thinking, and Transportation Design.
