Associate Director of Philanthropy, COA

Reporting to the Senior Executive Director of Philanthropy for Aviation, the Associate Director will support development efforts by assisting in executing philanthropic strategies that enhance the university's fundraising capacity at all levels.

The COA Associate Director will play a key supporting role in securing financial support for aviation-focused programs and initiatives. This position involves working with various departments, engaging with donors and alumni, and organizing and attending events to advance fundraising goals.

The ideal candidate will be creative, self-motivated, high-energy, detail-oriented, and an outstanding communicator with the ability to engage with donors and prospects in order to qualify and cultivate prospects for solicitations or referrals to other gift officers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and Implement Solicitation Strategies: Create a comprehensive plan to achieve the college's financial objectives with an annual goal starting at $100K.
• Donor Relations: Cultivate and maintain relationships with current and prospective donors, ensuring effective communication and engagement to foster long-term support.
• Event Coordination: Plan and manage small college events and campus tours. Execute sponsorship benefits as required.
• Grant Writing: Seek out and write grants to support annual fundraising goals.
• Database Entry: Maintain accurate records of donor information.
• Collaboration: Work as the college liaison to support fundraising efforts of the college.

The ideal candidate will be creative, self-motivated, high-energy, detail-oriented, and an outstanding communicator with the ability to engage with donors and prospects in order to qualify and cultivate prospects for solicitations or referrals to other gift officers.

Essential Job Functions, Duties, or Accountabilities

Prospect Qualification, Referral, and Solicitation - Annual Fund Level

The COA Associate Director of Philanthropy will be assigned 125 prospects to qualify for major gifts, annual fund, or other initiatives (College Philanthropy Councils, Affinity Groups, etc.). The process will entail a fast-paced cadence involving outreach (email, phone, video-conference), cultivation, solicitation, and referrals. Success will be measured by the volume of prospects assessed, qualified, referred, and solicited. Additionally, this role will research and identify grant opportunities, prepare proposals, and manage the application process to secure funding from foundations.

Donor Stewardship

The COA Associate Director of Philanthropy will work alongside the Senior Director of Stewardship to ensure COA donors receive exceptional stewardship commensurate with their level of giving with the expressed goal of increasing and renewing philanthropy. They will work with Financial Aid to ensure COA scholarships are awarded effectively and efficiently, and that donors receive information about their scholarship recipients in a timely manner. This position will work with appropriate departments to execute sponsorship benefits such as press releases, signage, logo placement, etc. as detailed in sponsorship agreements.

Unit Liaison and Support

The COA Associate Director will act as the PAE liaison for COA to coordinate philanthropic marketing and communications efforts, external communications, Career Services, Corporate Relations, etc. as requested by the Sr. Director of Philanthropy for Aviation. The position will work with the brand management team and PAE Marketing and Communications team to create program/proposal pieces utilized for donor and prospect visits. The position will coordinate campus visits for industry partners, donors, and potential prospects. They will work with Alumni Engagement and others within PAE to facilitate giving campaigns such as the faculty/staff campaign, crowdfunding, etc. as requested.

Required Education and Qualifications:

• 3+ years of fundraising experience within higher education or a nonprofit organization
• Bachelor's Degree
• Ability to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors at the annual fund level
• Strong writing and presentation skills a must
• Ability to work in a team environment and collaborate across departments to complete tasks with consistent and robust follow through
• Ability to develop proficiency with University's customer relationship management (CRM) software
• Effectively prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Adaptable and resilient when confronted with challenges and changing priorities
• Manage and meet deadlines
• Compile expense reports
• Plan and appropriately execute social engagement activities
• Read and generate prospect reports
• Manage sensitive and confidential information
• Work occasionally on evenings and weekends
• Maintain a valid driver's license and possess the ability to safely and effectively drive