What are the responsibilities and job description for the Leadership Gift Officer position at The College of New Jersey?
To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The College has a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff, and strongly encourages women and members of underrepresented groups to apply.
The Office Development and Alumni Engagement is seeking candidates for Leadership Gift Officer role.
Reporting to the Senior Director of Development, the Leadership Gift Officer is a member of The College of New Jersey Advancement Division's development team. The incumbent is charged with developing and implementing strategies to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward potential major gift donors with the capacity to contribute a minimum of $25,000 or more (this role will also emphasize work with prospects who have the capacity of $100,000 or more). The Leadership Gift Officer will work with Prospect Research to identify high-wealth individuals across all units to cultivate and potentially solicit for a seven-figure gift. The Leadership Gift Officer will solicit prospects and identify and motivate those alumni, faculty, volunteers, friends who can advance the development function of the college.
Main Responsibilities:
- Manage a donor/prospect portfolio of approximately 175 individuals for cultivation and solicitation of major gifts.
- Develop and implement prospect-specific strategies for cultivating and soliciting major gift prospects to meet funding priorities.
- Secure an average of nine unique conversations with prospects per month by phone, zoom, or in person in order to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and appropriately steward donors and prospective donors, with an emphasis on major gifts.
- Submit at least 15 proposals of $25,000 or higher during the fiscal year (including five proposals to ask for over $100,000).
- Make at least 75 unique outreach contacts per month (including email, phone, and hard copy correspondence)
- Build relationships with donors and coordinate solicitations as appropriate with the senior administrative and academic leadership, volunteers, and other members of the TCNJ community
- Develop and maintain a thorough working knowledge of TCNJ and its vision, mission, and strategic plan in order to effectively articulate the College’s priorities and fundraising objectives to donors.
- Document all activity in the institutional advancement database
- Attend college-sponsored events as appropriate.
- Travel via car, train, and airplane with occasional overnight lodging required
- Office environment with regular travel to and from donor meetings via various modes of transportation
Required Qualifications:
- Undergraduate degree required, advanced degree preferred
- Five to Seven years of progressive experience in development in a higher education environment.
Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of major gift fundraising in a college setting
- Strong organizational and communication skills and a clear, concise writing style
- History of success developing and managing relationships with campus administrators, volunteer leadership, and major donors/prospects
Employer Qualifications:
- Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of background check and reference checks
- COVID-19 Testing and Compliance - The College has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement. To learn more, please read the policy here: COVID-19 Requirements and Protocols. https://hr.tcnj.edu/covid-19-employee-info/
About TCNJ
TCNJ is a highly selective institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. Founded in 1855, TCNJ has become an exemplar of the best in public higher education and is consistently acknowledged as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges and is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report. TCNJ was named the #10 value in public higher education by the Princeton review in 2009 and, in 2006, was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter - an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ's seven schools - Arts & Communication; Business; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Science; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Engineering. TCNJ faculty members are teacher-scholars who share a commitment to liberal learning. TCNJ is located within an hour, by train, of New York City and Philadelphia. The College's campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty and has 39 major buildings, including the fourth-best college library in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.
Contact Information
Qualified candidates should apply online and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be considered until a viable finalist has been found.
In accordance with the New Jersey First Act P.L. 2011 c.70, effective September 1, 2011, new public employees in certain positions (faculty exempt) are required to obtain New Jersey residency within one (1) year of employment. Applicants must meet the requirements listed.
Salary : $25,000 - $100,000
