Director, Major and Planned Gifts

Overview

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine has an exciting new position of Director of Major and Planned Gifts within the Office of Development.  The Director of Major and Planned Gifts (The director) is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major gift prospects with the ability to make gifts of $50,000 or more to the WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. The director will be responsible for managing a portfolio of 100 to 150 major and planned gift prospects. The director will play a leadership role in the multi-year comprehensive fundraising campaign of the WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine that is anticipated to run from 2021 to 2031.

Responsibilities

MAJOR GIFT DUTIES:   

• Responsible for leading a major gift program of the medical school, focused on:
• securing both current use and endowed gifts for student scholarships,
• current use and endowed resources for endowed faculty positions,
• securing current use and endowed funds for medical students and medical resident research projects, and
• current use and endowed funds to support space naming opportunities for new and existing campus facilities owned by WMed.
• Responsible for stewarding major gifts to recognize donors for their support and communicate the impact these gifts have made to the medical school.
• Market and encourage the use of donation of appreciated stock to fund charitable gifts to the medical school.

PLANNED GIFT DUTIES:   

• Responsible for managing relationships with planned giving prospects of the medical school.
• Regular communication with planned gift donors and donor prospects (individuals aged 55 and older).
• Responsible for preparing gift illustrations for charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, and sharing information on bequest intentions, rollover IRA gifts, gifts of real and personal property, and gifts of appreciated securities.
• Responsible for planning annual meetings for planned gift council advisors to keep up-to-date on the mission and giving priorities for the medical school.
• Plans a regular series of engagement communication activities and events with planned gift donor prospects.
• Makes use of annual subscription services with the Crescendo Company to distribute a regular planned giving electronic newsletter, and literature and information in publications targeted to seniors.
• Responsible for managing outreach and engagement with retirees of the medical school.

OTHER GIFT DUTIES:   

• Makes 5-15 visits with donor prospects each month qualify, solicit, and steward major and planned gift donors of the medical school.
• Establishes annual goals for managing WMed major and Planned gift prospects.
• Manages his/her/their time to thoughtfully complete 12 solicitations of $50,000 or more each year and from these solicitations to secure $1 million in new gift commitments each fiscal year.
• Use Salesforce database system to record activity with major and planned gift prospects in his/her/their portfolio.
• Works with WMed Philanthropy council members, as well as members of the medical school leadership team to cultivate, solicit and steward major and planned gift prospects.
• Availability to work on weekends and evenings to complete time sensitive projects.
• Acquires knowledge for new technology and policy/procedure revisions.
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Three or more years of either major gift fundraising or planned gift fundraising.
• Prior experience soliciting outright gifts of $50,000 or more.
• A conversational knowledge of basic planned gift vehicles and concepts.
• Valid driver’s license and a car to attend meetings and visit donor prospects.
• Strong communication skills in-person, over the telephone, in group settings, and in writing.
• Prior experience soliciting current use and endowed gifts for scholarships and financial aid.
• Prior experience in marketing and promoting gift opportunities that enhance organizational programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Prior experience using a database system like Salesforce, or Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge.
• Prior experience working in higher education, healthcare or medical school fundraising.
• Prior event planning experience.
• Comfort working with financial information.
• Demonstrates the ability to recognize priorities in organization of work flow.
• Able to perform duties independently, with a minimal need for direct supervision.

About Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed) is an exciting environment to pursue and academic career. The medical school is a collaboration of Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo's two teaching health systems, Ascension Borgess and Bronson Healthcare. The medical school is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation supported by private gifts, clinical revenues, research activities, tuition, and endowment income. Building upon the $100 million foundational gift in 2011, WMed received a philanthropic commitment of $300 million to support the mission of the medical school in June 2021. WMed contributed to the creation of 1,600 new jobs and an economic impact of $353 million in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties in 2020.

WMed is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Higher Learning Commission. WMed offers a comprehensive, innovative four-year Doctor of Medicine degree program and two Master of Science degree programs in Biomedical Sciences and Medical Engineering. There are more than 200 residents and fellows in 10 residencies and five fellowships accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. To support its mission to educate and inspire lifelong learners, WMed has Joint Accreditation for interprofessional continuing education, which incorporates accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

WMed Health is the clinical practice of the medical school with more than 300 providers offering comprehensive primary care and specialty services in several locations throughout Kalamazoo, Portage, and Battle Creek. The Department of Pathology faculty serve as the Office of the Medical Examiner for counties throughout Michigan and northern Indiana.

The W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus located in downtown Kalamazoo serves as the primary educational facility with faculty and administrative offices, student study and social spaces, team-based learning halls, a state-of-the-art Simulation Center accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare, basic science research labs, as well as toxicology and forensic pathology labs.

WMed is building upon Kalamazoo’s century-long foundation of drug discovery and medical device development with a strategic investment in clinical, laboratory, community, and educational research. The Center for Immunobiology, Center for Clinical Research, WMed ForenTox, Research Histology Lab, Innovation Center, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Human Research Protection Program contribute to the medical school’s advancement of knowledge through innovation and discovery. 

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer of females, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans, and actively strives to increase diversity within its community. We provide a drug- and tobacco-free workplace. 

EEO Minorities/Women/Disabled/Protected Veterans.