Associate Director, Annual Giving and Alumni Communities

Department

DIV Divinity: Staff

About the Department

The University of Chicago Divinity School is a space and a community dedicated to some of the most important, most exhilarating, and most humbling questions of humanity. The School is animated by two impulses seldom found together: by the critical study of religious traditions, objects, and ideas, and by the implications of those traditions and ideas for how faith might be practiced, life might be lived, and community might be realized. The conjunction of these approaches in a Divinity School situated at the very center of one of the world’s great research universities has produced many scholars, teachers, leaders, and ideas that have had a profound effect upon the possibilities for thinking about religion, and thereby a profound effect upon the world. Read more at https://divinity.uchicago.edu/.

This role is situated within the Divinity School and works in collaboration with Alumni Relations & Development.

About Alumni Relations & Development at the University of Chicago: Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations designs, manages, and executes development strategies and programs to maximize philanthropic support for the Divinity School’s priorities, with a specific focus on annual giving and specific revenue goals. This position uses best practices in relationship management to lead and engage the School’s advisory councils, including the Baptist Theological Union, the Divinity School Visiting Committee, and the Alumni Council, with the focus of increasing overall alumni and donor participation as well as advancing the strategic objectives of the Divinity School. The Associate Director of Development reports directly to the Director of Development of the Divinity School.

Responsibilities

• Annual Fund: Guide a multifaceted direct response program that helps to retain, renew, strengthen, and establish new connections with individual donors and implements multi-channel campaigns that drive annual fund gifts in collaboration with University ARD and Divinity School Communications.

• Execute the acknowledgment and stewardship processes for the Divinity School.

• Leadership Annual Giving: Secure, renew, upgrade, and steward leadership annual gifts for the Divinity School through personal outreach and visits.

• Achieve personal fundraising activity goals monthly, quarterly, and annually.

• Serve as the primary University liaison in supporting the School’s advisory councils, including the Baptist Theological Union, the Divinity School Advisory Council, and the Alumni Council, including managing and overseeing individual relationships and committees, as needed.

• Develop and implement a strategic plan for assigned alumni communities, with specific and measurable annual and multi-year goals designed to develop a pipeline of both volunteer leaders and donors while deepening constituent engagement.

• Recruit, train, support, and steward volunteer leadership based on their respective role and community needs, with an emphasis on improving the overall Divinity School volunteer experience and creating a long-term donor pipeline for the Divinity School.

• Develop and coordinate volunteer leadership onboarding, training, off-boarding, succession planning, and pipeline-building tactics to be implemented across group leadership structures.

• Manage all aspects of engagement for assigned alumni communities, including programming, communications/marketing, and budget.

• Manage a portfolio of engaged alumni, stewarding their volunteer and engagement, with a focus on identifying major donor leads for the Divinity School and opportunities to deepen engagement.

• Identify opportunities to strategically engage assigned alumni communities in support of Divinity School engagement and fundraising initiatives.

• Build a culture of philanthropy throughout Divinity School audiences, including assigned communities, alumni, and friends.

• Assist in planning, organizing, and managing events, programs, and services to strengthen ties between the Divinity School and key constituent groups. May assist with or individually create a marketing plan to maximize participation and engagement of alumni, parents, and friends.

• Manage and coordinate onsite event support, including event-day logistics and setup and breakdown.

• Plan and schedule events, programs, and outreach, including but not limited to advisory council meetings, the Alum of the Year Lecture, Alumni Weekend programs, and academic conference receptions.

• Seek opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including attending webinars and seminars and building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.

• Has a deep understanding of fundraising operations for a school or department of the University. Participates in the development of fundraising goals, policies and short and long-term strategies. Assesses, analyzes and evaluates fundraising programs, specialized projects or major events.

• Prepares annual development reports assessing progress toward achievement of goals. Analyzes and evaluates information to identify trends and patterns, evaluates strategies and makes recommendations.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced degree in a related field.

Experience:

• Minimum five years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni engagement, marketing, public relations, sales, or similar professional work experience.

• Experience managing volunteers, alumni, or similar constituent groups.

• Experience managing cross-team projects.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, including the University's donor relationship management system and the Microsoft Office Suite.

• Fluency and comfort with technology.

Preferred Competencies

• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.

• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.

• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.

• Self-motivation and the ability to take initiative.

• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, to speak, and to write effectively.

• Strong commitment to customer service.

Working Conditions

• Travel to campus and non-campus locations for Divinity School business.

• Work evenings and weekends as needed.

• This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in-office presence located in Swift Hall, 1025 E 58th St.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)

• Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (preferred)

Job Family

Alumni Relations & Development

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$74,520.00 - $82,200.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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