Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving

at  Stanford University

The Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) seeks a full-time Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of giving $10,000+ annually to support the GSE’s highest philanthropic priorities. If you enjoy frontline fundraising and being part of a collaborative team environment, we invite you to apply and be an integral part of the GSE’s vision for “improving lives through learning.”
This position is a full-time, benefits eligible appointment based on Stanford University’s main campus. Consideration will be given to a hybrid work schedule (partially onsite and offsite work), subject to operational need. Interested candidates should include a resume and cover letter describing why they are interested in this position at this stage in their career.

ABOUT US

The Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) is dedicated to solving education’s greatest challenges. Through rigorous research, model training programs and partnerships with educators worldwide, we’re pursuing equitable, accessible and effective learning for all. The GSE is a top-ranked school of education, known for its prestigious faculty, rigorous graduate degree programs, and its impact on the quality of education across the world. The GSE is committed to developing leaders in education research, practice and policy. Our community includes over 60 faculty, 400 students, 240 staff, 14,000 alumni and countless individuals from the local and global communities that we work with and impact.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Director of Development on the GSE’s External Relations Team the Assistant Director, Leadership Annual Giving officer will conduct face-to-face or zoom visits with alumni, community members, and friends to provide inspiring updates from the GSE, highlighting key faculty and student research, and speak to the highest fundraising priorities at the School. The officer will also assess individual’s capacity and inclination to give to the GSE and/or be involved in the life of the School.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree required. A minimum of three years of direct frontline fundraising experience or a combination of education and relevant experience.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Demonstrated experience with fundraising in a higher education environment.
• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies.
• Adept at problem solving, creating contingency plans and handling emergencies when necessary.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse constituencies and effectively develops relationships that enhance overall development goals.
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously.
• Skilled at articulating compelling cases for major gifts and annual discretionary support.
• Superior organizational skills; a work style that is thorough, accurate and detail-oriented , including the ability to set and meet deadlines, while still maintaining a sense of flexibility.
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)

Desirable qualifications include:

• Strong customer-service focus; excellent interpersonal skills, and a proven ability to work patiently, persuasively and effectively with a wide variety of people, including students, faculty, staff, donors and alumni.
• Demonstrated sound judgment and discretion in situations requiring independent decision-making and in handling confidential and sensitive material.

Successful candidates will be required to complete a background check prior to working at Stanford University.
Candidates must be eligible to work in the US. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. The expected pay range for this position is $101,704 - $116,524 per annum. Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.
At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

Physical Requirements:

• Occasionally stand/walk, light/fine grasping, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds, writing by hand;
• Frequently perform desk-based computer tasks; frequently sitting; frequently use a telephone;
• Ability to obtain and maintain a California Non-commercial Class license

TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Builds and develops a portfolio of prospects with the goal of cultivating, soliciting and stewarding their support.
• Establishes ongoing relationships with individual prospects through personal visits, phone calls, meaningful contacts, and ongoing cultivation and engagement activities based on donors’ interests to maximize their support for the GSE and Stanford University.
• Identify and prioritize prospects and prepare appropriate follow-up from visits and background material for solicitations.
• Conducts discovery work by sourcing prospects through reporting, data analysis, qualification, and research, both for the personal portfolio and for major gift officer portfolios.
• Renews giving, supports increased giving levels, and recaptures lapsed donors.
• Develops fundraising strategies and tracks and analyzes results of development activities in donor databases. Monitors, analyzes, and reports on overall fundraising results and portfolio growth to internal and external constituencies, as needed.

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILL BRING:

The ideal candidate is a friendly, proactive, and dependable self-starter with experience in frontline fundraising in an education or non-profit field. This role requires working with all levels of our constituents (alumni, donors, faculty, staff, students, visitors), so it is important that you can demonstrate professional decorum as well as an ability to communicate and build relationships across broad audiences. Ongoing success in the role will require a collaborative spirit and flexible attitude, a commitment to your own professional growth and career development, and pride in your work and understanding of how it supports the overall mission of the school.
Minimum education and experience requirements include: