Senior Director of Planned Giving

University Overview

UB is a premier, research-intensive public university dedicated to academic excellence and making a positive impact on the world.  Home to more than 31,000 students, the university is consistently recognized as one of the world’s most exceptional and most affordable universities, making it a top choice for students and faculty around the globe. We seek knowledge that leads to new cures, improved processes, stronger materials, faster computers, smarter software, smaller machines and thousands of other improvements. Building strong connections with our alumni and donors worldwide is critical to that vision. In the Division of University Advancement, we are leading the charge by helping foster a new UB environment that broadens opportunities for alumni engagement, capitalizes on positive student experiences and builds philanthropic support. 

 Position Overview

Under the general direction of the Senior Associate Vice President for Advancement, the Senior Director of Planned Giving at the University at Buffalo is responsible for helping to advance a comprehensive program that successfully meets the University’s goals for short and long-term private support.  The Office of Planned Giving offers a multi-tiered, donor-centered approach, which allows individuals to make significant contributions. Duties and assignments include, but are not limited to identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding prospects and donors capable of gifts of $500,000 or more, particularly those of a deferred or more complex nature as well as supporting comparable efforts of key internal partners. The Senior Director of Planned Giving may serve as officer-in-charge of the Planned Giving team in the absence of the Associate Vice President. 

Duties and Responsibilities

80% of Activity

• Personally identify and manage, through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, a pool of 100 prospects with the goal of successfully closing outright, deferred and more complex gifts.

• Maintain a regular schedule of visitation, primarily outside of the Western New York region, with individuals capable of making gifts of $500,000 or more. The incumbent must be able to travel up to 50% of the time.

• Drafts and supports the drafting of gift proposals and ancillary materials designed to encourage planned gifts specifically bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts and lead trusts along with the gifting of assets beyond cash and marketable securities.

• Participate in and, in some instances, lead the process of developing effective cultivation and solicitation plans and strategies for donors managed directly by university, school and unit-based gift officers.

• Maintain a high-level working and technical knowledge of charitable giving techniques and charitable tax laws.

• Assist in the development and presentation of programs designed to increase awareness of gift planning techniques, strategies and opportunities for internal and external audiences.

• Document contacts and strategies through the prospect tracking module of the Advance Web system, the in-house database for gift recording/reporting and all donor/prospect Adhere to the policies and procedures for accepting, recording and acknowledging gifts.

• Meet or exceed expectations for performance metrics including number of visits and proposals presented and closed.

 20% of Activity

• The Senior Director of Planned Giving may serve as officer-in-charge in the absence of the Associate Vice President.

• Participate as a full member of the advancement team, Office of Planned Giving meetings, gift officer meetings, professional development activities, and other staff meetings.

• Provide stewardship of relationships with committed donors as well as coordinating donor acknowledgment and recognition through partnership with the donor relations and stewardship staff.

• Serve as a credible campus resource on specific subject matters and gifting techniques.

• Provide leadership and oversight of unit-based projects as may be assigned.

• Participate in university events to cultivate relationships with donors, prospects, key volunteers and all internal.

• Pursue professional growth activities with the approval and support of the AVP.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree
• A minimum of five years of major and/or planned giving fund-development experience,  professional relationship-based sales, or financial advising experience, including personal solicitation 
• Proven track record of individual success in achieving high level measurable goals in a fundraising, sales and/or financial sector environment
• Technical/digital competence
• Strong problem solving and oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated commitment to collaboration and leading collaboration. The ability to work well both independently and collectively with other team members and in managing multiple highly visible projects and priorities
• Excellent and mature judgment
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time, including local and regional visits, and work evenings and occasional weekends
  

Preferred:

• Master’s degree
• A strong understanding of charitable tax law, financial and estate planning techniques
• Demonstrated success in soliciting and closing planned gifts of $500,000 or more
• Five years or more experience closing gifts/sales with donors and/or clients in a gift planning, trust and estate and/or financial sector environment
• Familiarity with and success in the complex environment of higher education in a university setting
• Experience in engaging senior leadership, faculty and volunteer partners in the development of meaningful and productive relationships with prospects and donors and/or customers and clients

The University at Buffalo is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and, in keeping with our commitment, welcomes all to apply including veterans and individuals with disabilities. The University is dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic University community committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment.

UB offers highly competitive salary and benefit packages for its advancement staff.

For more job information and directions on how to apply, please visit our website at:

https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu. Only applications received through UB Jobs will be considered.

Posting # U2000037

Quick link to apply: http://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/postings/26715