Associate Director of Gift Planning

The Associate Director of Gift Planning will play a key role in generating planned gifts for the Academy.  The ideal candidate will balance an active external presence with alumni with proactive volunteer management of a class leadership program.  Additionally, the assistant director will bring a strong collaborative skill set in order to work closely with key reunion gift efforts and colleagues on both the major and annual giving teams. 

The Gift Planning team is comprised of three staff members, focused on increasing future and current support for the Academy’s core priorities.  This includes revocable and irrevocable gifts, using estate and retirement planning to accomplish a donor’s intention.  The gift planning program typically identifies $7M - $15M a year in new expectancies and typically administers $5M+/year in matured gifts. 

Serving in this front-line role with his/her own portfolio, the associate director will play a critical part on the OAR fundraising team, elevating the number of external conversations that include gift planning across the department’s development team.  The pro-active associate director will work with the director of gift planning to realize program targets and with the development team to build confidence and skill in moving their prospects toward blended gifts.   

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent combined with continuing professional development in the areas of fundraising, gift planning, and financial and wealth advising; and 4-8 years of work experience, inclusive of fundraising for planned gifts or other related work experience, with some knowledge of the tax and legal benefits of charitable giving. 

The successful candidate will:

• personally manage a portfolio of donor and prospect relationships, designing and implementing strategies for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.  On an annual basis, secure a minimum of 75 visits/significant contacts a year. 
• Manage the Academy’s Gift Planning Agent volunteer program including several class outreaches to each class per year and appropriate follow-up, along with proactively training and stewarding the agents as a group.  Brand the volunteer group in a way that complements the existing class structures at the Academy through active communication, marketing, and recognition efforts.  Partner with colleagues in Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement around significant reunion class committees so Gift Planning Agent leadership works in tandem with other class leadership.  Serve as the primary gift planning contact to the Annual Giving team. 
• Collaborate closely with Alumni Relations, Annual Giving and Major Gifts teams on the 50th+ reunion fundraising efforts, including the recruitment of a Gift Planning Agent for each 50th reunion for close collaboration with each class’ volunteer leadership. 
• Collaborate with development officers, particularly the Annual Giving team, to close planned gifts.  Building effective working relationship with Gift Planning partners (Donor Relations, Finance Office, Gift Operations) to facilitate smooth planned gift proposals, processing, reporting and stewarding.

The successful candidate will have gift planning marketing experience.  They will also have a strong sense of how to tactfully engage individuals, couples and families on topics of financial planning and legacy giving.  Those candidates who possess an interest and particularly a skill in finance and financial instruments are welcome. 

Travel is required to engage donor prospects and to steward existing donors.  Occasional night and/or weekend work is required to serve Academy and alumni needs. 

Please complete an application and include your resume and cover letter outlining your interest in this position.

As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, our top priority is safety. Accordingly, the Academy will require, subject to disability and religious accommodation exceptions under federal and state law, that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Phillips Academy is an equal opportunity employer. Phillips Academy is an intentionally diverse and inclusive residential community “committed to creating an equitable and inclusive school in which students from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences—including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and ability—learn and grow together.” The ideal candidate supports the inclusive and diverse nature of the community. Any offers of employment will be contingent upon successful CORI/SORI and fingerprinting background checks as well as unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.