Development Officer, Leadership and Parent Giving

Summary:

The Development Officer, Leadership and Parent Giving engages with the Wheaton community to qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward leadership donors from a portfolio of alumni and parents. This position reports to the Director of Major Gifts and Gift Planning and is responsible for leadership gift solicitation and the development of strategies to increase parent leadership giving, which includes recruiting and training 8-10 parent volunteers. The Development Officer, Leadership and Parent Giving manages an assigned pool of prospective donors and volunteers, focusing on prospects capable of making annual gifts of $2,500 or more. The Development Officer, Leadership and Parent Giving will meet (virtually and in person) with 100+ alumni and parents each fiscal year to solicit leadership support and promote membership in the Mary Lyon Leadership Society. In this role, the Development Officer will oversee parent fundraising with specific attention to non-alumni parents in an effort to increase engagement with the college. This position offers opportunities for career growth and mentoring in leader-level annual giving and major gift fundraising. This position will involve some local and regional travel, and occasional evening and weekend events where staff presence is needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution required. Minimum of three years of experience in development fundraising or a related field. Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication and organizational skills required. Ability to interact with a broad range of constituents including alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the college. Demonstrated experience calling, conducting face-to-face appointments, managing relationships, creating and presenting proposals, and other fundamental elements of client/donor relationship or sales-related management. Demonstrated experience in recruiting, managing, training, and motivating volunteers. Database experience, proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel); Google, and ability to analyze data and learn new software. Willingness to travel regionally with some evenings and weekends required throughout the year. Valid driver’s license required. Demonstrated ability to work independently, and as part of a team, is essential.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Experience with parent constituency highly desirable. Experience with Raisers Edge a plus.
In our work to support the mission of the College in providing a transformative liberal arts education for intellectually curious students in a collaborative, academically vibrant residential community that values a diverse world, we prioritize:

• Teamwork
• Mutual respect
• Diversity, equity & inclusion
• Integrity
• Strategic thinking
• Excellence

 If you would like to be part of such a team, we encourage you to apply. If you are hesitant to apply because you have not previously performed every responsibility listed in the description, but you do possess transferable skills and the defined qualifications, we encourage your application.