Director of Leadership Giving - DCI Focus

School of Medicine

Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Occupational Summary:

The Director of Leadership Annual Giving is responsible for identifying, soliciting, and stewarding annual giving donors who have the capacity and inclination to make $1,000 plus level gifts and move already established leadership annual giving donors to higher giving levels to fuel the pipeline for major and planned gifts to support DCI projects and priorities. This position reports to the Senior Director of Leadership Annual Giving. They will be a highly motivated professional who will be deeply involved in the fundraising efforts in support of current operations from individual donors, emphasizing new donor acquisition, upgrades, and growing membership of Duke Cancer Institute’s Shingleton Giving Society. Solicitations will be multi-channel, including, but not limited to, phone calls, mail, emails, and personal meetings.

This position reports to the Senior Director, Leadership Annual Giving.

Duke Health Development & Alumni Affairs is building a flexible and hybrid workplace. All team members must have access to and maintain a secure home office environment with high-speed internet service and work collaboratively with others using various technologies and tools. Depending on the type of position and work performed, or as deemed by the manager, positions may be required to work in an office located in Durham, NC, or a surrounding local area.

WORK PERFORMED

Fundraising 70%

Plan, design, implement, and evaluate strategies to obtain outright annual gifts. Identify, qualify, cultivate, and solicit mid-level giving prospects to create and grow a pipeline of DCI LAG donors.

Conduct at least 75 personal contacts annually, averaging 5-10 solicitations per month, with a minimum ask of $1,000 and a goal of closing 80% of gifts.

Strategic development and management of a portfolio with approximately 150 prospects and donors capable of making a minimum gift of $1,000.

Make donor referrals to special gift officers, as appropriate.

Provide timely post-visit follow-up, including tracking moves and solicitations and sending personalized follow-ups to individual prospects.

Become familiar with DCI’s priorities. Collaborate with colleagues to help align our donors’ philanthropic interests with various priorities across DCI.

Coordinate stewardship efforts as needed with appropriate engagement and other DHDAA colleagues.

Manage and implement the Shingleton Society to support leadership annual giving donors. Responsible for annual Shingleton Societies events to steward donors.

Program Management 25%

Attend DCI bi-weekly and quarterly meetings. Report out on DCI Leadership Annual Giving activities.

Serve as an active Engagement team member, an integral part of the annual giving program.

Serve as the lead for the Shingleton Society annual event. Lead the committee from the initial conception of the event to its successful completion. Define project milestones and deadlines and coordinate teams and external vendors to ensure a successful and enjoyable event meets organizational goals and expectations.

Develop individual engagement strategies for top DCI prospects and methodically work to engage prospects through the moves management process (qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship) while also achieving annual metrics for visits, meaningful contacts, and dollars raised.

Maintain general knowledge of fundraising best practices, current tax laws, investments, and planned giving opportunities; use knowledge in prospect cultivation and solicitation.

Become an expert on the various entities and activities that DCI leadership annual giving supports and other programs at DHDAA for which gifts are being sought or may interest donors.

Design and manage communications (e.g., mail, email, video, phone, and other channels) to maximize fundraising potential.

Attend university-wide events and DHDAA related meetings.

Analytics 5%

Master the Salesforce platform for developing engagement strategies for all DCI leadership annual giving donors and prospects.

Partner with the Advancement Research team and Senior Director of Leadership Annual Giving to identify prospective donors and strategically assess their philanthropic capacity and inclination.

Work with the Senior Director of Leadership Annual Giving to develop fundraising goals and strategies, monitor and analyze results throughout the fiscal year, and revise strategies as necessary to accomplish goals.

Other related duties as assigned.

Departmental Preferences/Skills

• Strong data analysis, planning, and research skills with the ability to monitor and translate results into performance targets and objectives.
• Successful fundraising or related experience, particularly with direct mail and web-based fundraising products and programs.
• Skill in communicating persuasively, orally and in writing, with different external constituencies.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate multiple solutions and solve complex problems using well-developed critical and analytical thinking skills. 
• Excellent time management skills needed to prioritize among many competing priorities. 
• Attention to detail needed to operate accurately and effectively in the regulatory environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with various internal and external constituents.
• Ability to adhere to deadlines while managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong computer skills, including all Microsoft Office programs, fund-raising databases, and marketing automation tools.
• Project management experience preferred.  
• Ability to be flexible in working independently and collaboratively with faculty and staff to achieve defined goals.

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Work requires communication, analytical, and organizational skills, generally acquired through completing a bachelor's degree program.

EXPERIENCE

Work requires five years of experience in alumni affairs, public relations, fundraising, sales and promotions, marketing, student activities, or a related field to acquire the skills necessary to administer, coordinate, and/or participate in fundraising activities.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.

Experience

Work requires five years experience in alumni affairs, public OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE. relations, fund raising, sales and promotions, marketing, student activities or a related field in order to acquire skills necessary to administer, coordinate and/or participate in general fund raising activities and proposal development.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

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Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.