General Summary: Supports the advancement team’s work to strengthen USM’s donor-centered relationships in annual giving, capital campaign initiatives, planned giving, and stewardship. Help facilitate a donor-centered stewardship program that will be steadfast on our sincere acknowledgement of USM’s investors, and help position or case for support in significant constituent markets throughout the country.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Helps to launch our next comprehensive campaign in support of the goals developed in our 2022 strategic plan.
• Directs and implements strategies for identifying, cultivating, and successfully soliciting individuals for gifts of $25 - 100K to support annual giving efforts, and will solicit gifts of $100K - $1M in support of strategic capital campaign initiatives. 
• Manages a portfolio of prospects through an active schedule of solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship calls to current donors and new prospects. 
• Builds relationships among prospective donors, alumni, parents, and volunteers to support programs and priorities. 
• Partners with faculty and members of the leadership team to align priorities of the school with donor goals/interests. 
• Works with the Advancement office database manager to ensure that potential major and principal gift prospects are properly qualified, assigned, cultivated, and stewarded. 
• Coordinates, writes, and produces appropriate fundraising materials including, but not limited to, case statements, brochures, solicitation letters, gift proposals, appreciation letters, donor reports, and campaign status reports. 
• Maintains information on select donors and prospects including contact reports in the Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge (CRM) system. Communicates in ways that are donor-centric, while furthering the mission of USM and our strategic design initiatives.  
• Seeks opportunities to travel and meet with donors as needed. 
• Supports, collaborates with, and supervises staff as needed. 
• Manages several cost-center budget lines for greater efficiency. 
• Meet Advancement office metrics for donor visit preparation, qualification, contact reports, in-person visits, referrals, and accurate coding using the CRM system. 
• Represents the Advancement office at various board and school functions.
• Provides support to other colleagues in the Advancement Department.
• Assumes other duties as required.

        Entrepreneurial, energetic, and goal-oriented

• Experience as lead solicitor, closing a significant number of gifts between $25K - $1M from major prospects. 
• Prior experience working with comprehensive campaigns, alumni engagement, or in a university or independent school setting. 
• Experience working with various technologies including advanced knowledge and experience with Blackbaud CRM systems, Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Zoom, mass email applications, and project management software.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, organizational, and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• The ability to work with ambiguity, navigate a complex work environment, and manage multiple projects simultaneously. 
• The ability to work independently as well as collaboratively to achieve goals with a commitment to delivering exceptional donor-centric services. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills as well as effective presentation skills. 
• Flexibility to accommodate changing priorities and deadlines. 
• High level of professionalism and commitment to confidentiality with sound judgment and discretion. 

• A high level of integrity, warmth, confidence, and positive attitude

• Strong interpersonal skills; capable of using tact and diplomacy in dealing with others
• High level of maturity, confidentiality, and assertiveness

• Ability to work collaboratively with others and maintain positive professional relationships, and the ability to work with other Advancement Office team members and all levels of volunteers and staff at the school.
• Excellent organizational skills with a strong degree of self- direction and motivation; ability to constantly search for new ideas.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service
• Flexibility

 Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree minimum
• Ten years of equivalent experience in higher education, independent school (day or boarding schools), or advancement offices (development offices) in healthcare or civic nonprofit institutions.