Principal Gift Officer

Description

Reporting to the Executive Director, Development, and working in close coordination with the Vice President for Advancement and other partners across Hamilton College, the Principal Gift Officer is responsible for building relationships with and securing seven-, eight-, and nine-figure principal gifts from high net worth individuals in support of the college’s highest priorities. The principal gifts officer will manage a portfolio that includes validated principal gifts prospects as well as working to develop and engage newly identified principal gifts prospects. The officer will pursue growth of this portfolio by partnering with members of the faculty, senior staff and Hamilton’s network of committed alumni, parents and friends.

This is an exempt position with a pay range of $170,000 - $200,000.

Responsibilities

• Develops cultivation and solicitation strategies for a portfolio of prospects and donors. Builds and manages a network of relationships with prospective donors involving college administrators and faculty. Facilitates and coordinates all communication with assigned prospects as well as identifies opportunities to create networking with trustees and other leadership volunteers.
• Evaluates various gift opportunities and giving vehicles and recommends the most suitable for a particular donor.
• Interacts with deans, directors, faculty, officers, and other development staff to consult on college needs, to formulate strategies to promote prospect engagement with the college and to identify potential new donors.
• Assists with the strategy for and creation of written communications from various college sources appropriate to a donor’s interests.
• As appropriate participates (often in concert with others) in gift solicitations to fund college programs and to enhance the development efforts with a goal to encourage funding for strategic initiatives.
• Travel as required for prospect management and cultivation commensurate with Hamilton College’s standard expectations for fundraising activity (estimated as 2 weeks/month). May involve international travel depending upon prospect assignments.
• Performs additional development-related activities/efforts as needed and requested by the VP Development and Executive Director, Development.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field and ten+ years of experience in fundraising at the principal gift level (securing seven to nine figure gifts), preferably in higher education or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Prior success closing (cultivating and soliciting) and stewarding individual donors at the eight- and nine-figure levels at a university or college.
• Proficiency engaging unaffiliated, high net worth individuals as prospects, preferably in a college setting.
• Experience working closely with an institution’s president or CEO, faculty, senior officers, and fellow development professionals.
• Experience working with sensitive information and ability to maintain strict confidentiality.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Professional credibility, intellectual depth, maturity, and collaborative skills to lead others by influence.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Creative and entrepreneurial outlook with a strong intellectual curiosity.
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances in a complex environment.
• Ability to present complex funding opportunities to prospective donors in person and in writing.

Application Instructions

Please submit cover letter, resume and contact information for three professional references. Consideration of candidates will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Hamilton College is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity employer and encourages diversity in all areas of the campus community.

Hamilton College complies with all federal and state laws including publishing and making available its Annual Security Report. The report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes and institutional policies addressing campus security. To obtain a copy of this report contact the Director of Campus Safety or visit: www.hamilton.edu/annualsecurityreport