Senior Associate Director, Development, Social Sciences Division

Department

ARD Social Sciences Division

About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

A central component of the University’s Office of ARD, the Division of the Social Sciences Development enterprise is a team of fundraising professionals who work collaboratively to secure annual, major, and principal gift support for divisional priorities and objectives, as set by the Dean, and foster increased engagement with the division. The team undertakes this work through in-person meetings, carefully curated cultivation and stewardship events, and other forms of donor engagement.

Consistently ranked among the top ten social science research universities in the world, the Division of Social Sciences is at the vanguard of inquiry and impact. Whether through the field-defining scholarship of the Chicago Schools in Sociology and Economics, the path-breaking impact of the first graduate international affairs program in the U.S., the creation of interdisciplinary programs in the Department of Comparative Human Development and the John U. Nef Committee on Social Thought, or many other pivotal milestones, the Division has repeatedly transformed the social sciences since its founding in 1930. The Division offers PhD degrees in nine disciplines and Master of Arts degrees in five interdisciplinary fields. The Division also offers a number of joint degrees, and these collaborative initiatives uniquely position the Division to pioneer creative modes of thinking about society’s most complex issues.

Job Summary

The role manages programs designed to meet University fundraising goals for contributed income. Serves as strategist of efforts to secure gifts and build relationships with alumni, faculty, administrators and organizations with potential to make gifts. Develops communication strategies for projects.

The Senior Associate Director of Development is a collaborative colleague and fosters a culture of philanthropy primarily in support of the Division of the Social Sciences. The position serves as University liaison to and relationship manager for high-net-worth alumni with the potential to make gifts of $50,000 and more.

Responsibilities

• Identifies, cultivates, and solicits Social Sciences Division alumni and friends who have the capacity to make financial commitments of $50,000+.
• Plans and executes a target of 100 prospect visits per year, 24 major gift solicitations, and an agreed upon fundraising dollar target of $1.5M - $3M.
• Manages a portfolio of 100-150 prospects by qualifying prospects through email, phone and in person communication.
• Determines timely cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies for prospects in portfolio.
• Arranges for prospects to meet with appropriate Social Sciences Division leadership, faculty and staff when needed as part of a cultivation strategy.
• Delivers timely and effective follow-up to prospects and donors, which would include generating customized fundraising proposals.
• Writes timely contact reports for prospect database following prospect and donor visits.
• Serves as key partner for stewardship of major gift donors and planned giving donors to the Division.
• Establishes fundraising goals and priorities based on department objectives, designs strategies to meet those goals, and monitors progress against goals.
• Serves as fundraising lead to various centers and initiatives of the Division of the Social Sciences.
• In partnership with the Senior Director and the Dean of the Division of the Social Sciences, manage the Social Sciences Advisory Council, its content and logistics for its twice annual meetings, committee work, and member terms.
• Supports the Senior Director of Development on campaign planning, including analysis of the Social Sciences’ pool of 25,000+ constituents, tracking and maintaining status of SSD campaign initiatives, updating case statements/vision documents, and preparing overview items that capture campaign priorities at a high level.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Establishes fundraising goals and priorities based on department objectives, designs strategies to meet those goals, and monitors progress against goals.
• Identifies, analyzes, and qualif