Assistant Director of Devel, Vet Med / Development Officer I

Working/Functional Title

Assistant Director of Devel, Vet Med

Position Summary

BASIC FUNCTION AND RESPONSIBILITY

Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine was formally established as a four-year degree-granting program in 1910. Today, the college includes three biomedical science departments --Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, and Pharmacology and Toxicology; two clinical departments -- Large Animal Clinical Sciences and Small Animal Clinical Sciences; two service units -- the Veterinary Medical Center and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; and several research centers.

As part of MSU’s $4B comprehensive capital campaign, the College of Veterinary Medicine is pacing toward our ambitious unit goal to raise $225M by 2032 in support of four visionary priorities – including a new veterinary teaching hospital, disease prevention and treatment, one health approaches to tackling cancer, and training tomorrow’s top veterinary scientists – and to support many other important initiatives within the CVM strategic plan.

The successful candidate to serve as Assistant Director of Development will be part of a collaborative team that plans and helps direct the organization and operation of a development program for the college, including the management of fundraising efforts in specific instate and outstate geographic areas. The Assistant Director of Development will focus efforts on significant contact with prospects whose philanthropic capacity is $50,000 and more, managing a portfolio of approximately 70 major donor prospects. It is expected that the Assistant Director will average 12-15 strategic visits per month, which will result in greater engagement and movement toward a major gift solicitation at a rate of 2 to 4 solicitations per month, with all solicitation efforts cleared and coordinated with the college and University Advancement at Michigan State University. The Assistant Director will report directly to the Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Regular in-state travel is required involving an automobile; additional travel out-of-state involving air transportation can be expected quarterly.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Solicitation, Cultivation & Discovery:

• Build strong, engaged relationships with major gift prospects to determine and merge prospect passions/interests/needs with MSU/CVM areas of funding priority and opportunity. Carry a portfolio of approximately 70 prospects to engage in fundraising strategies and solicitation of gifts of $50,000 and more.
• Self-direct efforts to identify key prospects ready to engage, secure meetings to explore philanthropic capacity, and qualify/disqualify prospects as major gift donors.
• Implement a yearly strategic fundraising plan for the college in collaboration with the development team to meet established dollar/donor goals for the college’s annual fund program, focusing efforts on prospects with capacity $50,000+.
• Engage 12-15 major prospects through personal visits, which result in strategic “moves” toward closure of special and major gifts each month.
• Interpret needs/priorities of CVM units, verbally and in writing, to engender a level of understanding that is conducive to giving.
• Build working relationships with internal constituents to enhance information exchange between CVM units as well as other MSU units, including advising faculty and administrators of appropriate fund-raising strategies.

Program Support:

• Assist with the development and writing of materials that clearly identify funding priorities, articulate the case for the support of the college, and engender an insight conducive to giving in order to advance the college’s annual and campaign fundraising goals. Materials may include solicitation appeals, proposals, and other materials for engagement, cultivation, and solicitation, as well as marketing and communication materials targeted to alums and donors.
• Assist with the coordination of and participation in college alums and donor engagement, prospecting, recognition, and stewardship events, as appropriate. 
• Serve as a liaison between the donor/prospect and the university/college to ensure that information and services that may be desired are provided to the full extent permitted by university policy, rules, and regulations
• Utilize Advance alum and donor database to coordinate with other development colleagues, record contact activities, update donor information, record strategic moves management steps, and gift documentation as appropriate. Maintain accurate donor/prospect records in the Advance system, planning and documenting significant strategic prospect “moves” towa