SENIOR DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PHILANTHROPY

Job Summary: 

The Senior Director, Strategic Philanthropy will create, build, and develop an effective and sustainable identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship process for the College’s prospects. The Senior Director collaborates with units across campus to facilitate major and principal prospect identification, strategy development, and coordination for multi-interest and single interest prospects, and for prospect visibility for college leadership. The Senior Director will collaborate with Advancement leadership to support campaign planning around major and principal gift prospects, capital projects, and school/unit fundraising priorities.

The Senior Director is a frontline fundraising professional responsible for the management of a portfolio of prospects comprised of alumni, parents, family foundations, and friends with capacity and inclination to make major and principal gifts to Ithaca College.  The Senior Director will be responsible for working with the Vice President of Advancement, Associate Vice President of Development, Director of Principal Gifts, and senior leadership at Ithaca College to qualify, develop cultivation strategy and solicit major and principal gift prospects. The role will involve cultivating relationships with high-capacity, high net worth individual donors and prospects capable of making gifts and pledges of $100,000 to $1M+ to support Ithaca College’s mission and priorities.

The successful candidate will be a seasoned fundraising professional with a demonstrated track record of managing a portfolio and soliciting/closing significant philanthropic gifts from individuals, families, and family foundations, including working in close partnership with the senior leaders and volunteers.

Job Responsibilities:

Portfolio Strategy and Management 

1. Manage an assigned portfolio of high net-worth prospects, including discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. This includes extensive travel to ensure movement within the portfolio.
2. Qualifies cultivates, solicits, closes, and stewards individual donors and family foundations through in-person meetings, written solicitations/proposals, email, and other means tailored as specifically as possible to donor preferences and engagement strategies, often in close collaboration with the Vice President of Advancement
3.  Maintain a competent understanding in how deferred gift vehicles can support visionary gifts and promote gift planning where appropriate.
4. Leverage on and off-campus college events for portfolio development as appropriate.

IC Leadership 

1. With Advancement leadership, create and execute a thoughtful plan to ensure that the college can rely on an increasing and sustainable flow of philanthropic support from the highest level of donors/prospects 
2. Briefs, advises, and staffs executive leadership and other leaders and volunteers involved with major and principal donor relationships and solicitations.
3. Engage with trustees and other college leaders to strengthen prospect involvement. Assist in the recruitment, training, and management of volunteers with the intent to identify key leadership positions on boards and councils. 
4. The Senior Director collaborates with units across campus to facilitate major and principal prospect identification, strategy development, and strategic coordination for multi-interest and single interest prospects, and for prospect visibility for college leadership. 

Donor Relationships 

1.  Model a collaborative style to facilitate and guide creative donor relationship strategies.   
2.  Work with Donor Relations to identify and confirm individuals, families and foundations to highlight donors as appropriate; and to oversee preparation of proposals, gift agreements, endowment and stewardship reports for assigned prospects.  
3.  Develop, plan, and participate in strategic donor engagement opportunities, such as small events for targeted prospects and larger donor stewardship events. 

IC Division of Advancement  

1. Support the work of the Associate Vice President of Development and Vice President for Advancement. 
2. Develop and keep updated contact reports, opportunities, and solicitation efforts. Ensure the accuracy and timely entry of all information and records into the CRM database.  
3. Exhibit a strong ability to maintain confidentiality and set pace for moves management. 
4. Develop and demonstrate a multicultural awareness and contribute to cultivating an inclusive, diverse, and respectful college community.  
5. Demonstrate civil and inclusive behavior when interacting with staff, faculty, students, and visitors to the college.  
6. Promote a flexible, collaborative, and inclusive work and living environment. 
7. Engage in educati