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Major Gift Associate

Cornell University
United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 21 Feb 2025
💰 $250,000/yr($70,208/yr$250,000/yr)

About the role

   

Cornell University, a nationally ranked Ivy League institution, is looking for a Major Gift Associate to join the Alumni Affairs & Development (“AA&D”) division in Ithaca, NY.

The division of AA&D is semi-decentralized. This position will reside with the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business (“College”), which includes three schools: the Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration (Nolan), the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management (Dyson), and the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management (Johnson).

The College delivers undergraduate, graduate, MBA, and PhD programs and consists of approximately 240 faculty, 900 staff, 4,000 students, and almost 50,000 alumni. Together, the three schools transcend the traditional boundaries of business education and research to transform critical thinking into practical solutions. We collaborate within the college, across Cornell, and beyond to mobilize diverse expertise, generate world-class knowledge, inspire students, and positively impact society.

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Major Gift Associate (MGA) will be a strong, persuasive business writer who can synthesize information to develop compelling fundraising materials. The MGA will draft correspondence for use by the President, Provost, Deans, Senior Administrators, and Trustees. They will manage data and develop and maintain a strong understanding of university systems. In addition, the MGA will assist in executing stewardship activities for any prospect whose lifetime philanthropy to Cornell is $250k or more. This position will work independently and collaboratively with gift officers, program assistants, and others across Alumni Affairs and Development and the SC Johnson College of Business.

Key Responsibilities

  • Synthesize and summarize large amounts of data into a meaningful, narrative format.

  • Build strong working relationships.

  • Research and gather accurate information.

  • Utilize critical thinking.

  • Use sound judgment and forward-thinking.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years relevant experience or equivalent combination.

  • Demonstrated ability to work independently.

  • High level of accuracy and attention to detail.

  • Strong research and computer software skills. 

  • Ability to prioritize multiple projects under pressure with extremely tight deadlines.

  • Effective oral and written communication skills, especially in persuasive and business writing.

This position is based in Ithaca, NY, and has hybrid work arrangements.

No Visa Sponsorship is available for this position

   

University Job Title:

Gift Associate II

Job Family:

Alumni Affairs Development

Level:

F

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Pay Range:

$70,208.00 - $81,593.00

Remote Option Availability:

Hybrid

Company:

Endowed

Contact Name:

Rachel Colunio

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

  • Prior relevant work or industry experience

  • Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

  • Unique applicable skills

  • Academic Discipline

To learn more about Cornell’s non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

Union Positions

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell’s union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

Current Employees:

If you currently work at Cornell University, please exit this website and log in to Workday using your Net ID and password. Select the Career icon on your Home dashboard to view jobs at Cornell.

Online Submission Guidelines:

Most positions at Cornell will require you to apply online and submit both a resume/CV and cover letter.  You can upload documents either by “dragging and dropping” them into the dropbox or

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Company

Cornell University

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