Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

 

Please click on the links below to view our competitive, comprehensive benefits package:

• Hiring Range: $87,000 - $106,000
• Benefits
• PTO Overview
• Job Classification: Full Time Salaried Staff
• Grade Level: 9

                                                                                                      

JOB SUMMARY: The Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Engagement is a critical member of the University Advancement team, responsible for developing, managing, and executing a comprehensive annual giving program to build financial support through various donor initiatives, as well as as an alumni engagement strategy.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Designs and implements innovative strategies to identify, cultivate and solicit donors for lead annual gifts ($10k +) that will build the major gift pipeline.
• Develop and manage a comprehensive annual giving program, using email, direct mail, phone, social media, personal visits, events, and volunteer engagement strategies.
• Assists the VP for Advancement in planning, organizing, and executing departmental goals and objectives.
• Collaborates with Strategic Information and Prospect Development to implement measurable metrics for success and maintain an ongoing evaluation and reporting system for annual giving programs
• Fosters growth in annual giving through best practices in gift processing, data management, and donor relations.
• Collaborates with Advancement, Student Affairs, and other departments to align annual giving efforts with institutional priorities.
• Encourages alumni and parent involvement in support for the school.
• Oversees  Alumni Engagement staff to develop and implement annual giving events.
• Develops and manages the annual giving goals and budget, including requests, records, and expenditures.
• Collaborates with colleagues to identify and qualify alumni prospects for engagement and leadership gifts.

 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED (an equivalent amount of training, education and experience will be considered):

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in fundraising with specific experience managing an annual fund program and events.
• Demonstrated ability raising funds.
• Previous experience conducting major fundraising activities.
• Exceptional  interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Exceptional  project management and data analysis skills.

 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES including competencies that may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position:

• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with a broad range of internal and external constituents including faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, donors.
• Outstanding planning and organizational skills with the ability to multitask as well as work independently and collaboratively, managing multiple projects on deadlines.
• Highly organized, self-starter with good interpersonal, problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to work with key, senior level constituents including senior level administration and donors.
• Understanding of database management, gift processing, and donor relations
• Demonstrated analytical and fundraising skills with the ability to recognize opportunities, identify critical, high pay-off activities and prioritize them to attain goals.
• Sound judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Thorough knowledge of advancement operations, with exceptional expe