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Assistant Director, Philanthropy - Cancer Research

University of Louisville
Health Sciences Center, United States, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 27 Jan 2026
💰 $500,000/yr

About the role

Department:

Location:

Health Sciences Center

Time Type:

Full time

Worker Type:

Regular

Job Req ID:

R107896

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Grade 7 (Salaried)

Position Description:

The University of Louisville is seeking an Assistant Director, Philanthropy (Cancer Research). The Assistant Director of Philanthropy – Cancer Research will play a key role – individually and collectively – in cultivating long-term relationships with donors who have the capacity to make major gifts, while leveraging the relationships and vision of university and hospital leaders to secure support for strategic university and hospital priorities and initiatives. The Associate Director of Philanthropy – Cancer Research will be a seasoned and exceptional team-oriented fundraising professional with a demonstrated successful track record in securing philanthropic gifts.

The Assistant Director of Philanthropy – Cancer Research reports to the Senior Director of Philanthropy. The individual will provide creative and visionary coordination of fundraising endeavors for cancer research in the UofL Health – Brown Cancer Center. They will convene campus and hospital partners and advise on the development of coordinated strategies aimed at maximizing the lifetime engagement and support of a portfolio of donors. They will help assemble key university and hospital members together with prospects around cross-cutting strategic funding priorities.

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Manage a portfolio of individual prospects capable of making 5-6 figure gifts through the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship cycles.  Forge long-term relationships with these individuals to cultivate their interest in UofL and UofL Health.

  • Solicit and secure major gifts to reach a minimum annual goal as determined by PAE leadership and will be no less than the performance standard minimum of $500,000 annually.

  • Actively maintain a portfolio of major gift level prospects, particularly where there are multiple complex university and hospital relationships and the opportunity exists to have system-wide impact that requires thoughtful, experienced, prospect management

  • Work closely with Prospect Management and Development, hospital leadership, grateful patients, faculty, researchers, and volunteers to identify and create cultivation strategies for new high-wealth prospects.

  • Manage the process & prospects through qualifying visits, cultivation initiatives, and the solicitation process that aligns with financial capacity, securing the commitment and stewarding current donors.

  • Interface regularly with hospital and academic leadership, staff, and colleagues to prepare for prospect meetings and other solicitations.

  • Record moves management into the CRM database to track engagement with donors.

  • Oversee the preparation of funding proposals, talking points and scripts, assessments of potential support, briefings, gift agreements, endowments, and stewardship reports for assigned prospects. Ensure that all interested parties are involved in key efforts focused on specific prospects.

  • Promote deferred giving and have an understanding and expertise in deferred vehicles and the role they can play in supporting visionary gifts.

  • Advise key university and hospital leaders on opportunities for their involvement with specific fundraising and engagement events and initiatives with top prospects.

  • Provide assistance to university and hospital leadership in direct solicitations and interactions with donor prospects

  • Travel to meet with donors/prospects and execute strategic moves.

Occasional work on nights and weekends will be required to attend events in support of the unit initiatives as well as to complete tasks. Occasional in-state and regional travel may be required.

This is an in-person position.

Preferred Qualifications

2-3 years of prior work experience in a related field

Competencies

  • Clear and effective written and oral communication and presentation skills, including individual and large groups.

  • Ability to assess risk combined with a willingness to take calculated risks.

  • A tolerance for the inevitable ambiguity that typifies an academic-medical hospital system and university.

  • Proven ability to drive performance and execute for results; strategic and agile thinker to develop opportunities and strategies for organizational success toward obje

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Company

University of Louisville

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