Development Associate

Department: Advancement and Alumni Relations

Classification: GMU Worker

Job Category: Part-Time / Hourly Wage

Job Type: Part-Time

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations division is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 135 FTE. Functional units within Advancement include development/fundraising, alumni relations, donor relations and stewardship, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services.   Advancement and Alumni Relations’ mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents, while matching their philanthropic interests with the university’s aspirations and priorities. The division is committed to serving the needs of the university, our alumni, and the greater community by providing access to quality education and lifelong learning. Respect, service, integrity, collaboration, diversity, transparency, and creativity are the values that guide our work and culture.  

About the Position:

The Development Associate reports to the Engagement Officer and is responsible for soliciting annual gifts from and identifying engagement opportunities for Mason’s constituents, focused on alumni. This position will execute a strategic approach to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward our alumni, faculty/staff, and parents as partners, advocates, and investors. The position will play a vital role in helping the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations achieve its engagement, fundraising, and stewardship goals.

Please Note: Due to the nature of confidential information this position works with, current Mason students can not be considered for this position.

Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of alumni, students, faculty/staff, and parent constituents to encourage them to make an annual gift;
• Stay connected, informed, and assist in recruiting and expanding Mason’s professional network;
• Solicit prospects for annual gifts primarily between $500-$2,500 (Mid-Annual Giving levels);
• Conduct a minimum of 120 substantive contacts and/or unique visits;
• Make at least 30 successful asks for annual gifts between $1-$2,500;
• Achieve $10K in total dollars raised from asks;
• Achieve a total value of asks of $30K;
• Achieve 30 visits outside of the assigned portfolio (discovery visits);
• Collaborate with the Office of Alumni Relations and other University units for engagement opportunities;
• Manage the assigned portfolio and build a portfolio through personal interactions;
• Connect with individuals in and outside of the assigned portfolio based on University priorities through email, social media, mailings, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings/events;
• Collaborate with the Office of Annual Giving to conduct follow-up outreach on segments of select annual giving solicitation campaigns;
• Communicate the strategic vision of George Mason and our commitment to developing innovative programs to advance and support our students and graduates;
• Work with unit Advancement colleagues to discover additional engagement opportunities throughout the year;
• Identify alumni and parent prospects for volunteer, advisory, and board roles;
• Utilize technology that includes Salesforce, Advancement’s internal database, to maintain excellent in