Regional Director - Leadership Gifts

Job Summary

The mission of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) is to foster an exceptional culture of philanthropy by engaging supporters, volunteers, learners, and educators in significant relationships to secure the resources necessary for the university to fulfill its educational mission. Working in an assigned region or with an assigned portfolio of prospects, the Senior Regional Director will be responsible for the cultivation and solicitation of individual prospects capable of making gifts of $100,000 or more. The Senior Regional Director will secure financial commitments to Bucknell by engaging constituents in the life of the University and by communicating Bucknell's strategic goals. In addition to work with individual prospects, the Regional Director will actively assist Bucknell in building and supporting volunteer networks that promote the University in the region by enhancing affinity with alumni, parents and friends. The Regional Director reports to the Executive Director, Leadership Gifts and will have the opportunity to participate in the strategic planning and implementation of Bucknell's comprehensive campaign.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Ensuring all donors receive a positive and personally satisfying donor experience.

2. Developing and executing an annual plan for the region designed to increase the quality and quantity of identified prospects in the region, and to successfully solicit prospects for gifts of $100,000 and above.

3. Coordinating and consulting with other development officers and staff to ensure the highest rated prospects are being cultivated and solicited.

4. Advising development colleagues, executive officers, deans, trustees, volunteers and others on the culture, expectations and needs of the constituents in the region.

5. Recruiting and managing a strategic volunteer network to maximize staff efforts in prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship to support the goals of the comprehensive campaign and to provide opportunities for prospects to be engaged in Bucknell programming (alumni relations, admissions, career development, athletics, etc.) in the region.

6. Planning activities and events which are effective in drawing out and identifying new prospects.

7. Personally managing a portfolio of up to 200 major gift prospects.

8. Working the region consistently and strategically, maintaining a pace of 10 - 15 scheduled, strategic face-to-face prospect contacts per month.

9. Maintaining current prospect ratings and planned next steps on 100% of managed prospects.

10. Working collaboratively with colleagues from all of the development and alumni relations programs to promote a team environment and ensure the success of all programs.

11. Soliciting a minimum of 50 leadership level gifts for current operations.

12. Work collaboratively with the Annual Fund team and personally solicit approximately 50 - 60 Annual Fund gifts each year.

13. Planning and hosting campus visits for major prospects as a key step in their preparation for leadership giving solicitations and/or stewardship of previous commitments.

14. Completing of correspondence and records of contact with Bucknell constituents in a prompt and timely fashion.

15. Participating in a full performance appraisal each year.

 16. Participating in Reunion Weekend, which is a university-wide effort to be supported by all Development and Alumni Relations staff members for the designated four days in early June, as well as before and after the weekend as necessary.

17. Participating in division-wide and university-wide programs that advance the University such as Homecoming, Family Weekend, Scholarship Day, and other development, alumni relations or University events as assigned.

18. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Bachelor's Degree

2. Strong organizational and interpersonal abilities including: Skill in dealing with people, outgoing personality, diplomacy, tact, discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality with sensitive information. A high level of sophistication and maturity in social and professional settings is essential.

3. Persuasive communication skills in writing, in-person, and over the telephone.

4. Creativity, a sense of humor and demonstrated success in managing multiple projects simultaneously.

5. Proficient in use of Microsoft Word and Excel, email and internet usage. Also a strong understanding of database functions and reporting.

6. Ability to recruit, train, manage and recognize volunteers. Capacity to design and implement successful special events.

7. Valid U.S. driver's license along with the energy and ability to travel extensively.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Advance degree preferred

2. Five years of fundraising experience

3. Two years of major gift fundraising in higher education with proven success in closing leadership level gifts

4. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.