PLANNED GIVING ASSOCIATE, Development and Alumni Relations

Tracking Code4626Job Description

Our Mission

We in Boston University Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) harness the power of philanthropy to make an excellent education accessible and welcoming to all, and to advance BU’s global leadership in research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice. To support our work, we have built—and are continuing to build—an outstanding team of dynamic, mission-driven advancement professionals who constantly strive to create an environment where everyone belongs. Where it’s not just a job, but a career and a community.

Now, our Planned Giving team is looking for a Development Associate who will assist in developing and executing on best practices for planned gift processing, administration, and reporting.

Planned Giving at Boston University

The planned giving office functions as a frontline fund-raising team that focuses on securing alumni gift commitments through estate plans, trusts and other entities as well as helping donors who wish to gift non-traditional assets, e.g. real estate, privately help securities, artwork, etc.

Development Associate

Reporting to the Sr. Director, the Development Associate is responsible for assisting planned giving efforts while directly supporting the department strategy and initiatives. Additional key responsibilities include providing excellent donor stewardship and supporting the efforts of the frontline planned giving officers. The Development Associate must work cooperatively with a wide variety of colleagues and external constituents, including faculty, staff, and alumni, to help execute strategies and work toward overall division goals.

Responsibilities:

Planned Gift Processing and Estate Gift Administration:

• Responsible for the accurate and timely processing, administration, and acknowledgment of all planned gifts to Boston University’s 16 schools and colleges, including recording gifts and commitments in two recordkeeping systems, the BU DAR alumni CRM and PG Calc’s GiftWrap.
• Working closely with the BU Office of the Treasury, ensure proper administration of charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, pooled income gifts and other life income gifts. This includes overseeing periodic payments and providing information to the Office of the Treasury related to the tax reporting of life income gift donors and beneficiaries. Manage life income gift terminations and ensure remainder interests are processed in a timely manner and directed to their intended purposes in accordance with donors’ wishes.
• Serves as the primary contact for planned giving donors and beneficiaries on questions about life income gift payments, updates to addresses and direct deposit instructions, and tax reporting (1099-R and K-1). Prepare and send periodic correspondence to annuitants and beneficiaries.
• Responsible for confirming and securing gifts made by donors through their estate plans, including matured bequests and beneficiary designations. Serve as the primary contact for estate planning attorneys and personal representatives as well as financial institutions. Manage the matured bequest pipeline and maintain records and track correspondence, forms, gift expectations and gifts received. Coordinate with gift officers as appropriate as well as other internal partners such as Gifts and Records, Stewardship and Donor Relations, and General Accounting.

Reporting:

• Perform data pulls and analysis focused on planned giving revenue, helping the Sr. Director review and interpret data efficiently and accurately. This can include reports on giving, assets, interactions, and other related donor data.
• Manage tracking and reporting on internal and external charitable trusts and perpetual trusts.
• Assist with compiling and updating data for dashboards and reports.

Stewardship:

• Assist with all phases of engaging and stewarding legacy society members and potential planned giving donors. Activities may include direct outreach, assisting in the planning and execution of recognition events and webinars, and preparing stewardship reports.
• Training and Other Duties:
• Participate in training sessions on planned giving topics offered to new employees as well as refresher sessions.
• Assist in supervising work-study students.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills

A cover letter is required for consideration.

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Three to five years of related experience.
• Knowledge of relevant computer software and strong familiarity with donor-focused CRM systems.
• Extraordinary attention to detail and high level of discretion. Must be highly organized and able to manage confidential information. Excellent project management skills and follow through.
• Capacity to work in a fast-paced environment involving high-level stakeholders; ability to multi-task and prioritize effectively.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills, both in person, on the phone, and virtually.

But that’s not all we’re looking for; we want someone who embodies our values:

• Teamwork, transparency, and mutual respect, because we value every member’s contributions and know that leadership can come from anywhere.
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and a commitment to ensuring that each of us knows we belong here.
• Integrity in how we work and how we treat one another.
• Strategic thinking and curiosity in the relentless pursuit of fresh approaches and measurable results.
• Continuous growth and improvement, both as individuals and as a team.
• Joy and shared appreciation for working hard toward goals that matter.

If this resonates with you and you want to help us in our ambitious next campaign—and maybe do some of your best work as an advancement professional— we encourage you to apply. If you are hesitant to apply because you have not previously performed every responsibility listed in the description, but you do possess transferable skills, our values, and the defined qualifications, we still want to hear from you and welcome your application.

To learn more about Development & Alumni Relations at Boston University, and other job opportunities, please stop by the DAR Talent website: https://www.bu.edu/dar-talent/.

Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-353-6474.

Job LocationBoston, Massachusetts, United StatesPosition TypeFull-Time/Regular