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Director of Philanthropy

Employer
Knox College
Location
Galesburg, Illinois

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Employment Type
Full Time
Institution Type
Four-Year Institution
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Job Details

Director of Philanthropy

LocationGalesburg, Illinois

Employment TypeFull-Time Benefited

DepartmentAdvancement

Director of Philanthropy | Knox College

Knox College invites applications for the full-time, 12-month position of Director of Philanthropy. The Director reports directly to the Associate Vice President, Principal Gifts. The Director of Philanthropy (Director) leads efforts to engage prospects and donors to help achieve Knox’s goals. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Principal Gifts, the Director spearheads dynamic growth in philanthropic giving to Knox. The Director develops and implements strategies to secure philanthropic gifts over $50,000, build sustainable leadership and planned giving programs, and cultivate a culture of philanthropy. Through personalized relationship management, with a portfolio of 125+, the Director grows the revenue potential annually—working in close collaboration with the leadership team, board members, College leadership, and other stakeholders. In addition, the Director supervises and collaborates with a team of frontline fundraisers focused on relationship-based leadership and planned giving, leading them to successful revenue growth and pipeline development. As a subject-matter expert in philanthropy, the Director contributes strategies and support to all fundraising efforts. The Director will play a leadership role in all comprehensive fundraising campaigns.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Relationship Management/Fundraising (75%)

  • Serve as a strategic leader and subject-matter expert on leadership giving and planned giving
  • Develop an overarching vision and strategic plan for sustainably growing philanthropic support through leadership and planned gifts
  • Manage a portfolio of 125+ major and planned gift prospects and donors to qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward on an annual basis
  • Collaborate closely with various Advancement and College staff to engage and steward potential donors and identify strategic giving opportunities
  • Supervise a team of frontline leadership, leveraging metrics to: develop portfolios, increase activity, deepen engagement, elevate solicitations, and grow portfolio revenue annually
  • Inspire, motivate, and challenge the team through active mentorship; foster an environment that supports new ideas and innovative approaches to donor relationship management
  • Proactively engage leadership and board in leadership and planned giving, streamlining processes to optimize impact
  • Lead the development of resources for leadership and planned giving for staff use
  • Maintain a working knowledge of technical aspects of cultivating, soliciting and closing outright gifts, bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, pooled income funds, charitable lead trusts, gifts of real estate and gifts of other complex assets
  • Familiarity with financial planning, tax and charitable gift laws
  • Conduct 10-12 face to face, virtual or phone visits per month, including 2-3 solicitation visits per month, with the aim of raising a dollar goal agreed upon by Director and AVP, Principal Gifts each year
  • Design and implement a planned giving program to include setting goals for planned gifts, regularly reporting progress, developing marketing materials including quarterly e-newsletters and stewardship of Old Main Society members


Collaboration/Engagement/Volunteer Management (15%)

  • Engage with College faculty and staff to ensure accurate and timeline knowledge of projects, opportunities and needs
  • Partners with College faculty and staff to engage alumni and parents and identify opportunities for philanthropic support and partnership
  • Develop strong ties with other immediate members of the Advancement staff including the Operations, Research and Stewardship staff
  • Must work effectively with support staff members who share responsibilities with other offices

Additional Responsibilities (10%)

  • Provide training and professional development to staff on major gift and gift planning best practices and solicitation strategies
  • Provide gift planning seminars to alumni and parents when necessary for engagement/educational purposes
  • Assist with Advancement and College events and logistics as needed
  • Assist the Office of Advancement with special projects and/or new initiatives

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

  • Demonstrated expertise in team motivation, delegation, and human capital development
  • Relationship management (preference for major gift and annual fund expertise with working knowledge of planned giving)
  • Strong interpersonal and volunteer management skills, public speaking and writing, time management, judgment and decision making, and strong computer skills
  • This position requires a professional whose background is characterized by initiative, leadership, creative energy, refined organizational skills, and proven expertise as a relationship manager
  • Excellent communicator -- both written and oral -- who builds relationships and works well with varied constituents, including alumni, parents, friends, trustees and staff
  • Appreciation for the important traditions of higher education and be able to articulate the mission and needs of the College

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Personal success raising 5 – 7 figure gifts from individuals, with track record of year-over-year revenue growth from a targeted portfolio of donors
  • Requires a person with discretion, excellent judgment in dealing with high net worth individuals and the ability to communicate the priorities of the College to alumni, parents, and friends in an effective and persuasive manner
  • Proven success in multi-year campaign goal attainment
  • Willingness and ability to attend events outside of business hours required
  • Travel required

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • 8+ years of fundraising experience or relationship management experience
  • Demonstrated expertise in major gifts, leadership, gifts, capital campaigns, planned giving, and team management

Applicants must be currently authorized in the United States for any employer.

Application:

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume including contact information for three references, and complete the Knox College Employment Application at https://knoxhr.bamboohr.com/jobs/. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Finalists will be subject to a background check.

Notice of Non-Discrimination

In keeping with its commitment to equal rights since it was founded in 1837, Knox College particularly welcomes applications from members of underrepresented groups. Knox College does not discriminate on the basis of sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, religion or religious affiliation, sexual orientation or preference, age, marital or family status, disability, veteran status, or other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law in admission, financial aid, employment, athletics, or any other aspect of its educational programs or activities. In addition, Knox College is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its accompanying regulations from so discriminating on the basis of sex.

The College official responsible for coordinating compliance with this Notice of Non-Discrimination is Kimberly K. Schrader, Title IX Coordinator. Any inquiries regarding Title IX or the College's policies that prohibit discrimination and harassment should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator identified below. The Coordinator will be available to meet with or talk to students, staff, and faculty regarding issues relating to this Notice of Non-Discrimination and the College’s policies and procedures.

Title IX Coordinator
Kimberly K. Schrader
Old Jail 12 | Campus Box K-209
337 South Cherry Street
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-341-7751
Email: kschrade@knox.edu

Inquiries about the application of Title IX to Knox may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, the United States Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, or both. Individuals may also contact the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights for additional information.

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education-Chicago Office
500 W Madison St., Suite 1475
Chicago, IL 60661-4544
Phone: 312-730-1560
Email: ocr@ed.gov

Inquiries regarding the College’s policies regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 504”) should be directed to either the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources or Director of Disability Support Services identified below.


For Employees:
Human Resources
Administrative Services Center 109 | Campus Box K-200
368 South Prairie Street
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-341-7200
Email: hr@knox.edu


For Students:
Director of Disability Support Services
Stephanie Grimes
Umbeck Science and Math Center E111 | Campus Box K183
340 South West Street
Phone: 309-341-7478
Email: sgrimes@knox.edu

Organization

Working at Knox College

Knox College is a community of individuals from diverse backgrounds challenging each other to explore, understand and improve ourselves, our society and our world. The commitment to put learning to use to accomplish both personal and social goals dates back to the founding of the College in 1837. We take particular pride in the College's early commitment to increase access to all qualified students of varied backgrounds, races and conditions, regardless of financial means.

Today, we continue to expand both the historic mission and the tradition of active liberal arts learning. We provide an environment where students and faculty work closely together and where teaching is characterized by inviting and expecting students to pursue fundamental questions in order to reach their own reflective but independent judgments.

The first thing college guides will tell you is that Knox College is a nationally ranked, private, residential liberal arts college of 1,400 undergraduate students located in Galesburg, Illinois. But to really get a feel for our campus, just consider this: Everything that happens at Knox -- both inside and outside of the classroom -- involves giving our students the freedom to flourish. Knox professors don't just stand in front of classes and "profess" their wisdom, and our students are not mere note takers. Instead, we value:

  • Independent thinking. Our students choose their own path toward a degree, guided by scholar-teachers who encourage them to explore ideas and places, stretch their intellect and their talents, blend thought with action, and fuse imagination with initiative.
  • Egalitarian spirit. Founded in 1837 by social reformers strongly opposed to slavery, Knox was one of the first colleges in the United States open to both women and people of color. And it was on our campus that Abraham Lincoln chose to denounce slavery on moral terms for the first time, during the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debate. A pervasive spirit of equality thrives on campus today in our commitment to giving every student a voice.
  • Diverse perspectives. With a campus population that includes students from 47 states and 48 countries, 18% U.S. students of color, and individuals from every imaginable religious and socioeconomic background, members of the Knox community are actively challenged to broaden their points of view.

At Knox, the educational experience means being part of a community of individuals who challenge each other to explore, understand, and improve their world. That mission calls on a special sort of scholar-teacher, one who approaches the classroom, the College, and the community in a uniquely engaged way. Our faculty are top scholars - 98% of our full-time faculty have Ph.D.s or the highest degree in their field. They are active scholars with frequent work in leading academic publications and showcases of artistic and theatrical work in venues around the world. And they represent a wide range of academic disciplines, educational backgrounds, and cultural experiences. Just as important as their scholarly achievements and diverse backgrounds is how Knox professors bring all of that into the classroom. Our faculty make the classroom a forum for a shared pursuit of knowledge, a vibrant place for exploration and debate. You'll not only learn from your professors, you'll learn with them.

Walk into any class on campus and you'll find professors -- not graduate students - leading discussions. A Knox class is small - average size is 18 students - and it is anything but a passive one-way lecture or note-taking session. Our faculty are not shy about letting students know their own point of view on a subject; but they also expect-and assist-students to form and defend their own opinions and viewpoints in a wide range of coursework. They challenge assumptions and teach students to be independent thinkers.

Our faculty don't hide away in their offices. Their doors are open to work closely with students throughout their educational careers. Through one-on-one mentoring, professors help students plan their studies and even design their own majors and research projects.

At Knox, we never forget that life is about more than the books. Our faculty do more -- and breathe more -- than merely publish. They live in the community. And you'll find them cheering on the Prairie Fire athletic teams, playing on intramural sports teams, discussing current events at the dining hall, or enjoying jazz music with fellow faculty and students at a downtown club - or even performing on-stage. By being engaged scholars, Knox faculty instill a lifelong love of learning in their students and impart to them the skills and the drive to apply their education to their career, their community and their world.

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