Associate Director of Development (Major Gift Officer)

Department: Intercollegiate Athletics

Job Category:Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type:Full-Time

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type:On Site Required

Salary:Salary commensurate with education and experience

About the Department:

George Mason University Intercollegiate Athletics serves 500 student-athletes in 22 NCAA Division I sports. We are a proud member of the Atlantic 10 Conference with 17 Conference Championships, NCAA Championships in Women's Soccer and Men's Indoor Track, an NCAA Final Four appearance with Men's Basketball, and over 30 individual National Champions. We are student-focused, education-centered, and committed to providing transformational experiences for our student-athletes and staff. Our three priorities are to educate, compete, and engage.

Educate: Prioritize academic achievement and recruit student-athletes who can be successful academically, strengthen ICA's commitment to diversity and inclusion, and provide consistent education for coaches and sport administrators.

Compete: Position teams to consistently compete for conference success and recruit student-athletes who possess the ability to excel athletically from a conference and national perspective.

Engage: Prioritize the experience and personal well-being of student-athletes, develop and renovate athletics facilities, generate resources necessary to support the student-athlete experience, and foster and inspire partnerships within the department, University, and the community.

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, stewardship and donor relations, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services.

Advancement's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents, while matching their philanthropic interests with the university 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 Associate Director of Development (Major Gift Officer) is responsible for soliciting major gifts from alumni, parents, and friends of George Mason University, to support Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA). This individual works closely with the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development and the Athletics Development Team, ICA senior leadership and staff, volunteers/advisory board members, and coaches, to develop fundraising priorities and strategies. The position also partners with central Advancement, advancement colleagues, and ICA colleagues to advance philanthropic giving to key priorities through ongoing annual fundraising, alumni engagement, corporate and foundation relations, and major, principal, and planned giving.

This is a position that is heavily focused on networking and building relationships. The Associate Director (Major Gift Officer) must be committed to the tracking of measures and metrics to build a pipeline of donors to support the aspirations of the Athletics Director, coaches, student-athletes and the university as a whole.

Responsibilities:

Major Gifts / Front Line Fundraising

• Manages a portfolio of 90-100 prospective ICA major gift donors through identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. ($25,000 and above, with a focus on $100,000 - $250,000 gifts);
• Works closely with the AD and senior ICA Advancement staff, in concert with Central Advancement and Alumni Relations (as necessary), to bring major gift prospects through the donor engagement cycle;
• Builds relationships, on behalf of ICA, with individual, corporate and foundation prospects with high giving capacities;
• Engages a wide range of colleagues, alumni, donors, prior coaches, faculty and staff, individuals who might be able to assist in donor engagement and pursuing/winning major gifts;
• Works collaboratively with and in support of ICA volunteers;
• Prepares and briefs the AD, members of ICA volunteer boards, members of the ICA Advancement team, coaches, staff, and other members of ICA/or the University as necessary so that they may actively and appropriately participate in donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities;
• In alignment with guidelines set forth by Central Advancement, drafts proposals, pledge agreements, and stewardship plans for each major gift prospect/donor;
• Works closely with Central Advancement services including, but not limited to, Planned Giving, Annual Giving, Parents and Family Philanthropy, University Priorities, Alumni Relations, Communications, Systems, Operations, Donor Relations, Gifts and Records, etc.;
• Works with offices/units across campus to coordinate related activities that further the University's mission and achieve fundraising goals;
• Finds new and creative ways to engage donors that will enrich the donor experience and add value to the life of the University;
• Conducts discovery visits with prospective donors as identified by Central Advancement Research and will also hand-off or disqualify individuals from their portfolio based on an unwillingness to connect, lack of affinity, or philanthropic interest in another aspect of Mason;
• Works with staff to engage all alumni to advance the percentage of active involvement and increase alumni donations;
• Works closely with the ICA Annual Fund team to move annual donors along the pipeline to major gifts;
• Displays good judgment and confidentiality; and
• Travels, as necessary, to meet with major donor prospects both locally and nationally.

Reporting/Briefings

• Actively monitors metrics and runs major gifts reports, as requested;
• Monitors all prospect/donor contacts and engagement to ensure positive and purposeful prospect/donor relations;
• Records all prospect/donor movement and contact in Patriot Force (database); and
• Develops comprehensive briefings to ensure that all individuals (leadership and volunteer) understand the purpose and goals of each prospect/donor event, visit, and/or engagement.

Meetings and Events

• Attends and participates in volunteer/board meetings, sporting, special, and campaign-related events;
• Assists with campaign committee meetings, and when requested, participates in the planning and implementation of campaign cultivation and stewardship events; and
• Hosts prospects at sporting events and University engagements.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Performs other duties as required or assigned, which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a related field and demonstrated (5+ years) successful professional advancement and/or fundraising-related experience, preferably in higher education; or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skill and abilities have been achieved;
• A demonstrated record of successful major gift solicitations (typically 3+ years) and experience designing and executing donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies;
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and meeting continuous deadlines;
• Excellent research, writing and interpersonal communication skills;
• A creative approach to involve and solicit major donor prospects and possess the ability to motivate;
• Demonstrated skills and experience with personnel management;
• Sound knowledge and judgment necessary for interacting with donors, prospects, trustees, faculty and staff;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and experience with documenting appropriate information in a donor management database system;
• Possess a valid driver's license; ability to travel independently and ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends and
• Must currently possess an appropriate, active, valid motor vehicle operator's license that meets all of GMU's requirements for operating state vehicles and equipment under Mason's Vehicle Use Policy 1411 https://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/vehicle-use/ . The Office of Risk Management reserves the right to review the driver's licenses and Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) of all candidates selected with employment contingent upon favorable review.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in a related field;
• Significant (typically 5+ years) experience in major gifts fundraising, preferably in higher education Athletics;
• Familiarity with CRM fundraising software;
• Demonstrated competence using Salesforce as a donor database;
• Possess understanding and the ability to articulate, the accomplishments and goals of a complex organization;
• Strong grasp of athletics fundraising at the University level; and
• Driven by a passion for George Mason Athletics.

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Associate Director of Development (Major Gift Officer) at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a resume for review.

Posting Open Date: August 22, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: September 5, 2024

Open Until Filled?:Yes