POSITION SPECIFICATION
Director of Major and Planned Gifts
The Shippensburg University Foundation
Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
The Situation
The Shippensburg University Foundation is completing the "silent" phase of a $40 million capital campaign, and is moving into the public phase. The Foundation has created a new position, director of major gifts, to manage the major gifts group in the Foundation.
John Clinton, executive vice president, CEO of the Foundation, is the 2001 recipient of the CASE Commonfund Institutionally Related Award recognizing professional leadership for a foundation with total assets under $100 million. U.S. News and World Report’s "America’s Best Colleges" ranks Shippensburg among the top public universities in the North.
Founded in 1871, Shippensburg University is a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
The Position
Reports To: Executive vice president and CEO, in parallel with director of development, which also includes annual fund and prospect research; controller and property manager. (The Foundation owns and manages several student housing apartment building complexes.)
Basic Function: Develop the strategy for marketing, soliciting, and managing the major and planned gifts program.
Major Responsibilities:
Develop and implement a marketing approach to promote and secure major gifts from alumni, parents, corporations, charitable foundations and friends of Shippensburg University.
Provide direction, motivation, supervision and evaluation of a staff of three major gifts officers and one support staff person.
Maintain an actively managed personal caseload of not less than 125 major gift donors and prospects.
Develop a comprehensive and systematic program to obtain commitments in excess of $10,000 or as designated by the executive vice president.
Develop, in conjunction with the executive vice president, goals, objectives and action plans to assure that the major gifts program achieves its objective. The director is also responsible for assuring that the major gifts officers perform the same activity.
Qualifications
The Ideal Person Should Have:
A bachelors degree.
Three to five years of progressively responsible direct fund raising experience.
A track record of personal successful solicitations with individuals, corporations and foundations.
Secured gifts, at a minimum, in the low six-figure range both outright and planned.
Experience managing other professionals and support staff in a results oriented environment.
The Ideal Person Should Be:
Someone with whom people would enjoy spending time. Good at building relationships.
A person with:
— a work ethic demonstrating the attitude of working until the job gets done and possess a team concept in raising funds.
— a drive to succeed, however, not at any expense.
— a good sense of humor.
A person who:
— meets people well.
— has an understanding of the appropriate professional and social attire and possess good social skills.
— has the ability to circulate in a room of individuals and wear well with people.
Candidates and sources, please communicate with:
Robert Sellery Associates, Ltd.
1155 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500
Washington, D.C. 20036.
Email: sellery@cais.com
FAX 202.333.1167
Telephone: 202.331.0090
All inquiries will be kept in strict confidence.
R
OBERT SELLERY ASSOCIATES, LTD.
