Associate Director of Development – Leadership Giving

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Development, the Associate Director of Development raises philanthropic gifts in support of the Harvard Graduation School of Education’s mission of preparing leaders in education and generating knowledge to improve student opportunity, achievement, and success.

The Associate Director will focus on raising flexible support that enables HGSE to deliver on its mission, managing a portfolio of prospects that includes those who are, or have the potential to become, leadership level donors ($10,000-$25,000 annually or $100,000- $250,000 multiyear pledges).  The Associate Director will develop and manage a portfolio of ~200 donors/potential donors through all stages of donor engagement.

The Associate Director of Development is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and limited guidance to develop multi-step prospect strategies to secure gifts. These strategies may require collaboration with colleagues in other Harvard schools to engage donors interested in HGSE’s work. In addition, the Associate Director will be creative in identifying new potential donors beyond the traditional HGSE and Harvard donor base.

This position requires a bias for action and making the ask, a high level of organization, professionalism, and mastery of the objectives of leadership gift/flexible use fundraising. 

Success will be measured by the incumbent’s ability to move donors from qualification to cultivation to solicitation and close leadership gifts.

 

Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategies for increasing leadership giving for funding around priority areas.

• Identify and qualify potential donors—in collaboration with our AA&D Research Team colleagues—and work with donors at every stage of engagement.

• Move prospects toward solicitation and completes assigned solicitations on the agreed upon timeline. This includes conducting at least 125 one-on-one visits and building toward securing 20 (twenty) $25,000+ commitments toward HGSE priorities annually.

• Travel with and provide staffing support for the Dean and members of the faculty on behalf of fundraising efforts.

• In collaboration with others, plans and executes select events related to the cultivation, solicitation and/or stewardship of leadership gift prospects and donors.

• Write briefings, proposals, donor correspondence and updates that shape and reflect fundraising strategies, with support and collaboration from colleagues.

• Serve as a member of the Development team by participating in group strategy discussions, providing project leadership when requested by management, sharing information with colleagues and contributing to the achievement of the overall goals of HGSE.

• Through effective sharing of information and building of trust, collaborate with colleagues across the University to identify and engage alumni of other Schools who would be interested in the work of HGSE.

• In concert with the overall fundraising needs for HGSE, works periodically on special projects in collaboration with the development and communications colleagues.  

• Achieve annual performance metrics including visit targets and funding goals to be set each year.

• Works with Development Coordinator to keep track of plans and outreach in the AA&D database, to ensure transparency and effective pipeline management. Provide timely follow-up and debriefs after meetings.

• Actively build knowledge of HGSE and relationships with colleagues across the School by attending campus events and activities, reading HGSE publications and pursuing other avenues for professional learning and growth.