Bates College
Director of Leadership Giving
Deerfield Associates has been retained by Bates College, located in Lewiston, Maine, to conduct a national search for a Director of Leadership Giving. This opportunity is available immediately and will be filled following a comprehensive national search and the candidate of choice is identified.
The Director of Leadership Giving will manage a giving program that meets fundraising targets in support of the college’s short and long-term strategic priorities. The Director is responsible for this key individual giving program focused on relationship building with alumni, parents, and friends who have the capacity to make gifts at the level of $50,000 to $1,000,000. Annual goals for this program range from $3 million to $7 million in new cash and commitments/pledges. They will manage a team of four front-line officers, each of whom supports a portfolio of approximately 125 prospects. The Director will lead by example, managing a personal portfolio in addition to their management responsibilities. They will be responsible for setting metrics for leadership gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, including number of contacts, visits, proposals, and commitments. The Director supervises front-line officers on a regular basis as they progress through their prospect work and towards established leadership giving goals based on strategic philanthropic initiatives. The Director works with LGOs to develop and implement strategic plans aimed at maximizing each individual’s support of the college by working with colleagues in College Advancement, faculty, Purposeful Work, Admission, The Office of Intercultural Education, the Office of the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, and high-level volunteers in an effort to engage our entire donor base and provide transformative support to our students, faculty, and staff. The Director reports to the Vice President for College Advancement. For more background on Bates College please visit www.bates.edu
Key Responsibilities
- Hire front-line officers and work closely with the team to establish best-practice approaches to relationship building and prospect management.
- Work closely with senior colleagues in Advancement to structure officer portfolios that mirror industry best standard and that map to regional, era, industry, and affinity priorities.
- Cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospects for gifts of $50,000 and higher for identified priorities of the college; this includes securing annual fund contributions as appropriate.
- Manage their own portfolio of 80-100 prospects for the purpose of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, including the writing and presentation of proposals.
- Lead regular strategy sessions with Advancement colleagues; assist with development of prospect strategies and briefings; brief Vice President and President for individual meetings as needed.
- Review the program and prospect pool quarterly. Work with the Research team to analyze and identify best potential prospects for the program to focus on over the next 3-5 years.
- Build a pipeline of 200-300 prospects in advance of the next campaign.
- Support college leaders and key volunteers in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects and donors.
- Respond to general and targeted inquiries from the college’s constituency regarding the leadership giving program through correspondence, proposals, and personal contact.
- Demonstrate a commitment to equity and anti-racist work and building new ways of engaging and connecting with underrepresented donor populations.
- Manage the marketing strategy and plan for the leadership gifts team with the support of Advancement Communications.
- Develop an annual operating plan for the team, including setting goals and benchmarks for assessment/measurement of prospect activity.
- Trained in the Plus Delta model, the director will be responsible for supporting the officers in following that model and demonstrating that training in their own work.
- Manage a program of dialogue gatherings aimed at key fundraising priorities for the college.
- Plan and organize events for high-level donors to showcase Bates and college priorities and act as a liaison with Advancement partners to support other key Bates events.
- Develop a thorough knowledge of Bates history, academic, extracurricular, and athletic programs and its faculty, students and administration.
- Maintain a thorough understanding of the college’s priorities and initiatives of the faculty and administration.
- Understand and meet departmental standards, policies, and procedures with respect to all aspects of work.
- Other duties as assigned by the Vice President for College Advancement.
Computer & Technology Use
Comfort with computer programs used in College Advancement, primarily Microsoft Office Suite, email, the Internet, and the use of Banner, Slate and other programs and systems specific to College Advancement.
Degree of Independent Action Performed
Incumbent is expected to work with a high level of independence and autonomy, and exercise a high degree of initiative, influence, and judgment in decisions impacting Bates College, students, parents, faculty and staff, etc. Expected to solve problems or address issues that require immediate attention and are often crisis situations.
Direct/Indirect Reports
Direct: Leadership Gifts Officer (4); Administrative Assistant, Leadership Gifts (1)
Internal & External Contacts
Maintain frequent contact with colleagues in the Office of Advancement, Purposeful Work, Admissions, Athletic Department, faculty, staff, high level volunteers, and trustees.
External contacts could include alumni and parents of the college, professional advisors (financial, real estate, investment, tax and legal), peer institutions, etc.
Position Requirements
Skills & Knowledge
- Excellent communication (written, verbal and presentation)
- Excellent analytical and problem solving skills; ability to synthesize complex or diverse information.
- Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
- Impeccable organizational (time, task, project management) skills and ability to coordinate resources and staff within the college community.
- Strong interpersonal skills with ability to develop and maintain collegial Must be flexible, collaborative and have a positive attitude.
- Proficiency in basic data management systems and basic computer applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Willingness and ability to learn additional applications as needed.
- Ability and willingness to travel (by car, air, train, or bus) domestically and internationally as needed; generally 2-3 times a month for various lengths of time.
- Ability and willingness to work weekends, evenings and other non-traditional schedules.
- Personal commitment to excellence and the mission of a top-tier small liberal arts college.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusivity and to serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse and inclusive community with diplomacy and tact.
Experience
- Familiarity with the academic environment and higher education, preferably the liberal arts.
- 10+ years of experience in higher education advancement or equivalent.
- 5+ years of front-line fundraising experience, including successful solicitations with high-end donors, and familiarity with annual and reunion giving and/or alumni development experience, preferably in an academic setting.
- Demonstrated experience in and ability to cultivate and close major or deferred gift commitments is required.
- Experience with capital campaigns strongly preferred.
- Extensive experience working with, managing, and motivating staff.
Education
- Bachelor’s Degree Required
- Driver’s license required.
Working Conditions
Environment
- Office environment but located on a college campus so it will require walking to buildings and, at times, in inclement weather.
Travel Requirements
Frequent travel is required to visit prospects, donors, or attend professional engagements.
Additional Requirements
- Successfully complete a criminal background check (position Reviewed every 3 years)
- Clean Driving record (position Reviewed annually)
- Successfully complete a pre-employment physical/health screening examination which may include a drug screening (position dependent)
The above is not intended to list all possible essential functions or requirements as they are subject to change. Bates College reserves the right to revise or change this description. This description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to meet these conditions.
Organization Overview
Bates College was built by people who put their ideals into action and made liberal arts a dynamic force for the public good. With their progressive call in 1855 to educate men and women together, regardless of race or ethnicity, the founders of Bates affirmed that all human potential deserves to be developed. This radical, founding moment manifested a durable instinct for the fellowship of learning that continues to guide Bates’ commitment to intensive and unfettered humanistic inquiry.
Mission:
Bates’ mission statement, adopted in 2010, reads:
Since 1855, Bates College has been dedicated to the emancipating potential of the liberal arts. Bates educates the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. With ardor and devotion— Amore ac Studio—we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action. Preparing leaders sustained by a love of learning and a commitment to responsible stewardship of the wider world, Bates is a college for coming times.
The college’s mission statement informed a comprehensive strategic planning process that created the Bates College Institutional Plan in 2016. The Plan guided the priorities for the Bates Campaign, the largest fundraising effort in the history of the college with a goal of $300M, which concluded at the end of 2022 with a record total of $346M.
Overall, annual fundraising totals have increased by an average of almost 14% per year over the past eight years, with a record high of $34.1M raised in FY21. The college is also supported by an approximately $465M endowment.
A new strategic planning process will begin in the fall of 2024 to identify new goals for the college and set the priorities for the next campaign. In the meantime, current priorities are focused on elevating the student experience including support for a new fitness, health and well-being center, and equalizing the Bates experience beyond access to address hidden costs and opportunities for all students.
Location:
Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, Maine, the state’s second largest city, located 45 minutes from Portland. Maine’s natural beauty and resources and its diverse recreational offerings are highly valued by the Bates community; both the coast to the east and the mountains and ski areas to the north and west are within easy reach.
Students:
The student body consists of approximately 2,000 students, of whom about 1,800 are on campus each semester. Our students bring strong academic credentials from a wide variety of backgrounds and represent 48 states and 100 countries. About 28 percent are domestic students of color, 10 percent of students are international students, and 12 percent of all students are first generation to college. Bates recently drew the largest applicant pool in the college’s history, totalling 10,029 applications, marking the third straight year of record-high applications at Bates.
The college provides approximately $39 million in need-based institutional grant aid each year, and it meets 100 percent of a student’s demonstrated financial need.
Faculty and Staff:
The college’s approximately 200 faculty provide the foundation for a Bates education. Faculty-student mentoring, senior thesis, and collaboration on research and course design are successful because of the college’s intimate scale and its commitment to innovative and evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning. By facilitating a wide range of faculty-student interactions—both formal and informal—Bates catalyzes deep learning and transformation, as well as life-long connections to the college community. Approximately 600 staff members are integral to the work of the college. As one of the top employers in the state, Bates recruits its staff nationally, regionally, and locally. Bates’ staff consists of individuals with a broad range of professional and personal experiences.
President Garry Jenkins:
https://www.bates.edu/president/welcoming-garry-w-jenkins/garry-w-jenkins/
Benefits
Bates College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged.
Bates College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families. Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements. Click here for more benefits information: https://mybenefits.nfp.com/bates/2023/guidebook/
Contact Information
To explore this superb career opportunity on a highly confidential basis, send your résumé and a letter of interest, along with a list of your top four (4) references (who will be contacted only if mutual interest is determined) to:
Doug Cooney, Executive Search Consultant, DEERFIELD ASSOCIATES Executive Search, Inc.
572 Washington Street, Suite 15, Wellesley, MA 02482 Telephone: 781-237-2800.
Email: jobs@deerfieldassociates.com