SUMMARY
The Director of Major and Planned Giving (DMPG), is a key member of CalArts’ Advancement team. The DMPG helps shape fundraising initiatives, based on their knowledge and understanding of the prospects and donors. The DMPG focuses on CalArts’ leadership giving opportunities during a pivotal time of growth for the Institute.
With a dynamic President, and a new SVP of Advancement, as well as a growing staff of fundraising professionals--the advancement efforts at CalArts over the next several years will support a strategic vision rooted in increased equity and access for all students. Funds raised will support curriculum innovation, and underwrite campus-wide infrastructure to support sustainable growth. Engaging all constituents, the Advancement division looks to collaborate broadly with students, faculty, staff, and volunteer leadership to achieve growing fundraising goals.
The DMPG is responsible for planning and executing fundraising strategies that result in planned and major gifts from a broad base of individual supporters, including CalArts alumni, current and former parents, and friends of the Institute.
The DMPG is responsible for meeting fundraising targets and contributing to the overall growth of annual operating support for the Institute, including scholarship support and operating support, as well as special projects capital funding.
The DMPG must be dedicated to nurturing and growing the donor pipeline at all stages of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship autonomously and with colleagues. As such, the DMPG will collaborate with stakeholders across the Institute—including CalArts Deans, faculty, and administrative leadership. The director will meet regularly with deans and program directors within these areas, under the direction of the AVP of Development and SVP/CAO.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Frontline Fundraising
- Qualify, cultivate, solicit, secure, and steward philanthropic gifts from a portfolio of 120-150 prospects and donors capable of making contributions of $25,000 and more for current use and endowment opportunities
- Build relationships that encourage and promote a culture of philanthropy with stakeholders including alumnx, families, faculty, staff, friends, and family foundations
- Conduct a high volume of outreach through personalized electronic, phone, and in-person visits to qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward the assigned portfolio
- Develop deep insights into portfolio relationships in order to align prospects’ and donors’ philanthropic interests with the funding priorities at the Institute. Adeptly manage and recommend strategic next steps, thoughtfully deploying the President of the Institute, senior staff and Board members that result in successful donor outcomes
- Sustain and expand the planned giving program by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospects and donors capable of making bequests, life income gifts, and other planned gifts to the Institute through a donor portfolio as well as in partnership with the major giving officers and annual fund team.
- Provide prospects and their advisors with detailed information on planned gift vehicles.
- Work closely with donors during the estate planning process in order to help satisfy their charitable goals while complying with IRS requirements and the Institutes gift acceptance guidelines.
- Collaborate with prospect research colleagues to create thorough briefing and meeting materials
- With knowledge of the fundamentals of planned giving, integrate giving options in donor conversations when appropriate
- Perform strategic lead responsibilities for cultivation events to engage donors in the portfolio
- Produce articulate funding proposals and supporting documents, including personalized benefit packages and gift agreement documents as needed to solicit and close gifts
- Produce personalized communications that align with donors’ affinities and ensure donor-centric care of all relationships
- Maintain meticulous account records including detailed contact reports and moves management plans within the CRM database
- Ensure all relevant information and documentation is always tied to portfolio records
Director Responsibilities
- Supervise and develop a Major Giving officer to cultivate and steward their own donor portfolio, setting and tracking goal metrics and supporting their stewardship and cultivation process with donors in their portfolio.
- Help promote and maintain a positive and collaborative work environment rooted in information sharing as well as personal and collective goal achievement
- Constantly work with a growth mindset, stay informed about the culturally relevant best practices
- Expertly and professionally liaise with Institute deans, faculty, and administrators, when appropriate, to cultivate prospects and donors
- Lead with inclusive principles that ensure prospects and donors have access to the academic and co-curricular experts at the Institute who are uniquely qualified to speak about funding opportunities and potential outcomes
- Collaborate with the stewardship and communications team to effectively engage donors in the portfolio for best possible fundraising outcomes
- Under the guidance of the strategic operations team, adhere to a personal travel and cultivation budget, ensure appropriate use of the Institute’s funds to assist in the work of cultivating and retaining donor relationships
- Monitor industry best practices, trends, and new technologies to propose innovative fundraising strategies and tactics in your area of expertise
- Collaborate with the Advancement colleagues to execute special events, engaging cultivation events and stewardship opportunities and manage major gift follow up from these events
Qualifications
SKILLS/ABILITIES:
- Experienced frontline fundraiser with demonstrated success in closing 6- and 7- figure gifts from individual donors
- A minimum of five years of progressively sophisticated fundraising experience, preferably in higher education and/or the arts, with a broad knowledge of the principles of fundraising and specifically individual philanthropy
- Ability to travel locally and nationally throughout the year
- Must be able to work some nights and weekends to cultivate prospects
- Graciously acknowledge and incorporate feedback and learning opportunities from management
All team members must:
- Think strategically and creatively and perform with expertise in order to support the advancement of CalArts
- Work with high level of self-motivation to proactively move multiple tasks forward while documenting and sharing progress, and meeting strict deadlines
- Have experience and confidence in donor database management and ease in functioning in CRM systems
- Demonstrate strong organizational, written and oral communication skills
- Be tech savvy and able to use best practices to improve and reinforce business processes, ensuring effective time management and outcomes-based work performance
- Maintain confidentiality with regard to donor relations at all times
- Commit to serving diverse constituents in an environment that embraces inclusiveness, diversity, equity and access
- Collaborate effectively with a large team and attend to competing needs
- Work with coworkers to promote and maintain a positive work environment while supporting strategic partnerships and collaborative relationships across the CalArts campus
- Possess the emotional intelligence to interpret and act on emotions in themselves and others
- Utilize personal skills in dealing with people with diplomacy, tact, maturity
- Demonstrate grit by maintaining composure when things go wrong as well as a sense of humor to stay sane and keep a positive attitude no matter what happens
EDUCATION:
- Bachelor level degree required
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The Advancement Division works in a hybrid model, spending a minimum of 2 days per week on campus or at in-person meetings, and the remainder of days working from home. Because the division is responsible for fundraising events, applicants must be available to work additional hours during evenings or weekends, and at peak periods of the year. During certain brief times during the academic calendar, there will be restrictions on vacation approvals to ensure the division can adequately support the fundraising initiatives that align with the Institute’s highest priority activities.