Description : Position Summary
Position Summary
Reporting to the College of Medicine's Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Senior Director will be a hands-on partner for the College of Medicine, bringing entrepreneurial drive and ambition to a growing fundraising operation that supports the clinical, educational, and research ambitions of the College of Medicine, UI Health, and UIC more broadly.
They will be responsible for planning, directing, and implementing activities and programs to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and planned gifts from individual donors and prospects at the six-figure level and above.
They will serve as primary liaison with department heads and other key faculty to identify fundraising priorities and initiatives and to develop a strategy for soliciting funds.
UI College of Medicine Advancement is at a pivotal moment inits trajectory, with tremendous potential for exponential growth.
TheUniversity of Illinois has committed to a substantial investment in theexpansion of Advancement, with the goal of adding approximately 30 newAdvancement positions in UI Health over the next two years.
UI Health is truly singularin its breadth of activity and innovation from groundbreaking research andmedical education led by world-class faculty, to cutting-edge surgicaltraining, to innovative healthcare design and delivery, to renowned drug discovery,and more and in its dedication to health equity across these areas.
The Collegeof Medicine is among the top-ranked colleges for African American and Hispanicphysicians, and the hospital and clinics serve among the most diversepopulations in the nation.
The successful candidate will bring at least 8 years ofexperience, preferably in an academic medical Advancement setting, with a cleartrack record of fundraising success.
This individual must be collaborative bynature, keen to engage individuals across a wide variety of backgrounds anddisciplines, and committed to the mission and goals of the College of Medicine.
Bachelor’s degree required. Travel will be required to key regions for donor meetings andUniversity business.
Duties & Responsibilities
Manage a portfolio of 75-100 donors and prospects by qualifying, researching, cultivating, and soliciting gifts of six figures or more.
Complete a minimum of 100 substantive actions with prospective donors.
- Own and play a role in achieving the COM annual fundraising goal.
- Help devise and implement an annual advancement plan that includes solicitation of principal gifts ($1 million+) and major gifts.
- Leverage existing leadership, donors, and opportunities to rapidly build new donor bases in support of institutional priorities.
Use creative, strategic approaches to acquire new donors and engage prospects beyond those in current portfolios.
- Prepare professional presentations and funding proposals for donors as required.
- Serve as advancement subject matter expert for Department Heads, Dean, and faculty in developing and implementing strategies to solicit gifts.
- Coordinate high-level donor meetings with Executive Dean of the College of Medicine, CAO, and with faculty / senior leadership as needed for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of priority donors.
- Serve as the strategic lead for all assigned donors and prospective donor engagement activities.
- Work with the Executive Dean, CAO, and Senior Director of Alumni Relations to cultivate and identify alumni for college, university, and community awards and recognition.
- Work with Chicago COM data and operations teams to track fundraising to date and keep the CAO updated on progress. Develop and present in-depth research, metrics, and reports on prospect pool, benchmarks, success, and growth.
- Keep TED (Tracking and Engagement Database) updated with development actions.
- Work with the Stewardship team to oversee the delivery of timely acknowledgment letters, endowment impact reports, and other stewardship activities for high-level donors.
- Develop annual stewardship plans for donors and oversee execution.
- Collaborate with Chicago COM Alumni Relations and Special Events teams to enhance interactions with prospects and donors and increase potential gifts.
- Cultivate strong working relationships with academic, clinical, and administrative leadership across the organization;
ensure that the College of Medicine Advancement team is seen as a collaborative, proactive, and trustworthy partner capable of professionally addressing opportunities and concerns.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.
Qualifications :
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience; an expert in major gifts with experience contributing at the strategic level.
- A track record of success personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts of six figures and above.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with the intellectual depth necessary to understand and translate medical, technical, and research information for all internal and external audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
- A deep appreciation for the history, achievements, and aspirations of the College of Medicine and the ability to effectively articulate its mission, relevance, and uniqueness to a diverse audience.
- Entrepreneurial and strategic thinker; naturally curious and able to recognize connections and opportunities.
- Ability to envision fundable opportunities within a project and articulate them in a compelling way to distinct audiences;
experience identifying value propositions and tailoring them to new audiences to expand our donor and prospect base.
- Demonstrated success in identifying new prospects and leveraging leadership, donors, and opportunities to build new donor bases in support of institutional priorities.
- Experience developing and working with high-level boards, inspiring giving and leveraging board members to achieve philanthropic goals.
- Success in building trust with and gaining confidence from leadership and faculty by thoughtfully and nimbly managing up.
Ability to anticipate questions and needs of leadership and proactively problem solve.
- Sharp eye for operational efficiency and optimal use of time and resources. Impeccable attention to detail with superb follow through.
- Exceptional diplomacy, discretion, and judgment.
- A keen understanding of the role that diversity and intercultural understanding play in achieving excellence.
- Knowledge of HIPAA and its requirements for development activities; discretion with donor and prospect information.
To apply for this position, pleaseinclude a cover letter and resume.