Director of Alumni & Development

Job Description

Job Description

The Director of Alumni and Development is a member of the Institutional Advancement team responsible for developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that engage alumni, cultivate donor relationships, and support the philanthropic goals of Georgian Court University. This position plays a central role in fostering lifelong connections between the University and its alumni, while leading efforts to grow annual giving and alumni participation.

The Director is charged with planning and executing a range of alumni and donor programs, including annual fundraising campaigns, alumni events, and targeted communications. This includes managing a communications calendar, coordinating outreach to individual donors, and working closely with students, alumni, and other stakeholders to advance fundraising objectives. The Director will also solicit individual gifts and contribute to the cultivation of a culture of philanthropy throughout the University community.

Additionally, the Director serves as the primary liaison to the Alumni Association Board of Directors, organizing meetings, supporting board committees, and promoting strong relationships between alumni leaders and the University. The Director is expected to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs, identify new engagement opportunities that align with institutional priorities, and ensure that alumni programming offers tangible value to participants while advancing the mission, vision, and values of Georgian Court University.

Principal Responsibilities

• Plan and manage annual events hosted by the GCU Office of Institutional Advancement, including all campus, regional and national events (e.g. Reunion and Homecoming, Scholarship and Golf Classic, scholarship events, stewardship receptions, alumni networking, young alumni engagement, Presidential receptions, etc.).
• Manage a portfolio of annual donors through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship process for gifts in support of the university mission and vision. Collaborate closely with development colleagues to increase support from donors and identify and qualify prospects for gifts.
• Coordinate with the Office of Finance on all necessary contracts, applications, and agreements.
• Develop and maintain detailed budgets for alumni events, receptions, meetings and various other engagement activities. This includes managing RFPs for vendors, tracking expenses, submitting reimbursements, and reconciling actual expenses after events.
• Coordinate all assigned event mailings including save-the-date, invitation and confirmation mailings.
• Produce reports and production materials (name tags, seating tags, place cards, tent cards, etc.)
• Work with vendors in a professional and informed manner, to address all logistical needs of an event, including locating appropriate space for numerous events.
• Create the staffing plan and timeline for events. Identify and recruit employees to staff events
• Evaluate and report on special event activities on a regular basis to determine performance against goals and metrics.
• Plan and implement stewardship and related communication strategies for specific donor groups (e.g. 25th and 50th Reunion classes, athletic and affinity alumni groups).
• Produce alumni relations communications, including, but not limited to e-newsletter, email messages, event invitations, alumni web pages, and print publications.
• Provide vision and content for website and social media accounts.
• Execute a multi-channel Annual Giving plan including personal outreach, direct mail, and digital appeals.

• Coordinate annual Giving Tuesday and GCU Gives Day efforts
• Coordinate faculty and staff giving campaigns
• Establish student philanthropy council
• Identify and refer prospects for leadership annual giving

• Identify, recruit and provide guidance to alumni volunteers, including the Alumni Association and Alumni Board of Directors (ABOD).
• Serve as the liaison for the day to day operations of the ABOD. Supervise meetings and activities and manage logistics for alumni relations/activities.
• Implement new strategies to reinvigorate Alumni Association.
• Work with University partners to ensure alumni presence at various campus activities/events.
• Implement and manage the university’s young alumni and future alumni programming.
• Plan communications, both print and electronic, for and to alumni, including, but not limited to, alumni information packets, birthday emails and other sentiments.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in fundraising programs in a not for profit, community college, 4 year college or University.
• 2 years’ experience with relationship based fundraising.
• Prior experience in special events, alumni relations and volunteer management.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills both written and oral.
• Must be able to work independently and make confident decisions.
• Must have experience working with MS Office.
• Must exercise a high degree of discretion and independent judgment.
• Must be willing to travel.
• Must be well organized and able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Must possess excellent computer skills.
• Must be able to work collaboratively with various constituencies and departments.
• Must be a team player.
• Prior experience using fundraising software, such as Blackbaud’s Raisers Edge, preferred.

**MUST BE US WORK AUTHORIZED**