Job Description

The Opportunity:

Our Prescott, AZ Campus is currently recruiting for an experienced Director of Philanthropy who will identify, cultivate, solicit and steward lead annual and major gifts from alumni and community partners. They will provide leadership and coordination to the campus in approaching donors for lead annual and major gifts, working closely with the Senior Director, campus leadership, and development colleagues. They will develop and implement fundraising strategies, prepare compelling oral and written proposals, build and maintain effective relationships with booster supporters.

The Director is expected to quickly develop a rapport with faculty and staff, and to master the needs, opportunities, challenges, strategic plans, and points of pride for the Prescott Campus. The Director shall routinely attend planning and leadership meetings and actively collaborate with the central development enterprise, attending required meetings, and fulfilling all organizational and supervisory obligations.

The ideal candidate will be proactive, self-motivated, high-energy, and an outstanding listener and communicator, with proven experience in successfully engaging high-net worth prospects to secure philanthropic support for the Prescott Campus and the University.

Responsibilities include the following:

Lead Annual and Major Gifts. The Director shall be assigned a portfolio of approximately 75-125 prospects. In this role, they shall conduct discovery, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship calls within their assigned portfolio. Prospects will engage through print or electronic correspondence, calls, encounters at events, and, most importantly, individual, face-to-face visits. Travel and attendance on evenings and weekends should be anticipated.  The Director’s primary objective is to secure gifts for the Prescott Campus, though other opportunities may be pursued as well, in order to optimize overall giving to the University. Develop written strategies and tactics for each prospect, implement them, and collaborate with colleagues in the division to achieve donor engagement and stewardship goals.

Unit liaison. Engage with and coordinate development activities within Prescott Campus. Participate in leadership meetings to better understand needs, challenges, and opportunities. Help coordinate central advancement efforts in the areas of annual giving, major gifts, advancement communications, data acquisition, planned giving programing, donor relations and donor impact reporting associated with Prescott Campus. Build lasting, effective relationships with the faculty, coaches, staff and students across campus to best engage them in the process of philanthropy. Advise department staff on the institution’s philanthropic policies, practices, schedules, and strategies as well as on general best practices in philanthropy. Ensure a strong healthy relationship with between Prescott Campus, other units, and the central administration of the University.

Support Central Development. Observe institutional development policies, participate actively in meetings held by central development, and maintain a satisfactory level of training and knowledge of best practices. The Director’s main emphasis is to secure funds for Prescott Campus while being donor-centric. Thus, as necessary or as assigned, assist the central development enterprise in achieving its broader objectives. This may entail transferring or sharing assigned prospects based on interests in other units. Conduct discovery, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship in accordance with those assignments. Engage current and prospective donors through print or electronic correspondence, calls, encounters at events, and most importantly, individual, face-to-face visits. Complete timely, accurate, concise, and complete contact reports and enter them into the Division’s enterprise system.

About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University:  

At Embry-Riddle, we take pride in our position as the world's largest and most comprehensive university dedicated to aviation and aerospace. Located in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, our esteemed residential campuses offer a prestigious educational experience. However, our commitment to education knows no borders as our Worldwide campus expands our reach globally, providing a world-class education online and at approximately 110 locations across the United States, Asia, Europe, and Central and South America. This breadth of reach ensures that students can access our exceptional programs without geographical limitations. 

With a history spanning nearly a century, we have continually adapted to the dynamic needs of the industries we support. In the Academic Year 2022-23, we welcomed over 11,100 students to our residential campuses and over 19,000 students at our worldwide campus.  

Join our global community and embark on a journey of academic excellence and limitless possibilities. Employees working more than 30 hours a week can enjoy medical, dental and vision benefits, an amazing retirement plan with immediate vesting that includes a 6% gift and up to 4% match, free tuition for employees and their immediate family members, and a generous personal leave program. To find out more about our benefits and why ERAU has been named a “Great College to Work For” for 13 consecutive years, visit our careers page.     

Qualifications

EDUCATION/ EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree and at least three years of experience in fundraising or philanthropy.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES:

• Ability to develop effective partnerships with internal and external constituencies
• Demonstrated track record of cultivation and closing significant major gifts and corporate sponsorships
• Knowledge of collegiate athletics
• Commitment to teamwork and cooperative action
• Ability to work with people from a variety of culturally diverse backgrounds
• Effective communication skills and strong interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational and motivational skills
• Professional experience in a higher education advancement setting is strongly preferred.
• Professional experience in aviation or aerospace environments is a plus.