Director of Annual Giving

Who We Are:

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service.  We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What You Will Do:

The Director of Annual Giving leads the planning, implementation and execution of programs which increase annual giving dollars and participation from constituents of National Louis University (NLU), including alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends. In addition to directly managing a portfolio of annual giving prospects and donors, the Director oversees annual giving operations to ensure data integrity, an intelligent segmentation strategy, ongoing communications with constituents, and the timely completion of projects to maximize engagement and fundraising results.

• Build and maintain a portfolio of donors capable of annual gifts up to $10,000
• Track and monitor donor and prospect touchpoints, meet regularly with donors, and implement strategic moves management
• Serve as the primary liaison to members of the 1886 Society, and execute Society recognition events and communications
• Lead and manage all facets of the Annual Giving program with a major focus on fundraising and engagement campaigns (direct mail, email, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, and social media) and stewardship activities
• Set and monitor fundraising goals and donor participation; and create, implement, evaluate, and continuously refine strategies and programs for successful fundraising with each constituent group
• Collaborate with colleagues to identify needs across the institution, and develop compelling messaging and multi-channel outreach that increase donor retention, participation and donation amounts across all audiences
• Lead the planning and implementation of special campaigns, including NLU Day, donor birthday/anniversary recognition, and other appropriate messaging
• Develop and execute donor recognition strategies, including annual donor listings. Ensure a robust, best-in-class donor experience, from cultivation to stewardship
• Manage external vendor(s), temporary staff and/or volunteers in the execution of campaigns.
• Partner with Advancement colleagues in alumni relations and major giving to coordinate pipeline and prospect development, and donor engagement
• Supervise and coach the Advancement Associate, Annual Fund, whose responsibilities will include: direct mail management; communications content generation; targeted campaigns, solicitation and stewardship; and project management, among others
• Partner with colleagues across the institution to develop and implement a robust Student Philanthropy program that embeds a culture of philanthropy - beginning at their orientation - among current students and graduating students, and that inspires their giving to NLU

• Bachelor's Degree, required (Communications, nonprofit management or other related field)
• Minimum of 5 years of frontline fundraising experience, preferably in annual giving within a higher education context
• General knowledge and familiarity with Microsoft Office suite, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Experience with CRMs (i.e. Salesforce), strongly preferred
• Effective presentation and communication skills (both written and verbal).  Listens to others and able to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders
• Creative mindset to find new ways to address challenges and new approaches to fundraising
• Established track record for achieving results within established timelines
• Effective project management skills with the ability to quickly pivot as needs and/or priorities change
• Some night and weekend availability required for fundraising and other events

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued.  We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Opportunities. Additional information regarding full-time staff benefits can be found here.

The salary range of the grade for this position is $72,188 to $108,281 annually.  Compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.  Offers are based on multiple factors permitted by law, including but not limited to: budgetary considerations, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, market considerations, tenure and standing with the university (applicable to current employees), and internal equity. 

Please Include the following along with your application:

• Resume (Required)
• Cover Letter (Required)
• Current NLU employees please also submit an Internal Posting Form