Director of Planned Giving
Position Summary:
The Director of Planned Giving will play an important role both in enhancing gift planning techniques as a function of the College’s overall fundraising plan and in increasing the number of planned gifts and expected gift totals.
This individual is responsible for building a pipeline of gift planning donors nation-wide; recognizing and stewarding legacy donors; working with various constituencies to promote and increase planned gifts; and assisting front-line fundraisers with solicitations that involve planned giving and non-cash assets. The Director will have a portfolio and will be responsible for qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding planned gift donors. In addition, the Director manages department personnel, which may include professional and support staff.
The Director will develop and implement a strategic plan to enhance gift planning efforts as well as a comprehensive marketing and communications plan working with College Advancement staff, internal strategic communications team members, web developers, outside contractors, and vendors. This professional will also develop and implement a recognition program to assist with the identification and stewardship of legacy donors. Through the office's efforts, gift planning will play a significant and growing role in the success of fund raising for Harvey Mudd College.
The Director serves as an expert or lead development professional in the specialized areas of gift planning and leadership gifts while maintaining a portfolio of donor prospects that include influential, complex, or highly rated donors. This individual is expected to raise gift amounts as established in annual and multi-year goals.
About Harvey Mudd College:
Located in the heart of Claremont, California, 35 miles east of Los Angeles, Harvey Mudd College is a highly selective undergraduate liberal arts college offering degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. HMC enrolls about 800 students and is a member of The Claremont Colleges, which comprises five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. According to students, professors, and alumni, what makes Harvey Mudd distinctive is its collaborative, cross-disciplinary nature. The working environment is built on collaborative relationships between and among all members of the campus community and a deep commitment to the College’s mission to educate students “so that they may assume leadership in their fields with a clear understanding of the impact of their work on society.”
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Work with assigned gift planning prospects through qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding as appropriate
- Manage the overall success of the Planned Giving program, which includes successful planning, marketing, and budgeting and meeting goals. Set goals, develop strategies, and design procedures to achieve shared goals.
- Oversee department personnel, which may include professional and support staff.
- Work with leadership and high-capacity prospects and donors.
- Collaborate with campus colleagues in areas of planned giving and complex current fund gifts, providing expertise and support when necessary. Work closely with gift officers to develop and implement gift planning strategies for estate and complex gifts that may involve non-cash assets such as closely held stock and real estate.
- Develop, create, write, implement, and/or evaluate individualized strategies for cultivation and solicitation of planned gifts (strategies that typically require a high degree of innovation). Present proposals.
- Plan and administer marketing and outreach initiatives, including financial planning tools and education, through various mediums; supervise implementation and ensure articulated goals are met.
- Create/enhance and implement gift-planning recognition society and stewardship.
- Create, establish, and evaluate methods for building/maintaining prospect and volunteer constituencies and work with high-level volunteers including trustees and reunion leaders.
- Plan activities, cultivation, and solicitation focused around reunion classes celebrating milestone anniversaries.
- Oversee and steward charitable trusts and other planned gifts naming Harvey Mudd College as a beneficiary.
- Recommend gift planning policy for College Advancement in conjunction with campus colleagues and volunteer leadership while adhering to College-wide policy.
- Serve as an expert resource for assigned area of expertise, interacting with prospects, donors, staff and outside professionals to provide information, advice and counsel regarding assigned specialized program(s).
- Analyze needs and create strategic and long-range plans for planned gift fundraising.
- Other duties as assigned
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to conceptualize, design and implement a planned giving program.
- Working knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, et cetera related to charitable giving.
- Working knowledge of fundraising, donor relations and public relations concepts, principles, procedures and techniques.
- Experience in managing development programs and personnel.
- Strong written and interpersonal communication skills to establish and maintain positive working relationships throughout the campus and with external constituencies.
- Good organizational, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
- Experience with complex gifts, including closely held stock and other non-cash assets.
- Skill to maintain confidentiality.
- Strong sense of ethical conduct that will inspire confidence and motivation with the proven ability to persuade colleagues and donor prospects, while maintaining confidentiality in all matters as they relate to sensitive donor relations issues. Donor-centered outlook on gift planning, balancing the College’s best interest. Adherence to NACGP Model Standards of Practice for the Charitable Gift Planner.
- Knowledge of NACGP Guidelines for Reporting and Counting Charitable Gifts and National Standards for Gift Planning Success.
- Ability to understand and articulate the College’s vision, mission, goals, objectives, achievements and infrastructure.
- Ability to travel outside of business hours.
- Proven experience in the full spectrum of development including cultivation, stewardship and donor recognition.
- Experience in designing strategies for cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors.
Required Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor’s degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.
Experience: Minimum of 8-10 years of progressive fundraising experience. Expertise in planned giving.
Licenses/Certifications: Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and driving record acceptable to the College’s automobile insurance carrier.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Proven ability to work effectively with deans and directors, academic and College leaders and volunteers to achieve fundraising goals. Ability to work effectively with other advancement staff in devising, analyzing, modifying, implementing, and evaluating planned gift programs.
- Exceptional organizational, analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Exceptional skill in communicating persuasively, both orally and in writing, about private gift fundraising.
- Knowledge of a broad range of academic and institutional issues related to a higher education fundraising environment.
- Ability to use dedicated gift planning software and a relational donor database system.
Preferred Qualifications:
Education: Advanced degree preferred.
Experience: Minimum of 5 years’ experience in higher education advancement. Experience in financial, trust, legal, or estate planning. Certified in Planned Giving (CFPG) credential or equivalent.
Physical Requirements:
Normal physical job functions performed within a standard office environment and include reaching, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions. May occasionally lift/push/pull items up to 15 lbs.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Hours:
Regular office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours may vary due to the needs of the department and/or College. Local, regional and national travel is required and may be outside of normal business hours.
Classification:
This is an exempt, full-time, benefits-eligible position.
Reporting:
Reports to the Assistant Vice President, Development
Application Process:
Application Procedures:
Please visit www.hmc.edu/employment to view a complete job description for this position and obtain information on how to submit an application. Information about HMC’s competitive benefits package is available at www.hmc.edu/hrbenefits.
Deadline to apply:
Position will remain open until filled.
Additional Information:
All faculty and staff (including contract workers) who are employed at HMC and for whom the COVID-19 vaccine is approved/authorized by the FDA, must be vaccinated against COVID-19, including the COVID-19 vaccine booster and provide proof of vaccination and booster, unless an exemption from this policy has been granted as an accommodation or otherwise.
This job description defines the essential job duties of the position. Harvey Mudd College expects that employees hired for this position can perform the essential functions of the job without imposing risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of themselves or others. It may also include marginal functions, generally defined within Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Regular employment at the College is for no specified period; conditions and status of employment (hours, pay, title, duties, etc.) are subject to change at any time. Employment is at-will and employees, and likewise the College, are free to end the employment relationship at any time, for any reason, with or without notice or cause, unless otherwise prohibited by law.
July 2022