Employment Opportunities

Creative Stewardship Planner Wanted: Join UD After a Transformative Campaign and Forge a New Path in Legacy Giving.

The University of Dayton is seeking a highly creative and entrepreneurial individual to lead our stewardship efforts, with a specific focus on planned gifts, following a landmark fundraising campaign. This is more than just thanking donors; it's about crafting unique and impactful experiences that demonstrate the profound future impact of their legacy commitments and inspire further planned giving. If you're passionate about innovative relationship-building within the realm of planned gifts and eager to shape the future of philanthropy at a dynamic institution, we want to hear from you.

The University of Dayton is a top-tier Catholic, Marianist research university with academic offerings from the undergraduate to the doctoral levels. Our mission is to educate the whole person and link learning and scholarship with leadership and service. University Advancement promotes a culture of philanthropy, volunteer engagement and lifelong relationships in support of the University’s mission. As we conclude a comprehensive fundraising campaign, we are growing our exceptional team of passionate, mission-driven Advancement professionals, looking for an Assistant Director, Planned Giving Stewardship and Outreach in our Office of Planned Giving

The Assistant Director will work directly with current planned gift donors to steward their generous commitments. This means diving deep to tell the story of how their visions and generous gifts are making a real difference for our students and faculty. The incumbent will champion this gratitude through important stewardship avenues like personal visits with donors, phone calls, letters, notes, meetings, and other ways that personally connect donors to institutional leaders and others that their giving impacts.

The Assistant Director will also lead the Office of Planned Giving’s multichannel outreach efforts. In collaboration with the University’s broader marketing and communications team and external vendors, the Assistant Director will create and implement a comprehensive outreach and education plan that not only illustrates the impact that other donors have made with their gifts, but also tells the story of how a planned gift can allow donors to make an impact more profoundly and more efficiently. This will include coordinating two annual newsletters and follow ups, and maintaining, updating, and refreshing donor stories and content on the UD planned giving website.

The ideal candidate for this role will possess a unique blend of empathy and strategic thinking that promotes connection with people. They will be a natural relationship builder and storyteller, able to deeply and personally connect with donors, understand their motivations, and articulate the profound impact of their generosity on the University community and the University’s gratitude for their commitments. They will be an instinctive collaborator that works with internal and external partners, as well as University leaders, to strengthen and enrich important University relationships that relay the University’s gratitude and cultivate a culture of continued philanthropy.

Furthermore, the ideal incumbent will be a creative and education-driven communicator, capable of developing and executing multichannel content that educates and inspires prospective donors. They will be adept at translating complex financial concepts into compelling narratives that showcase the efficiency and transformative power of planned giving.

• Bachelor's degree.
• Two years of related experience in a position that has direct, forward-facing contact with donors, clients, or customers that shows an ability to establish and grow deeply meaningful institutional relationships.
• Success as an entrepreneurial and engaging storyteller.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communications skills.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and to meet important deadlines.
• A valid driver’s license, low risk driving record and insurability by the University.

While not everyone may possess all of the preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

• Four or more years fundraising experience or related field.
• Basic knowledge of planned/deferred giving vehicles such as wills, life income plans, gifts of unusual assets, beneficiary designations.
• Experience in mass marketing to individuals and promoting gift opportunities through print and digital media. Proficient in Microsoft Office, Salesforce database (or equivalents).
• Successful experience in working with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Residency in southwest Ohio.

To apply please submit a cover letter addressing each minimum qualification and any applicable preferred qualifications that you meet.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The University does not provide work visa sponsorship for this position.

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity, achieve equitable outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. As an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, we will not discriminate against minorities, women, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, or on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.