Virginia Commonwealth University · 1 month ago
Director of Development - School of Social Work
Richmond, VA
Full-time
Hybrid
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$100K/yr - $120K/yr
3+ years expVirginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university dedicated to serving the needs of students and patients. The Director of Development for the School of Social Work will lead fundraising efforts, manage a portfolio of major gift prospects, and collaborate with university leadership to achieve fundraising goals.
Higher EducationLife ScienceUniversities
No H1B
Responsibilities
Manage (identify, engage, cultivate, solicit, steward) a portfolio of approximately 70-100 of the unit’s top prospects with a giving capacity of $50,000 or more; engage in discovery work annually to identify new prospects and determine interest in VCU priorities
Solicit gifts at the major gifts level (at or above $50,000) through personal appointments, calls and correspondence in order to obtain and/or increase donor contributions
Serve an active philanthropic thought-partner and fundraising participant with the School of Social Work dean
Maximize the dean’s participation in fundraising and engagement efforts through strategic planning , thorough organization, and good time management
Integrate the dean, faculty, students, and alumni into development activities where most appropriate and effective
With dean, AVP, and other DAR leadership and colleagues, devise short and long-term donor-centric strategies and develop plans for advancing each prospect’s meaningful passions to the university
Develop and implement annual operating plans for the School of Social Work, coordinating with DAR’s alumni engagement, leadership annual giving, and strategic marketing and engagement teams to produce a comprehensive and integrated roadmap for each unit; design and measure annual and long-range fundraising plans tied to the strategic needs of each school
Assist in supervising, coaching, motivating, and evaluating development staff assigned to unit to support their individual success and goal achievement
Collaborate and coordinate with colleagues across the university and on central teams (including planned giving, CFR, principal gifts, and university development) to develop donor-centric strategies to leverage and maximize giving and engagement; engage with colleagues for joint cultivation/solicitation/stewardship efforts when needed
Prepare briefing documents for VCU and DAR leadership for functions in which they are in attendance
Ensure accurate documentation of all donor activity and major gift solicitation plans in the university’s prospect management system (RADAR)
Coordinate with alumni relations and the strategic marketing and engagement team to ensure coordination of information to stakeholders and friends
Develop, support, and evaluate campaign volunteer opportunities; collaborate with central partners on recruitment and training of those volunteers
Audit internal operations in order to develop standardized procedures in keeping with university policies
Provide guidance and assist with stewardship events and correspondence in coordination University’s Office of Donor Relations
Coordinate with central teams on the composing, editing, and publishing of fundraising reports
Manage time and activities to support annually-established metrics on prospect/donor engagement and fundraising efficacy
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
Demonstrated knowledge of the principles, ethics and practices of successful fundraising
An outgoing and positive personality, strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative working style
Strong written, oral, and data-analysis skills
Familiarity with technology, software, and digital tools to communicate and engage with others
Three - five years professional experience working in fundraising or sales environments, working directly with people for engagement and soliciting five, six and seven-figure financial commitments
Ability to work and navigate within a complex organization and varied constituencies
Willingness to plan and execute travel for donor visits that may include overnight trips
Willingness to learn, collaborate, and grow within a high performing fundraising team
Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU
Preferred
Master's degree in a related field
Five or more years of professional fundraising experience, preferably in an academic medical center or higher education (Research I) setting or similar complex environments
Knowledge or interest in the field of social work
Demonstrated success securing six- and seven-figure gifts
Demonstrated ability to execute objectives and goals aligned to the mission of a complex, urban university and the ability to persuasively represent its goals to multiple constituents
Demonstrated knowledge of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Ability to plan and execute travel for donor visits that may include overnight trips
Experience with grateful patient fundraising
CFRE certification
Benefits
Comprehensive health benefits
Paid annual and holiday leave granted up front
Generous tuition benefits
Retirement planning and savings options
Tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs
Employee discounts
Well-being resources
Abundant opportunities for career development and advancement
Company
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$7.48MKey Investors
Virginia Innovation Partnership CorporationUnited States-Japan Foundation
2025-01-15Grant· $0.1M
2024-03-12Grant· $0.08M
2024-02-01Grant· $0.07M
Leadership Team
Karol Kain Gray
Senior VP and CFO
Andrea Ferreira-Gonzalez
Professor
Recent News
The Virginian-Pilot
2025-12-05
2025-11-01
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