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Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association · 1 day ago

Senior Development Program Specialist / Development Program Manager, School of Human Ecology, School

Madison, WI

Full-time

Hybrid

Mid, Senior Level

3+ years exp

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) is seeking a dynamic Senior Development Program Specialist / Development Program Manager to support the School of Human Ecology. This role involves managing donor and campus relationships, developing strategies for donor engagement, and overseeing stewardship activities to enhance the unit's fundraising efforts.

EducationHigher Education

Comp. & Benefits

Responsibilities

Serve as primary liaison to unit Advancement/Strategic Communications and Dean's offices. Triage, negotiate, and respond to all inquiries, requests, donor communication list requests, proposals and issues while continuing efforts to build mutually beneficial relationships, improve communication and collaborative teamwork, and increase campus understanding of the development process

Work in collaboration with the unit's Advancement/Strategic Communications and Dean's offices on projects including, but not limited to, the college's BOV meeting, commencement, emeritus events, bi-weekly meetings, printed materials and information/data pulls

Coordinate with WFAA resources such as Business Intelligence and Research to compile data and other information that better informs high-level strategic planning, donor recognition, stewardship activities for the unit and Dean's office

In coordination with the events team, plan, implement, and manage all aspects of events designed to identify and cultivate Dean's prospects and build relationships with existing donors (i.e. Wisconsin Club, Dean's travel, etc.)

Collaborate with directors of development on donor visits to campus, including on-site logistics, greeting and hosting guests, and responding to miscellaneous needs as they arise

Serve as one point of contact for campus inquiries about policies and procedures at WFAA

Assist directors of development with the preparation, signature routing, and final distribution of gift legal documentation (e.g. Memoranda of Agreements, Fund Operation Agreements, Pledge Agreements, etc.) in accordance with established WFAA business processes

Maintain advisory board memberships, donor recognition society memberships, and other affiliated groups within the constituent database

Work in active partnership with the unit's Vice President, leadership team, senior development directors and unit's advancement team (if applicable) to plan, implement, manage and evaluate strategies, initiatives, and projects designed to enhance and advance the unit's priorities/goals, prospect and donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship and successfully move projects to completion

Create and implement consistent standards of practice and procedure that provide exemplary customer service to donors and campus partners

Provide directors of development with materials as requested in preparation for top-tier donor visits in collaboration with Development Program Specialists

Work with WFAA collaborators such as Marketing, Communications, Gift Planning, and others to facilitate team projects and leverage internal resources for a consistent and exceptional donor experience

Manage and track the unit's Key Performance Indicators in coordination with unit Managing Director. This will include supporting accurate entry of data into CRM

Serve as unit CRM subject matter expert for development team and interface with the Business Intelligence Service Center and Development teams

In collaboration with campus, directors of development, and the central stewardship team, assist with all aspects of comprehensive stewardship of donors, including gift acknowledgements, milestone thanks, scholarship and faculty award cycles, and impact reporting

Proactively develop and create stewardship recommendations and/or projects in collaboration with the unit's Vice President, Directors of Development, campus unit leaders (i.e. Advancement/Strategic Communications and Dean's offices, department Chairs, etc.) and top tier donors

Collaborate with stewardship work groups within the unit and Foundation to review and assess unit stewardship activities and implement new opportunities for growth, meaningful donor engagement and impact reporting (i.e. end of campaign book, Premier gift impact projects)

Coordinate and manage the gift impact reporting process for Faculty Endowments

Respond to campus questions regarding unit gifts and funds, identifying issues that require additional review and action, including questions of fund use and compliance

Respond to gift services and donor needs regarding pledges and account recognition

Utilize and generate financial reports related to gift information requests from directors of development or campus partners

Participate in unit fund audit as directed by Finance leadership

Act as unit BUA (business user access) for campus access requests to CRM and WFAA funds

Coordinate the direct mailing of solicitations, announcements, event invitations, parking permits, and provide development support for advanced administrative needs when necessary or appropriate (i.e. travel and expense reports, scheduling meetings with multiple constituents and various needs requirements, etc.)

Suggest areas for process improvement and assist in improvement implementation

Qualification

Fundraising experienceCRM proficiencyProject managementMicrosoft OfficeCommunication skillsTeam collaborationAttention to detailCreativity

Required

Bachelor's degree is preferred or an equivalent combination of education and work experience

3 + years of relevant professional work experience in higher education, non-profit, or fundraising environment

Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong attention to detail

Ability to judge the relative importance of issues and act independently to address them, applying the appropriate level of urgency to achieve results

Self-motivation, a proactive nature, persistence, flexibility and dependability

Ability to work effectively with a team in an entrepreneurial environment and interact well with all internal and external constituents

Ability to remain calm under pressure; prioritize and manage multiple and sometimes competing tasks, and maintain a high degree of discretion, tact, poise, professionalism, and diplomacy

High degree of proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint); previous experience with database reporting and constituent relationship management software preferred

Demonstrates creativity and resourcefulness by identifying and adapting best practices from outstanding donor relations programs, and by designing visually appealing, brand-aligned materials using tools such as Canva