The Assistant Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations (AVP) has oversight responsibility for the offices of Development and Alumni Relations. Specific areas of responsibility include annual giving campaigns for large and small amounts, special fundraising events, donor cultivation, stewarding donors, assisting the integration of the annual fund into overall fundraising, including developing and implementing strategies for electronic cultivation and solicitations, phone-a-thon, direct mail and matching gifts. The AVP will be responsible for providing strategic leadership, long and short term planning for the annual fund, recruiting volunteers, and cultivating key constituency groups (i.e. alumni, friends, Faculty/staff, parents, students, UNCF, United Church of Christ, and United Methodist Church).

Specific Responsibilities and Duties include the following:

• Leads the Development team in planning and implementing long- and short-term strategies to secure gifts from individuals and organizations through major, planned and annual gifts.
• Work with the VP for Institutional Advancement to establish measurable goals to increase fundraising results that are both aspirational and achievable.
• Maintain a portfolio and solicits major and planned gifts.
• Ensure successful implementation of a planned giving program both by informing marketing and prospecting strategy as well as by personally soliciting and assisting in the solicitation of planned gift prospects.
• Set direction and gives guidance to stewardship program to recognize donors in effective and meaningful ways.
• Provide direction and leadership for research and prospect management, setting measurable and attainable goals and evaluating outcomes to ensure fund-raising staff have the information they need to target their work with prospective donors.
• Mentor, train, supervise, and evaluate staff.
• Develop strong positive relationships with the university community to establish the Development office as the major resource and coordinator for all university fundraising.
• In consultation with the VP and staff, establish and adhere to annual operating budgets and ensure that development programs are operating in a fiscally prudent and productive way.
• Keep abreast of current best practices in the Development profession and evaluate new and emerging ideas for potential implementation at Dillard.
• Develop and administer policies related to fundraising and gift stewardship in collaboration with the VP.
• Oversee the Development and Alumni Relations offices to ensure they operate in unison for the purposes of engaging all constituents.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This role has direct supervisory responsibilities via the offices of Advancement Services, Alumni Relations, Major/Planned Gifts, Grant Writing, and Annual Gifts.

Qualifications/Education/Experience: 

• BS/BA, Master’s preferred.
• Seven (7) years direct or related experience.
• Excellent computer skills and budget/accounting skills.
• A commitment to the Dillard’s mission; honesty, trustworthiness, dependability.