The Mass Eye and Ear Development Office seeks a talented fundraising professional to join the team in this recently restructured role. Working under the direction of the Sr. Director of Development, the Assistant Director will be focused on proactively qualifying and soliciting leadership-level support for the Presidents Fund and supporting major gift initiatives by building out a pipeline of major giving prospects. 

The Assistant Director collaborates with development colleagues to solicit unrestricted and restricted gifts as appropriate and is responsible for identifying and connecting donors with Major Gifts and Planned Giving colleagues. Additionally, the Assistant Director grows philanthropy to the President’s Fund, including the execution of strategic annual stewardship, cultivation, and solicitation activities for the Reynolds Society, 1824 Circle, and Alumni Giving Societies.

Mass Eye and Ear is an international leader in the treatment of conditions of the eyes, ears, nose, head, and neck. It is home to the world’s largest vision and hearing research centers and is the flagship hospital for the Harvard Medical School Departments of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Ophthalmology.

For more than 200 years, Mass Eye and Ear has led the way in providing exceptional care, engaging in life-changing research, and training the next generation of leaders in our specialties. Philanthropy is a vital cornerstone of Mass Eye and Ear’s success and is essential to providing world-class specialty care and developing cures for blindness, deafness and diseases of the head and neck for generations to come.

Principal Responsibilities

• Under the direction of the Sr. Director of Development, execute a process of personalized and systematic cultivation resulting in the solicitation and closing of annual gifts from prospects with capacity ranging from $1,000 – $25,000+. Devise strategies to transition select prospects to major gift portfolios.
• Manage a prospect pool of approximately 200+ members of and prospects for the Reynolds Society, 1824 Circle, and Alumni Giving Societies, and meet the following targets:
  • Raise $500K-$1M in revenue annually, with an emphasis on gifts for the Presidents Fund and hospital priorities.
  • Complete at least 30 prospect and donor meetings annually.
  • Complete 1,000+ meaningful donor total contacts per year (including completed and documented calls, individualized letters, emails and personal visits).
  • Document all activity in database.
• In collaboration with the Sr. Director, develop solicitation dollar targets based upon prospect pool.
• Systematically qualify and pipeline prospects to major gifts, principal gifts and planned giving, as appropriate.
• Manage the donor thank you call program, ensuring that donors are called in a timely manner and that prospects are routed appropriately.
• Assist colleagues in developing and driving strategy of key Presidents Fund initiatives, such as the Reynolds Society, 1824 Circle, and Alumni Giving Societies.
• Participate in Development events as needed such as the gala, Founders’ Day Luncheon, friend-raisers, trustee meetings, lab openings, donor receptions and plaque unveilings, etc., including assisting with phone calls for event RSVPs.
• Actively advocate for and raise awareness of hospital priorities within both internal and external audiences.
• Develop knowledge of Mass Eye and Ear’s breadth of research, clinical, teaching and community service programs for donor outreach, cultivation, and stewardship.
• Be an engaged and active participant and collaborator within the team and across the department and institution, engaging in healthy and productive activities and contributing to the overall positive office environment.
• Participate in professional development and stay well-informed of annual giving and overall fundraising trends and practices.
• Collaborate with appropriate directors of development and physicians to champion and execute agreed upon activities and strategies.
• Demonstrate high integrity and professionalism.
• Adhere to the mission, credo, and standards of behavior of Mass Eye and Ear.

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 4+ years of experience in fundraising or related transferrable experience required, preferably in hospitals and/or healthcare. In addition, this position requires a comprehensive understanding of annual fund and major gifts fundraising principles and practices, including working with donors and volunteers; and familiarity with the goals and objectives of Mass Eye and Ear and the Mass General Brigham health care system. The ideal candidate is highly professional, creative, self-directed and entrepreneurial.

The ideal candidate should also possess the following skills, abilities and attributes:

• Proven professional growth, preferably in an academic medical center or university.
• Experience devising and implementing sophisticated cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Able to motivate and engage prospects, donors, volunteers and faculty, or similar constituencies.
• Ability to build relationships across teams/disciplines.
• Able to work collaboratively and interact effectively and politely with diverse audiences, and to handle difficult situations with grace and a sense of humor.
• Strategic thinking and the ability to evaluate problems and display sound judgment.
• Honest, trustworthy, and willing to abide by strict confidentiality guidelines.
• Entrepreneurial, collaborative, conscientious and results-oriented, with a strong work ethic and the ability to manage multiple projects effectively.
• Motivated to learn and flexible in a changing environment.
• Proficiency in Blackbaud CRM systems strongly preferred.