Director of Gift Planning

TITLE: Director of Gift Planning

DEPARTMENT: Advancement

Classification (FLSA): Exempt, Salary

REPORTS TO: VP of Advancement

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Director of Gift Planning promotes and cultivates planned gifts from the highest qualified Christendom College (CC) benefactors while managing the Office of Gift Planning.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversees the work of the Gift Planning Coordinator.

CHIEF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Gift Planning Qualification
  • Collaborate with research team to rank qualified PG prospects on continual basis to maintain prioritized ‘supply’ of highest value candidates.
  • Discover and cultivate highest value PG segments by personally responding to self-identified prospects and by proactively seeking appointments with highly rated prospects.
  • Enter timely and thorough contact reports following discovery interviews that include decisions on prospect status and proposal information, to ensure effective identification and follow-up cultivation of new prospects.
• Gift Planning Relationship Development
  • Move highly rated individual PG prospects to plan and to document specific gifts in favor of Christendom through bequests, life insurance policies, annuities, trusts, and other planned gifts.
  • Steward existing donors who indicate or otherwise document planned gifts (including but not limited to gifts in a will/trust, life income plans, IRA/Life Insurance/Brokerage and Savings Account beneficiary designations) to keep them in the CC fold, to refer prospects and to increase giving levels.
  • Enter timely and thorough contact reports following meetings or actions that include prospect and proposal updates.
  • Learn and perfect the use of a relationship development method, such as The Four Decisions.
• Gift Planning Program Management & Planning
  • Manage structure, policies & guidelines for the Office of Gift Planning (OGP).
  • Oversee the Gift Planning Coordinator’s management of the estate settlement process from notice to distribution.
  • Educate and train appropriate Christendom staff, faculty, and volunteers to be capable of identifying PG leads and achieving OGP goals while also keeping them up-to-date on all legal developments affecting planned giving.
  • Manage a marketing program to promote Gift Planning through both existing communication channels used at Christendom and new communications channels to enable lead and referrals to self-identify themselves as qualified PG prospects.
  • Participate in Weekly Advancement Meetings to help stay fully engaged and integrated with the on-campus team and allow the celebration of successes, discussion of challenges and to encourage one another in our core values and financial goals.
  • Prepare key reports as a briefing to make the VP of Advancement aware of what is occurring in the field, to provide an opportunity for interaction and peer to peer advice and for strategizing on donor cultivation and stewardship.
  • Prepare for and participate in regular lead gift and major gift strategy meeting days.
  • Implement cost effective ways of completing required travel in order to maximize time spent with donors.
• Measures
  • Meetings – 100 to 130 per fiscal year.
  • Number of “new PG legacy society” members.
  • Dollars of documented PG disclosures/commitments.
  • Dollars of matured PG expectations and cash revenues.
  • Other Commitments – dollars raised YTD versus actual annual goal targets; includes the Annual Fund Cash & Pledges, Principles Cash & Pledges, Endowment Cash & Pledges, and timely & strategic campaigns as defined by CC leadership.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time for the needs of the College, but a discussion between the employee and supervisor will take place prior to the change.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1- Excellent listener

2- Outstanding interpersonal skills; especially oral & written communication skills

3- Passionate about participating in the mission of Christendom College

4- Minimum 5 years (more preferred) of experience in leadership fundraising

5- Undergraduate degree required (Master’s in related field or Professional certification a plus)

6- Proficient at communicating Christendom’s mission

7- Superior organizational and time management skills

8- Goal oriented

9- Willingness to travel up to 50% of time

10- Ability to handle multiple responsibilities with minimal supervision

11- Ability to handle confidential matters on a regular basis

12- Familiarity with applicable online and computer office suite software

13- Legal experience/training in planned gift and estate settlement desirable

PHYSICAL / MENTAL / EMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to sit at a desk and work on a computer for prolonged periods at a time.
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Must be able to make quick decisions.
• Must be calm in stressful situations.
• Must be able to drive long distances.
• Must be able to communicate well.
• Must be able to frequently move about the College campus for activities like campus tours.
• Must be able to frequently ascend/descend stairs.
• Must be able to frequently travel by airplane.