Director of Major Gifts

Major Gift Fundraising 

• Identify, cultivate, solicit and manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors, with an emphasis on gifts above assigned amount and successfully close gifts at high level;

• Utilize the University donor database for statistics and subjective analysis in determining and prioritizing lists of donor prospects, alumni, and other stakeholders to be contacted for personal visits;

• Conduct an allotted number of face-to-face visits and other correspondence per month;

• Travel extensively throughout the region and across the country to pursue these strategies and build enduring relationships;

• Assist annual fund efforts in the selling of premium seating opportunities for Memorial Stadium/State Farm Center;

• Maintain a portfolio and achieve metric goals per Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement (OVCIA) and DIA parameters;

• Seek opportunities to develop and maintain relationships with donors and supporters, cultivating long-term partnerships ;

• Assist in the creation, development, and execution of fundraising marketing materials; and

• Conduct continuous research, development and up-to-date knowledge on prospects and works with other areas to coordinate contact.

Donor Engagement

• Provide excellent donor stewardship through timely and accurate acknowledgement of gifts, providing progress reports, and facilitating personalized experiences;

• Serve as a visible, positive ambassador for DIA, and the University of Illinois in all public-facing responsibilities, and interacting with supporters across the country and in the surrounding communities; and

• Attend games and events to maintain continuing relationships with current donors and prospective donors.

Strategic Planning

• Maintain a deep understanding of revenue generation priorities of all DIA and collaborate with other DIA units to support initiatives;

• Build a portfolio of best practices and emerging marketing trends to assist with better solicitation practices based on national data, donor wishes, and/or donor trends to achieve fundraising goals

• Develop and implement campaign calendars and plans and communicate major prospect leads and potential opportunities;

• Submission of and compliance with all donor tracking requirements and reports for the University of Illinois Foundation and DIA; and

• Other assigned administration and leadership of the development office.