Gift Officer

Position Summary:

The Department of Development and Alumni Engagement at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville is seeking applicants for a Gift Officer. The Gift Officer identifies and cultivates relationships with donor prospects at the major gift level, develops and implements fundraising plans, and works collaboratively with other Development and Alumni Engagement staff to meet predefined gift contribution goals. This professional will manage a portfolio of major gift donors ($25,000+) to raise funds for strategic fundraising priorities for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

This is a full-time, benefit and paid leave eligible position with frequent travel locally and nationally. Salary for this role is $50,000 per year.

Responsibilities

• Manage an ongoing portfolio of major gift prospects and creates a strategy for each stage of the donor lifecycle.
• Conduct personal visits each year with major gift prospects ($25,000+) for the purposes of prospect identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies to secure major gifts from individual donors, alumni, philanthropic organizations and corporations.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with high-net-worth individuals, ensuring meaningful engagement and alignment with the university's priorities.
• Identify, research, and prioritize prospective major gift donors to build a robust pipeline of potential supporters.
• Solicit planned gifts from prospects, demonstrating a sound understanding of different planned giving vehicles.
• Create personalized cultivation plans for key donors, fostering long-term relationships and engagement with the university's programs and initiatives.
• Collaborate with university leadership, academic departments, and program directors to understand funding priorities and articulate compelling cases for support.
• Work closely with the advancement team to coordinate fundraising efforts, ensuring alignment with broader institutional goals.
• Prepare persuasive and well-researched proposals, grant applications, and fundraising materials tailored to major gift donors' interests and philanthropic goals.
• Provide donors with regular updates on the impact of their contributions and the university's achievements.
• Plan and execute targeted events, receptions, and gatherings to facilitate donor cultivation and stewardship.
• Utilize events as opportunities to showcase the university's achievements and foster a sense of community among major donors.
• Travel frequently in order to build and maintain donor relationships and represent the University at various events.
• Additional duties as assigned. 

What You’ll Need to Succeed:

• Bachelor’s degree from accredited college or university.
• Proven experience in fundraising, with a focus on securing major gifts for educational institutions or nonprofit organizations.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written) with the ability to engage and build relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.
• Competency in Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, and donor tracking systems.
• Ability to work independently and confidentially with students, faculty, staff, administration, and external constituents.
• Ability to travel frequently.

Why It’s Great to be a Pioneer:

Gifts from alumni, friends, parents, corporations, and foundations help the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to preserve its heritage of excellence in education for current students, and for generations of future students. Gifts to the university through the UW-Platteville Foundation provide scholarships, improve academic programs, support capital building projects, and enrich campus-life experiences for students. 

Campus Information

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, founded in 1866, offers 47 baccalaureate and 10 master's programs. It possesses institutional strengths in middle level education, engineering, industrial technology, agriculture, criminal justice and business. The campus is located in Southwest Wisconsin's largest and most historic community. The region offers excellent school systems, high quality medical and hospital facilities, outstanding recreational opportunities, and vibrant businesses and industries. UW-Platteville is a cultural and educational center for the Tri-State region of Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Take a virtual tour of our campus!

Application Deadline:

Applications must be submitted through our online applicant portal. To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by April 11, 2024. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled.

How to Apply:

The following documents are required for applicant consideration:

• Letter of application addressing all required qualifications
• A current resume
• Contact information (name, telephone number, and email address) for 3 professional references.
• Additional documents as needed

For questions regarding this position, please contact:

            Susan Lindholm, lindhosu@uwplatt.edu

We Support Diversity and Inclusion:

Our mission is to foster a diverse environment that contributes to an inclusive culture and climate by promoting critical discourse and meaningful interactions between all members of our campus community.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is committed to recruiting, supporting and fostering a diverse, inclusive and civil community of outstanding faculty, staff and students, and is an AA/EEO Employer. A criminal background check is required for employment. Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the U.S. at time of hire.

Employment will require a criminal background check. It will also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment.