Development Associate - Annual Fund

Overview

Who We Are:

For 140 years, National Louis University has been driven by one core belief: education changes lives. Since our founding, we've stayed grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity, and we've never wavered from the idea that education is the greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community built on continuous improvement and a genuine commitment to serving those we teach. Through education, we empower change and build stronger, healthier communities. Our hard-working team runs on collaboration and mutual respect, for one another and for every student we serve.

What You Will Do:

The Development Associate, Annual Fund supports the goals of the Advancement/Development Department at National Louis University by advancing annual fundraising efforts that increase philanthropic support from alumni, donors, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the University. Reporting to the Director of Annual Giving, this position helps execute annual giving strategies that grow donor participation, retention, and revenue through campaign implementation, donor stewardship, prospect research, reporting and analysis, and project coordination. Working collaboratively across the Advancement team, the Development Associate helps build a sustainable pipeline of engaged donors while supporting the University's Annual Giving fundraising priorities.

Essential Responsibilities

Annual Giving Campaign Management and Donor Engagement:

• Support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of annual giving initiatives designed to increase philanthropic support. Coordinate annual fund campaigns and donor engagement activities, including giving days, commencement giving, faculty and staff giving, crowdfunding initiatives, donor recognition programs, and student philanthropy efforts. Provide support to the Director of Annual Giving through secondary moves management for donors and prospects. Manage campaign logistics, donor segmentation, stewardship activities, and coordination with internal and external partners to ensure meaningful outreach and successful execution.

Reporting, Analysis and Prospect Research:

• Monitor and evaluate annual giving performance through reporting, data analysis, and donor research. Prepare reports that measure campaign effectiveness, donor participation, retention, and fundraising results. Conduct prospect research and develop donor profiles to support cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies while partnering with Advancement Operations to maintain accurate donor data and reporting.

Project, Event and Administrative Coordination:

• Provide project management and administrative support for annual giving initiatives, including developing project timelines, coordinating vendors, maintaining calendars and shared documentation, supporting donor cultivation and recognition events, managing registrations and logistics, and assisting with other operational activities that contribute to successful fundraising efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Nonprofit Management, or other related field, required
• Minimum of 1 year of experience (3 preferred) in alumni relations, annual fund giving, direct mail appeals, communications, customer service, or other related field.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and good judgement
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel
• Prior knowledge and familiarity with fundraising databases and email marketing (i.e. Salesforce)
• Teamwork Oriented: Demonstrates strong teamwork and collaboration by contributing ideas and skills, communicating openly, meeting commitments with accuracy and timeliness, and fostering a positive, cooperative environment that supports shared goals and collective success.
• Managing Multiple Priorities: Effectively balances competing tasks, deadlines, and responsibilities. Prioritizes work based on urgency, impact, and alignment with goals. Adjusts focus as needed while maintaining quality, communication, and follow-through.
• Results Oriented: Focuses on achieving meaningful outcomes through disciplined execution, prioritization, and follow-through. Aligns actions with goals, monitors progress, and adapts as needed to deliver high-quality results.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued.  We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.

Compensation and Benefits

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Opportunities. Additional information regarding full-time staff benefits can be found here.

The salary range of the grade for this position is $48,431 to $67,803 annually.  Compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.  Offers are based on multiple factors permitted by law, including but not limited to: budgetary considerations, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, market considerations, tenure and standing with the university (applicable to current employees), and internal equity. 

Application Instructions

Please Include the following along with your application:

• Resume (Required)
• Cover Letter (Required)
• Current NLU employees please also submit an Internal Posting Form