Assistant/Associate Director of Gift Planning

The Assistant/Associate Director of Gift Planning is responsible for managing the operations of the gift planning program. Reporting to the Director of Gift Planning, The Assistant/Associate Director collaborates on the creative stewardship of planned gift donors and has primary responsibility for the oversight of multi-channel marketing and innovative messaging development. Assists with the coordination, processing, administration and reporting to donors of planned gift commitments; and working with Advancement Operations, oversees gift recordkeeping and program reporting. Liaises with Advancement Operations, Business Office, Treasurer’s Office and General Counsel on planned gift commitments and mature gifts, and with the charitable portfolio investment manager/custodian.

The position may be filled at either the Assistant or Associate Director level, depending on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

Washington and Lee University actively promotes a dynamic and welcoming environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in their areas of expertise.

Learn more about what makes Washington and Lee University a great place to work and live at jobs.wlu.edu.

Essential Functions:

• Support prospects, their advisors, and gift officers to complete and implement bequests, beneficiary designations, life income gifts, and non-cash asset gifts.

• Prepare and deliver tailored gift planning strategies, illustrations, and proposals, including detailed financial and legal analysis of gift options to donors, colleagues, and professional advisors

• Collaborate with the Director of Gift Planning and other fundraisers to integrate planned giving strategies into overall campaign and fundraising goals.

• Plan and execute enhanced stewardship activities for the Doremus Society, including individual donor meetings, periodic communications, virtual and in-person seminars, and recognition events.

• Coordinate periodic reports, income distributions, and correspondence with planned gift donors, including those with life income arrangements.

• Work with fiduciary custodians to administer life income gifts and ensure ongoing donor communication.

• Coordinate and execute multi-channel marketing strategies to engage planned giving prospects, donors, and professional advisors.

• Respond to marketing efforts with a focus on pipeline building and discovery of new planned giving prospects.

• Develop and maintain a planned giving toolkit with handouts, forms, and resources to support donor and advisor discussions.

• Maintain accurate archival records of planned gifts in Raiser’s Edge, SLATE, PaperSave, or other relationship management systems.

• Create and maintain reports for tracking prospects, strategies, and moves management; oversee donor contact reports, research, and analysis.

• Develop and maintain quarterly, biannual, annual, and campaign metric reports, providing analysis of program trends and long-range results.

• Collaborate with Advancement Operations and the Business Office to ensure accurate records of planned gift commitments, realizations, and gift acceptance.

• Coordinate the preparation and filing of required state charitable gift annuity filings and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

• Assist the Director of Gift Planning with managing the overall prospect pool and stewardship activities.

• Maintain and update solicitation plan templates, illustration documents, and communication resources.

• Perform research, provide analysis, and advise colleagues on issues related to planned giving.

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree

• Experience working in relevant industries such as development, communications, business development, planned giving or retirement/estate planning. Experience working in a higher education or a non-profit setting is preferred.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

• A customer service orientation and ability to deal effectively and discreetly with donors, colleagues and allied professionals. Must have excellent oral and written communications skills.

Application Instructions

Review of applications will begin on October 10 and continue until the position is filled.  Required materials include:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• Names and contact information for three professional references

Application instructions for internal and external candidates can be found at https://www.wlu.edu/employment-opportunities/jobs-at-w-l.

Minimum Pay: Pay Commensurate with Experience

Physical Requirements:

• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.

• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

Working Conditions: The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Types of Work: Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible

Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer seeking candidates committed to high standards of scholarship, performance, professionalism, and to a welcoming campus community. Job description requirements are representative, but not all‐inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.