Director Of Customer Development Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

Join our team supporting the University of Iowa (UI) College of Pharmacy and play a pivotal role in advancing our mission. The College of Pharmacy is a national leader in pharmacy education, practice advancement, and impactful research in the country. This position involves optimizing a dynamic portfolio of major gift prospects, guiding them through a well-established donor engagement process. Collaboration with fellow UI Center for Advancement (UICA) fundraisers and leveraging relationships with campus leaders will be key to developing philanthropic priorities and managing strategic annual and multi-year fundraising plans for the college. As a trusted philanthropic advisor, this role educates donors on impactful giving opportunities that make a difference at the University of Iowa and beyond.

Responsibilities include regular travel to engage with donors around Iowa and throughout the country (expected travel is 25-40%). Expertise in major gift fundraising, campus partner management, and collaborative fundraising will drive success and make a lasting impact.

*This position is eligible for hybrid work (telecommuting), which includes working on-site at least 3 days a week at our office in Iowa City.

* Please submit a cover letter with your application.

Responsibilities:

Identification

• Advise Prospect Management staff in the identification of prospects (based on capacity, giving history and affiliation) from pools that may include alumni, fans, patients or other supporters of the university

• Work with Prospect Management staff and supervisor to develop strategy for managing prospects

• Efficiently conduct proactive outreach calls and messages in order to secure face-to-face qualification meetings

• Provide strategic input into the design and implementation of engagement events and referrals programs designed to build long-term relationships and attract major gifts

• Conduct all activities, particularly those involving patient data, according to established laws, policies, procedures, and standards, with the full support of UICA, UI and UI Health Care, as relevant

Qualification

• Build qualification pool of potential major gift prospects, with the goal of building a continuous pipeline of donors capable of making gifts of $50,000+

• Skillfully adapt structured questions to validate prospects’ capacity and inclination, and understand strength of affinity

• Use gathered information and input from colleagues to determine whether prospects should be disqualified or moved into the portfolio

• Model the role of a trusted philanthropic advisor, using transparent communication and educating donors about the giving process

Cultivation

• Manage portfolio of active major gift prospects and develop their readiness to advance

• Build travel plans that include qualification meetings, strategic meetings with active prospects, stewardship meetings, and opportunities to learn from colleagues

• Develop and implement donor-centric cultivation strategies, collaborating with colleagues as necessary 

• Manage deliberate sequence of interactions with each prospect, intended to build engagement and move them through the steps of established donor engagement process

• Facilitate prospects’ decision-making process; help them understand next steps and articulate the link between their personal objectives and institutional priorities

• Maintain knowledge of funding priorities within and beyond assigned department, consulting with UICA colleagues and campus partners as needed

• Build and maintain knowledge needed to facilitate solicitation of planned gifts

Solicitation

• Meet expectations for solicitations, gifts closed, and average gift size (goals established annually with the supervisor in alignment with organization-wide metrics)

• Know where prospects fall in the donor engagement process and plan next steps accordingly

• Identify meaningful ways for donor to achieve desired impact while meeting funding needs

• Employ and model the use of communication and meeting preparation tools to achieve stated objectives for each step of the donor process

• Ensure documentation reflects donor intent and set expectations of recognition and stewardship

Stewardship

• Develop, implement and participate in appropriate stewardship activities (e.g., acknowledgement letters, publicity events) for donors as relevant, collaborating with stewardship liaison as needed

• Maintain integrity of constituent database through timely submission of stewardship plans and contact reports for all significant interaction

Constituent Management

• Partners with campus leaders and UICA leadership to develop strategic fundraising priorities and a comprehensive multi-year plan to increase private gift support
  Clearly articulates the vision and priorities of the unit in a compelling and broadly understandable way

• Manages fundraising program for assigned unit, including any special campaigns for program and capital support, in cooperation with campus partners/leaders
  

• Leverages trusted working relationships with campus partners/leaders (deans/directors) as well as external groups with ties to the unit; Communicates frequently regarding progress toward goals
  

• Prepares partners/leaders as necessary for donor meetings and guides their critical role in the giving conversation and donor engagement process
  

• Collaborate with Corporate and Foundations Relations and other colleagues, as relevant, to identify and cultivate gift prosects for assigned department
  

• Provides direction on annual giving strategy and the development of fundraising materials for assigned units including mailings, brochures, donor recognition, reports, etc.

Education & Experience: Bachelor's degree required and 5+ years of related fundraising experience required, preferably in a nonprofit, health care or higher education setting