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University Overview
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.
Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.
The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Associate Director of Annual Giving & Membership; Morris Arboretum & Gardens
Job Profile Title
Associate Director B, Development, Fundraising
Job Description Summary
The Associate Director of Annual Giving & Membership is a senior member of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens Development team responsible for leading the Arboretum's unrestricted giving strategy through the Annual Fund, Collectors Circle, and Membership programs, which collectively generate approximately $2 million annually. This position provides the strategic vision, leadership, and execution necessary to strengthen donor acquisition, retention, stewardship, and revenue growth across all annual giving programs.
Reporting to the Director of Development, the Associate Director develops and implements a comprehensive, data-driven strategy that integrates membership, annual giving, and leadership annual giving into a cohesive fundraising program. The position serves as the primary fundraiser for unrestricted annual giving, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors while creating pathways for members and annual fund supporters to increase their philanthropic engagement.
The Associate Director supervises the Manager of Annual Giving & Development Data Systems and provides strategic oversight of development operations supporting annual giving, membership, gift processing, donor communications, and fundraising analytics. Working collaboratively with Development, Marketing, and Visitor Experience leadership, this position ensures a consistent donor experience and strengthens the Arboretum's culture of philanthropy through coordinated communications, events, and stewardship initiatives.
Job Description
Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Annual Giving

• Develop and implement the strategic vision for the Arboretum's unrestricted giving programs, including the Annual Fund, Collectors Circle, and Membership.
• Establish annual fundraising goals, performance metrics, and multi-year growth strategies using data-driven analysis and fundraising best practices.
• Develop messaging and solicitation strategies that strengthen donor acquisition, retention, upgrades, and overall philanthropic participation.
• Monitor fundraising performance and provide regular progress reports and recommendations to Development leadership.

Leadership Annual Giving & Donor Engagement

• Direct the Collectors Circle, the Arboretum's leadership annual giving society ($2,500+), serving as the primary relationship manager for many leadership annual fund donors.
• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership annual giving prospects and donors.
• Partner closely with Major Gift Officers to identify, qualify, and transition donors along the giving pipeline while supporting renewal efforts for assigned prospects.
• Develop strategies to increase leadership annual giving participation and grow unrestricted philanthropic support.

Membership Program Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight of the Arboretum's membership program, including acquisition, renewals, upgrades, retention, and lapsed member recovery.
• Develop annual membership communication and solicitation calendars.
• Collaborate with the Director of Visitor Experience to strengthen member engagement, recruitment, and retention initiatives.
• Evaluate and implement new membership and annual giving strategies based on constituent data and industry best practices.

Staff Leadership & Development Operations

• Supervise the Manager of Annual Giving & Development Data Systems.
• Provide strategic oversight of development data systems, ensuring data integrity, gift processing accuracy, reporting, and donor stewardship.
• Ensure development systems effectively support fundraising strategy, donor management, and University reporting requirements.
• Establish priorities and ensure timely completion of gift acknowledgements, reporting, and constituent communications.

Events & Marketing

• Partner with Development and Marketing colleagues to develop integrated fundraising campaigns across print, digital, social media, and web platforms.
• Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Donor Engagement and Major Gifts staff to plan and execute membership, Collectors Circle, and annual giving events.
• Ensure annual giving messaging aligns with the Arboretum's overall marketing strategy and institutional brand.

External Relations

• Represent Morris Arboretum & Gardens within Penn's Central Annual Giving community and other University development initiatives.
• Maintain knowledge of emerging trends and best practices in annual giving, membership, and donor engagement to continuously strengthen fundraising performance.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 2-3 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience, preferably in annual giving, membership, or leadership annual giving, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing leadership annual gifts or unrestricted philanthropic support.
• Experience developing and executing strategic annual giving and membership programs.
• Strong understanding of fundraising principles, donor stewardship, and membership development.
• Demonstrated supervisory and project management experience.
• Experience using CRM and fundraising database systems (Raiser's Edge, Blackbaud products, Salesforce, or similar).
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret fundraising data and translate insights into strategy.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience planning donor cultivation and stewardship events.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and build relationships with donors, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Commitment to the mission of Morris Arboretum & Gardens and an appreciation for the role unrestricted philanthropy plays in advancing that mission.

About Morris Arboretum & Gardens
Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania inspires an understanding of the relationship between plants and people through education, research, and horticultural displays. Located in the Northwest section of Philadelphia, Morris Arboretum is home to a collection of more than 13,000 woody plants and serves as a destination for plant enthusiasts, a center for education and research, and a hub for botany, horticulture, and urban forestry.
For more information about Morris Arboretum & Gardens, visit: https://www.morrisarboretum.org
About the Division of Business Services
The Business Services Division (BSD) supports the individual and collective needs of the Penn community by promoting a hospitable, customer-friendly campus environment and providing mission-critical services and essential operations. BSD is dedicated to delivering high-quality service in a fiscally responsible manner.
Currently, the Division focuses on three major initiatives:

• Revenue growth and retention through improved marketing efforts, extended services, and the development of new distribution channels.
• Driving productivity for the Division and its customers through the better use of technology.
• Enhancing service offerings through upgrades and expansions of facilities.

For more information about the Division of Business Services, visit: https://www.business-services.upenn.edu
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department / School
Morris Arboretum
Pay Range
$65,628.00 - $80,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.
Equal Opportunity Statement
The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.
University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay