JOB TITLE: Associate Director of Leadership Giving
REPORTS TO: Assistant Vice President for Development, University of Vermont Foundation (UVMF), Academic Health Sciences (AHS)
EXPECTED SALARY RANGE: $65,000-80,000; plus the UVM Foundation’s progressive benefits package which includes: a comprehensive health plan; dental, vision, and life insurance, a robust paid time off package; a 403(b) plan with immediate vesting and contributions; and tuition remission.
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 1, 2026, or a negotiated date agreed upon by both parties.
FTE: Full-Time
LOCATION: Burlington, Vermont
JOB-TYPE/HOURS: On-site. This position will require work outside of standard business days and hours, and will require frequent, regular travel.
JOB SUMMARY
The Associate Director for Leadership Giving is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting leadership donors (defined as gifts starting at $10,000 and above) to increase their philanthropic giving to UVM, primarily for the Larner College of Medicine (LCOM) and the UVM Cancer Center with a focus on increasing private support for cancer and other biomedical research priorities at LCOM and the UVM Cancer Center. This individual will develop relationships with, and solicit gifts from, a pool of current prospects to move donors along the donor engagement continuum. They will also conduct discovery visits to qualify prospects for future major gift potential and grow the major gift donor pipeline. Expanding the prospect/donor pool for LCOM and the UVM Cancer Center is critical to this role.
The Associate Director of Leadership Giving collaborates closely with academic leadership and the Executive Director of Philanthropy for the UVM Cancer Center, and must be committed to forging great working relationships and partnerships with other key internal stakeholders across UVM, the UVM Foundation, and UVM’s Academic Health Sciences enterprise, which includes the Larner College of Medicine, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and UVM Medical Center.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The Associate Director of Leadership Giving is fully dedicated to fundamental gift officer work, with a strong emphasis on fundraising productivity and enterprising activities to identify, cultivate and solicit donor prospects, deepen their relationship with the health sciences at UVM; and move them toward increased and sustained philanthropy.
45% Identify, Cultivate, and solicit leadership-giving donors ($10,000+). This includes personal solicitations and executing fundraising strategies for broad and targeted solicitations, with a focus on retention and growth of leadership annual giving donors
40% Support the expansion of the major and principal gift pipeline by regularly conducting discovery visits, relying on various strategies to uncover previously unengaged donors. Conduct a high level of outreach on an ongoing basis to these prospects to secure digital, phone, and in-person meetings for prospect engagement and donor solicitation
10% Collaborate with Alumni Relations, Annual Giving and key Foundation units on strategy and implementation of fundraising and engagement projects to maximize support from key donors. This includes texting, direct mail, digital fundraising, crowdfunding, and stewardship activities.
5% Other duties as assigned
Specific standards of performance will be captured as metrics in an annual business plan.
Overnight travel, evenings, and weekend work will be required.
DESIRED SKILLS & ABILITIES
- Knowledge of fundraising principles and practices, preferably within higher education, with strong skills in both one-to-one cultivation and solicitation and fundraising marketing.
- Exceptional people skills with the ability to be insightful, responsive, creative and engaging with colleagues and donors.
- Ability to work independently and be self-motivated in initiating contacts with donors and potential donors; strong ability to maintain relationships in person and long distance.
- Demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, combined with the ability to meaningfully apply those principles to strategy development and implementation.
- Team-oriented style and a deep desire to collaborate with others.
- Excellent analytical, organizational, interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including a high level of attention to detail and active listening skills.
- Ability to travel on a frequent basis and to work evenings and weekends when needed.
- Experience with comprehensive fundraising campaigns.
MINIMUM EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years of previous experience with professional fundraising, or similar personal solicitation and marketing, preferably within an academic or non-profit environment. Or comparable experience from which similar knowledge and skills were developed.
