Associate Director of Development - School of Social Work

Company: Rutgers
Location: New Brunswick
Posted on: January 23, 2023

Job Description:

The Rutgers School of Social Work (SSW) seeks a mission-driven, entrepreneurial, and compassionate advancement professional to serve as its Associate Director of Development (ADD). Joining a talented and committed team of professionals at SSW, the ADD will help build a pipeline of major gift donors and contribute to the success of the institution's upcoming comprehensive campaign.

Established in 1954, the SSW is home to social change leaders who are on the frontlines of creating a more just future. The SSW trains passionate, committed students to serve society, and you can find SSW's 17,000 living alumni in a variety of places, such as policy, academic, clinical, and corporate settings. The SSW has a total student body of over 2,000 students in BASW, MSW, DSW, and Ph.D. programs and generates more than $63 million in activity annually.

Reporting to Dean Cathryn C. Potter and Senior Director of Development Erin Capone, the ADD operates as a vital member of the advancement team. Focused on major gifts through individuals as well as corporate and foundation partnerships, the ADD will translate research and technical subject matters in a way that personally compels varied audiences. The ADD will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects and donors, with an eye toward building the major gift pipeline. The ADD will be able to leverage resources across the central foundation and collaborate with colleagues in Corporate and Foundation Relations, Gift Planning, and Annual Fund to maximize fundraising for SSW. Further, the ADD will guide the work of a development associate and help oversee federal work study students and interns.

This role offers a chance to be out front with a highly talented faculty, communicating ideas and envisioning projects and solutions that make the world a better place to live. Scholarships, professorships, and fellowships will be key funding priorities for SSW as will be opportunities to raise support for programmatic initiatives that will consider how to address issues such as the country's emerging mental health needs, women's health, and racial justice in America.

The ideal candidate is determined and hard-working, demonstrates accountability, self-awareness, and a team approach; has a passion for working within an academic environment; and eager to build authentic relationships. They must demonstrate a growth mindset; interest in diversity and inclusion; show an ability to think and act strategically, while exhibiting creativity and initiative. The ADD must also demonstrate cultural fluency, empathy, and high emotional intelligence along with the project management skills needed to handle complex organizational details and a variety of tasks.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and maintain a portfolio of donors and prospects at the major gift level (defined as gifts or pledges above $25,000) with responsibility for the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a diverse base of supporters including alumni, institutions, and friends.
  
• Actively solicit prospects and donors and meet mutually established goals related to solicitations, gift closures, prospects met, and qualifications. This includes utilizing various giving vehicles, such as in-kind and planned gifts.
  
• Strategically organize the Dean's time and resources as it relates to donor meetings, special events, and School/University leadership meetings.
  
• Develop positive, professional working relationships with the faculty and staff members within the SSW.
  
• Clearly articulate, in written and verbal form, the needs and priorities of the SSW to make a compelling case for support.
  
• Collaborate with SSW and Rutgers University Foundation (RUF) colleagues to effectively communicate and comply with operational policies and procedures; accurately analyze and maintain reports, data, and unit documents; and follow RUF policies and procedures as they relate to prospect management, solicitation, and follow-up procedures.
  
• Ensure timely reporting and tracking of contacts, solicitations, events planning, etc. through RUF tracking systems (i.e., CRM system, events calendar).
  
• Develop cutting-edge alumni cultivation strategies and networking activities in partnership with advancement colleagues, including prospect research, alumni records, and donor relations.
  
  IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS
  
  
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience that includes three to five years in an externally facing, customer-serving role or in an advancement position that may have incorporated annual giving or donor relations.
    
  • Ability to think strategically; understand the role of individuals in contemporary philanthropy; handle complex organizational detail; excellent verbal and written communication skills and experience articulating values, information, and compelling cases to multiple audiences, one-on-one, and through formal proposals and/or presentations.
    
  • Personal interest in and affinity for SSW's specialties. Ability to quickly gain substantive knowledge and comprehension of programs, projects, and activities to effectively present potential giving opportunities to prospective donors.
    
  • Creativity and insight in identifying effective collaborations between institutional goals and needs and prospective donors. Ability to learn new concepts quickly and adeptly, and to then communicate them effectively to donors.
    
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills; ability to deal with a variety of situations with discretion and confidentiality; prioritize job duties in a flexible manner.
    
  • Willing to actively support the ideals of a beloved community with respect and openness towards others whose social and cultural background are different from one's own.
    
  • Integrity, creativity, energy, and independence; a collegial, understanding leadership style that values team members and institutional partners and delegates appropriately.
    
  • When it is safe to do so, able and willing to travel to develop and maintain relationships with prospects and donors, including evenings and weekends as needed.
    
    SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
    
    Rutgers School of Social Work is one of the largest and most diverse schools of social work in the country, with faculty and staff who are committed to being THE place for social change leadership. The SSW's mission is to develop and disseminate knowledge through social work research, education, and training that promotes social and economic justice and strengthens individual, family, and community well-being in this diverse and increasingly global environment of New Jersey and beyond. In support of this, the SSW offers four degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW), Master of Social Work (MSW), Doctor of Social Work (DSW), and Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work (Ph.D.) along with a number of continuing education programs. Its strategic plan Toward a More Just Future envisions a future for our country and our world that is grounded in justice, with a focus on innovation, excellence, collaboration, and community. Ranked 16th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the SSW is in the top 10 programs at public research universities across the country and 2nd in the competitive New York market. More information on the School can be found at https://socialwork.rutgers.edu/.
    
    DEAN CATHRYN C. POTTER, MSW, Ph.D.
    
    Dr. Potter, who earned her PhD from the University of Denver and her MSW from the University of Washington, previously served as Associate Provost for Research at the University of Denver, overseeing research policy and strategic planning for research. She also holds a BA from the University of Georgia, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. A proven leader in social work education and research, Dr. Potter also served as executive director of the Butler Institute for Families and was a professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. Over two decades, Dr. Potter led the Butler Institute's growth from a small training project into a large, diverse technical assistance and research group with a strong national reputation in child welfare. Her areas of research focus on children and families at risk, especially those served in the child welfare, children's mental health and juvenile justice systems, and the organizational health of those systems. Dr. Potter joined RUSSW in 2013 as Dean. During the past nine years, the school has grown in numerous ways, has established exciting new programs, and has seen its MSW program ranking rise to16th in the United States.
    
    RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
    
    Since its founding in 1973, Rutgers University Foundation has advanced Rutgers' pursuit of excellence in education, research, and public service. The foundation inspires philanthropic support and enduring connections with alumni, parents, friends, corporations, foundations, and other supporters, raising money for university priorities and empowering Rutgers to better the world. The foundation is a tax-exempt 501 (c)(3) organization and also encompasses the Rutgers University Alumni Association, which builds community and fosters scarlet pride through the meaningful engagement of current and future alumni. For more information about Rutgers University Foundation, visit support.rutgers.edu.
    
    Equal Employment Opportunity
    
    It is Foundation policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we value diversity of background and opinion, and prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of any legally protected class in the areas of hiring, recruitment, promotion, transfer, demotion, training, compensation, pay, fringe benefits, layoff, termination or any other terms and conditions of employment.
    
    COVID-19
    
    Rutgers University Foundation requires that all visitors be vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit proof of vaccination prior to their arrival on campus. Visitors who cannot receive the vaccine because of a medical contraindication or a religious belief may request an accommodation to this requirement.

Keywords: Rutgers, New Brunswick , Associate Director of Development - School of Social Work, Executive , New Brunswick, New Jersey