Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.
We are currently seeking to hire an Assistant Director of Development. In this role, you will provide leadership of and direction for the Shepherd School of Music’s annual fund program, with emphasis on enhancing donor and volunteer participation, as well as on increasing total unrestricted dollars raised for the Shepherd School of Music. Through data-driven direct response campaigns, donor events, and management of a personal portfolio of donors and prospects, you will be an integral part of the development team and its goal to build a community of classical music enthusiasts and supporters. You will be responsible for annual fund strategy, communications, solicitation, and execution in coordination with the Donor Relations Officer whose focus is on high-level donor engagement and stewardship events. In addition, you will work collaboratively with the Shepherd School Marketing and Communications team to create targeted solicitation content for direct and e-marketing campaigns related to annual giving and serve as the primary liaison with the Rice (DAR) Annual Fund division. You will solicit leadership-level gifts from $2,500 to $99,000, with the goal of building a pipeline of major gifts. The selected candidate will track and report on annual fundraising metrics, as well as donor relationships to inform meetings for current and prospective donors to engage with the Dean, Sr. Assistant Dean, and Director of Development.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop and implement a comprehensive annual fund-giving strategy for the Shepherd School, in conjunction with the school’s mission and marketing strategy and Rice University’s strategic vision
- Lead annual fund initiatives at the Shepherd School of Music with a goal of growing support for the Shepherd Society and increasing annual contributed revenue
- Create and execute all aspects of Shepherd School’s annual fund communications and e-campaigns including pulling data and crafting language for giving appeals
- Partner with the marketing and communications team on the execution of all annual fund campaign plans, including graphic design, web and social media, printer, and mail house coordination
- Develop annual fund campaign themes, messaging, communications, solicitations, and visual assets in conjunction with the Director of Marketing and Communications and Development team
- Work with the Director of Development to establish benchmarks, track annual fund fundraising metrics, and regular reporting processes to measure the results of all annual fund activities
- Produce and manage biweekly contributed revenue reports and provide analysis of results to evaluate success and inform strategies to increase effectiveness
- Work with the Director of Development, research, develop, and implement strategies to build Shepherd School’s annual giving to help secure financial support from new and renewing individuals and create a pipeline of major gift prospects
- Manage a select portfolio of annual Shepherd Society donors in coordination with the Director of Development to ensure donor visits, cultivation, and stewardship goals are being met
- Provide secondary support for Shepherd Society ticketing in Tessitura and coordinates information sharing with DAR data services as appropriate
- Develop fundraising strategies and execute special campaigns for Shepherd School activations during Rice’s Family Weekend, Reunion, Giving Tuesday, and Rice 24-Hour Annual Challenge
- Maintain regular contact outside the Shepherd School with donors, alumni, and friends of the school, in person, with follow-up by phone, and in writing
- Attend major Shepherd School concerts and private donor events on evenings and weekends as assigned, working closely with the Donor Relations Officer to facilitate and staff stewardship events
- Establish an Ambassador program to attract a younger demographic of patrons with an affinity for classical music to support audience development and the donor pipeline
- Perform other duties as assigned
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor’s Degree
- Three (3) years of professional experience at an institution of higher education or performing arts non-profit
- Ability to develop and initiate new strategies
- Advanced problem-solving skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, Google Workspace
- Strong data analysis skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules.
- Strong client service orientation
- Adept at problem-solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to quickly understand and remember details about alumni/donors and projects to which they are assigned
- Five years of professional experience at an institution of higher education or performing arts non-profit is preferred
- Experience creating and managing large annual fund campaigns is preferred
- Experience with fundraising in a higher education environment and the performing arts is preferred
- Experience collaborating with data managers and mail houses is preferred
- Experience writing and editing is preferred
- Knowledge of development/donor database software, especially Tessitura and Blackbaud CRM is preferred
Special Note to Applicants: When applying for this role, you must submit a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application. We suggest the documents be in a PDF format to avoid formatting issues.
Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels. It considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.