Director of Development and Alumni Relations

The Director of Development and Alumni Relations is responsible for providing strategic leadership for development, alumni relations, and special events that support the mission of Touro Law Center. The successful candidate will be a proven, goal-oriented, entrepreneurial, and resourceful development professional. The position is responsible for implementing and coordinating a comprehensive advancement program that integrates fundraising, alumni relations and stewardship to promote deeper engagement with the Law Center. This includes building and growing the level of private donor support from alumni and other individuals, law firms, corporations, etc. This also includes developing and managing a significant portfolio of annual and major gifts prospects that incorporates research, identification and cultivation of new prospects. The Director will help guide a special events strategy that represents a thorough understanding of the integral role special events play in donor development and institutional advancement. The position requires that the candidate demonstrate solid relationship skills, communication skills, a passion for the Law Center's mission, and demonstrate success in building organizational capacity and increasing revenue.

• In all duties and responsibilities, the successful candidate will have the proactive drive and infectious enthusiasm that will motivate individuals to support the Law Center and will motivate advancement staff, alumni leadership and other constituencies to achieve their goals. The successful candidate will report to the Assistant Dean of Institutional Advancement, will participate in prospect identification, prospect cultivation, and stewardship; will oversee alumni relations and special events, and will supervise the Coordinator of Special Events and Annual Fund. The successful candidate will carry his/her own portfolio of prospects and is expected to raise a significant portion of the annual fundraising goal. The candidate will demonstrate that he/she has a strong work ethic, a high-level of integrity, and a focused commitment to achieve the goals of the department. The candidate will have a record of accomplishment as an exceptional communicator, in writing as well as verbally. The candidate should have experience in face-to-face solicitation and drafting solicitation letters and donor correspondence, as well as a proven record of exceeding fundraising goals.
  • Primary Responsibilities:
    • Build and sustain positive and mutually rewarding relations between the Law Center and its donors and donor prospects. Success will be measured by donor engagement, event participation, the number of new donors brought in, and dollars raised.
    • Oversee the implementation and execution of a comprehensive alumni engagement program that includes annual giving, direct mail, anniversary gifts, reunion program, law firm solicitation, and on-line giving, as well as increase the overall alumni participation rate for annual giving.
    • Identify, cultivate, and solicit gifts $5,000+ and steward a portfolio of donors and alumni.
    • Make at least 20 face-to-face visits (in-person or via zoom) per quarter.
    • Track data to help reach development and fundraising goals.
    • Possess a deep knowledge of best practice fundraising principles.
    • Exhibit the ability and desire to schedule one-on-one appointments with donor prospects who have never been engaged with the Law Center.
    • Grow Alumni Leadership Giving.
    • Identify, develop, execute, and evaluate event strategies for a variety of goals and constituencies.
    • Increase alumni support and alumni participation and effectively involve increasing numbers of alumni in the life of the school.\
    • Additional Responsibilities:
    • Facilitate alumni communication and promote the reputation of the Law Center by working with the Director of Communications to produce quality communications including a monthly e-newsletters, print publications and social media pieces.
    • Utilize database to track and analyze alumni participation as it relates to events, social media fundraising and marketing.
    • Support and provide service to the Alumni in their efforts to support the Law Center. This includes working closely with the Office of Career and Professional Development to help connect alumni with employment opportunities.
    • Supervise alumni events.
    • Serve as relationship liaison with Alumni Association.
    • Coordinate, oversee and maintain alumni volunteer programs, including the Alumni Association, alumni speakers and volunteers with student organizations for programs, events and competitions.
    • Respond to alumni queries and requests (constituent relations).
    • Schedule, plan, coordinate and oversee alumni events both regionally and nationally.

Degrees

• Education/ Experience

  • Bachelor's Degree
  • Minimum of 3 years' experience in fundraising is required.
  • Minimum of 3 years’ experience in gift solicitation. This includes gifts cultivated (4, 5, and 6 figure gifts) solicited closed and stewarded. Solid frontline fundraising experience is a must.
  • Experience in writing quality cases for support for program development.
  • Minimum of 3 years’ experience in planning and executing multi-faceted advancement plans.
  • Experience in working strategically with others in engaging donors and raising gifts.
  • Comfort level working with a diverse group of internal and external constituents.
  • Experience with prospect research.

• Knowledge/ Skills/ Abilities
  • Able to think strategically meet deadlines and make timely decisions.
  • Able to work independently while taking direction on numerous projects with ease.
  • Ability to work collaboratively as a member of the Institutional Advancement team.
  • High energy creative organized self-motivated detail-oriented and willing to be hands on.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills including skill in making the case for philanthropic support.
  • Proven management and strategic planning skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to devise strategies for events based engagement of alumni segments.
  • Working knowledge of donor databases preferably Raisers’ Edge, Wealth Engine, Graduway, and Microsoft Office.
  • Ability to organize and complete multiple tasks with overlapping deadlines.
  • Ability to oversee all aspects of event-based engagement execution (includes project management, event design, segmentation, vendor management, and day of event management).
• Physical Demands
  • Sitting at computer for long periods of time.
  • Standing for long periods of time at networking events.
  • Able to move 5-10 lb. boxes of materials for events.
• Travel
  • Traveling required to attend events, conferences, and meetings outside of the office