Director of Alumni Relations

The Director of Alumni Relations is responsible for providing strategic leadership for alumni relations, development, and the annual fund that supports 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 alumni relations, fundraising 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 coordinate alumni events and webinars to increase alumni engagement. 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 will supervise the Annual Fund and mail appeals. 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 alumni relations engagement, events and fundraising, including direct solicitation, annual appeals and retention of alumni and donor correspondence.

• Primary Responsibilities:
  • Build and sustain positive and mutually rewarding relations between the Law Center and its alumni and donor prospects. Success will be measured by alumni engagement, event participation, the number of new alumni donors secured, 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.
  • Increase alumni support and alumni participation and effectively involve increasing numbers of alumni in the life of the school.
  • Identify, cultivate, and solicit gifts $5,000+ and steward a portfolio of donors and alumni.
  • Grow Alumni Leadership Giving.
  • Identify, develop, execute, and evaluate event strategies for a variety of goals and constituencies.
  • 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.
  • Possess a deep understanding of alumni engagement and retention programs.
  • Exhibit the ability and desire to schedule one-on-one appointments with alumni prospects who have never been engaged with the Law Center.
• 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.

Education/ Experience

• Bachelor's Degree 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.

Knowledge/ Skills/ Abilities

• 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.
• 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).Computer Skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook, & Raisers Edge

Travel

• Travel as needed for events and conferences, including evenings and weekends.

Physical Demands 

• Extensive Use of Computers
• Extensive time sitting at a desk and standing for events.
• Able to lift up to 5-10 lbs.