Job Description

Executive Director of Advancement - Lead University Fundraising at Lincoln University, MO

Position Mission: To lead university fundraising in manner that achieves excellence across all departmental functions while developing novel strategies for annual giving and alumni relations. Optimize departmental processes, and systems while advancing utilization of Blackbaud ® Raiser's Edge . Grow department as needed with Administrative, Advancement, and donor facing gift officers.

Scope: The Executive Director of Advancement reports to the President of the university and leads a staff of 6 supporting engagement, annual giving, stewardship, communications support, and alumni and career services.

Alder Bowman has been retained to conduct a search for an Executive Director of Advancement on behalf of Lincoln University, This school was founded in 1866 and stands proudly as one of the nation’s most distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Departmental Functions:

• Data & Database Management: Overseeing the constituent relationship management (CRM) system Raiser's Edge, to ensure data integrity and security.
• Gift Processing: Managing the end-to-end process of receiving, recording, and acknowledging charitable contributions according to IRS and legal standards.
• Reporting & Analytics: Creating data-informed performance metrics, dashboards, and reports to guide strategic fundraising decisions.
• Policy & Compliance: Developing standard operating procedures for gift acceptance, donor privacy, and financial reconciliation.
• Prospect Research: Supervising workflows related to identifying and analyzing potential major donors.
• Strategic Planning: Aligning operational infrastructure with long-term goals.

Specific opportunities for improvement include Raiser’s Edge utilization, research, annual campaigns, performance benchmarking and monitoring, process review and mapping and aligning people and technology to optimize performance and efficacy.

Career Opportunity: This role has high impact and influence for Lincoln University, its alumni and donors. It is initially scoped as an Executive Director yet has a pathway to become vice president based on achieving designated performance benchmarks. Additionally, while reporting to and advising the University President, this role will have abundant opportunities to advise on numerous high profile strategic initiatives.

Required Knowledge, Experience and Competencies:

• Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge
• Annual Campaigns design and implementation
• Prospect research
• Budgeting
• Process design and implementation
• Regulatory Knowledge
• Team leadership
• Goal setting and attainment
• Performance monitoring
• High Emotional Intelligence and resilience
• Excellent communications
• Takes initiative, high achievement orientation
• Systems thinking across all facets of engagement and philanthropy activities
• Player Coach – Contributes personally as doer and director of others.
• CFRE designation highly preferred

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