Director of Parent and Family PhilanthropyThe George Mason University Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations invites qualified candidates to apply for a new full-time position, Director of Parent and Family Philanthropy. The University Advancement division is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 135 full-time employees. Functional units within Advancement include development/fundraising, alumni relations, stewardship and donor relations, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services.Advancement's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents, while matching their philanthropic interests with the university's aspirations and priorities. The division is committed to serving the needs of the university, our alumni, and the greater community by providing access to quality education and lifelong learning. Respect, service, integrity, collaboration, diversity, transparency, and creativity are the values that guide our work and culture.George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment.This position also offers:Potential for flexible telework and hybrid telework scheduling;Competitive salary; andOutstanding benefits including:Health & life insurance, multiple industry-leading retirement plans available including state VRS Hybrid Retirement Plan, accrued paid days off per year, paid holidays, paid winter break, paid sick leave, professional development, tuition reimbursement at GMU, and employee assistance programs.About the Position:Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Development, Central & Units, the Director of Parent & Family Philanthropy leads the fundraising, engagement, and stewardship program that drives university-wide attainment from parents and families of current and graduated Mason students. This position implements the strategy for the overall program, while leading through example as a front-line major gift officer.This position collaborates closely with frontline fundraisers to oversee parent and family philanthropic engagement. This position is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of 75-90 prospects for the university. This position requires one-on-one engagement with the portfolio. This entails collaborating closely with fellow school/unit fundraisers, deans, faculty and administrative staff of the university to accomplish fundraising goals, in addition to working closely with prospect research and development/alumni relations colleagues in identifying, cultivating, and tracking major / principal gift prospects. This position plays a critical role in developing meaningful connections with parents, families, and friends of the university while developing strategies to progress them through the pipeline to result in stronger engagement and philanthropic support (outright and planned gifts).In addition, this position works closely with the Director of Development for University Life and the Parent and Family Council. In particular, utilizing the Council to help grow the Parent and Family Philanthropy Fund. This position creates, manages and implements a comprehensive stewardship/engagement program for members of the Parent and Family Council, in concert with senior leadership of University Life, to make them feel like valued members of the University community. This position's additional responsibilities include the preparation of briefings for university leadership, collaborating on the development strategy and management within several units in the portfolio, and participating in working group activities within the development that advance university fundraising. This role is essential for achieving ambitious goals for philanthropic support for faculty support, student support, academic programs, and capital priorities, and will handle sensitive and confidential information.Responsibilities:Working with the Office of Annual Giving, this position leads the university's efforts to increase annual individual giving from parents and families;Manages an assigned portfolio of current and past parents rated at the leadership, major, and principal gift level. Identifies, qualifies, cultivates, solicits, closes, and stewards prospects for leadership, major, and principal-level gifts;Meets or exceeds fundraising metrics as set by Central Advancement;Assists with the Office of Annual Giving to meet yearly financial and participation goals for parent annual giving;Directs all aspects of parent and family giving program, including formulating and implementing strategies for short- and long-term fundraising outcomes, devising performance metrics, and closely coordinating parent engagement with the Office of University Life, Office of Annual Giving, University Advancement leadership, senior university leadership, as well as frontline fundraising staff;Ensures compliance with prospect management guidelines for data entry and metric tracking;Works collaboratively with and in support of volunteers, unit development staff, alumni relations staff, and other University representatives to engage prospects $25,000+ level;Collaborates with marketing/communication teams to develop relevant materials and external content for social media and website;Utilizes emerging digital media opportunities in the overall solicitation plan;Ensures that the University's brand and overall marketing and communications strategy is used consistently in parent and family giving materials;Cultivates partnerships with other departments across campus; andManages a stewardship program for annual Parents and Family donors.Required Qualifications:Master's degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and related experience;Demonstrated experience soliciting and closing six-figure philanthropic gifts;A background in all forms of major gift fundraising, including knowledge of direct marketing strategy, creative development, production, and program metrics which consist of creating dashboards and reporting;Demonstrated effective interpersonal and leadership skills, along with the ability to work with diverse internal and external constituencies;Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of new and emerging fundraising techniques and technologies;Demonstrated written, communication, organizational, and analytical skills;Skill with complex data and donor management software platforms; demonstrated extensive analytical skills, vision, flexibility, and the drive to exceed yearly goals;Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative, team environment with a high degree of collegiality; honesty and transparency; ability to work collaboratively with multiple teams and volunteers;Ability to organize and interpret data sets relating to goal setting, projections, and results;Ability to think critically, strategically and creatively about the development and growth of the Parent & Family Philanthropy program;Demonstrated presentation skills;Ability to exercise good judgment, demonstrate an understanding of the ethical principles associated with working in development, and to use discretion in interactions with members of the George Mason University community;Ability to travel, occasional work on evenings and/or weekends may be required; andPerforms other related duties as assigned.Preferred Qualifications:Experience in Higher Education;Experience managing high-level donor events; and5-7 years of experience in managing parent and family giving programs integrating the full strategic complement of solicitation channels.

For full consideration, applicants must apply at https://jobs.gmu.edu/; complete and submit the online application; and upload a cover letter, resume, and a list of three professional references with contact information.

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