Fast Facts

WGU is seeking a Northeast Advancement Director to manage major gift fundraising efforts from a remote home office, primarily serving alumni and other constituents within commuting distance of Washington, D.C.

Responsibilities: The Director will identify and manage donor prospects, conduct personal visits, build relationships, develop proposals, and ensure effective donor stewardship.

Skills: Candidate must possess strong communication skills, persuasive presentation abilities, and knowledge of fundraising processes and IRS rules concerning gifts.

Qualifications: A Bachelor's degree and a minimum of five years of experience in major gift fundraising are required, with a history of securing six-figure donations.

Location: Home Office, United States of America

Compensation: $106700 - $165400 / Annually

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Grade: Professional 312Pay Range: $106,700.00 - $165,400.00

Job Description

***This Northeast Advancement Director will reside in, and work from a remote home office within a commutable distance from Washington DC***

Job Description Summary

The Regional Director is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding gifts of $25,000 and above from alumni and other constituents to support WGU and its students. The qualified candidate will manage a portfolio of approximately 100-150 donor prospects and will conduct a minimum of 12-15 personal visits a month, entailing local and regional travel. This position must work independently and collaboratively with the advancement team and other stakeholders such as senior administration, dean’s, chancellors and others. The MGO candidate will be an individual who has demonstrated and progressive development experience in major gifts. The selected candidate will develop long-term relationships with various constituencies and help develop a pipeline of prospective donors. The purpose of this position is to secure funds for WGU by managing a group of identified, qualified donors assuring as many as possible are retained as continuing donors to WGU and are upgraded in their giving and involvement. The Major Gift Officer will assist donors by helping them fulfill their passions and interests through giving to WGU to further support the students we serve.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities: 

• The Advancement Director is responsible for identification and progression of major gift prospects through the gift cycle: (identification, research, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship) as well as documenting all prospects interactions, outcomes, strategies and rationales in WGU’s donor tracking system. 
• Engages prospective donors and builds strong relationships. Develops proposals based on WGU’s fundraising priorities and donor investment interests; ensures all proposals are internally approved before presenting to prospects.  
• Works collaboratively with the WGU Advancement team, the Chief Academic Officer, and other internal constituents to develop both broad reach and targeted engagement opportunities. 
• Assists in the development of annual fundraising goals using past giving history and anticipated new funding opportunities.  
• Creates personal stewardship plans for each donor in the director’s portfolio.  
• Works collaboratively across the university so that all proposals/reports are well prepared and properly vetted so that WGU is represented in a professional and thoughtful way.  
• Regularly updates the SVP of Advancement and the Advancement team on donor activity.  
• Manages people, processes, deadlines, and budget while adhering to the policies and procedures of WGU Advancement. 
• Maintains a positive and constructive attitude while solving problems.  
• Provides coaching and support for leaders in all aspects of fundraising. 

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities 

• General knowledge of Advancement programs and processes  

• General knowledge of IRS rules regarding philanthropic gifts  

• Understanding of, and adherence to, the Donor Bill of Rights 

• Ability to demonstrate mastery in written, oral and interpersonal communication skills  

• Ability to deliver persuasive and compelling presentations to secure major gifts and donations 

• Entrepreneurial spirit and independent problem solver 

Qualifications 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in related area  

• Five (5) years of experience in cultivation and solicitation of major gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations. 

• Experience in cultivating, closing, and stewarding six-figure gifts 

***This Northeast Advancement Director will reside in, and work from a remote home office within a commutable distance from Washington DC***

***Regular/frequent travel is a requirement of this role***

Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.