Development Associate, Major & Planned Giving

Overview

Who We Are:

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service. We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What We Offer:

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Benefits.

What You Will Do:

Reporting to the Director of Major and Planned Giving, the Development Associate, Major and Planned Giving assists with the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of the University's individual major gift (defined as a donation of $10,000 and above) and planned gift donors and prospects.

Essential Responsibilities

• Assists the Director of Major and Planned Giving with building, executing and tracking relationship strategies and plans for major gift and planned gift donors and prospects; develops and manages a personal portfolio of major gift and planned gift donors and prospects; ensures that cultivation and stewardship of major and planned gift donors is occurring and that there is adequate coverage across assigned households; and supports and implements planned giving strategies.

• Generates pledge payment reminders and gift acknowledgement letters; generates content for major gift and planned gift communications pieces in the department's direct mail pieces, newsletters, magazine and website (print and electronic), including donor profiles and highlights of the various types of planned giving vehicles.

• Maintains major gift and planned gift records, documents and files. Ensures data integrity and appropriate data entry into Salesforce and the Institutional Advancement department's shared-drive files related to major gift and planned gift donors and prospects. In partnership with Advancement Operations, provides data analyses and produces reports on major gifts and planned gifts, and helps develop and implement strategies accordingly.

• Partner with the Institutional Advancement Coordinator on event and meeting management for major and planned giving (e.g., donor cultivation and recognition events), including, but not limited to: vendor and venue management, invitations, registration and RSVP tracking, and communications.

• Supports portfolio management for the Director of Major and Planned Giving, and conducts detailed research profiles of suspects, prospects and past and present donors, trustee candidates, and other individuals as requested.

• Provides assistance with Institutional Advancement team projects, as needed, including other relevant duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, nonprofit management, or other related field.

• 1-3 years of experience in alumni relations, annual fund giving, direct mail appeals, communications, customer service, or other related field.

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to work independently and confidently with colleagues and senior leadership at NLU.

• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to relate to Advancement colleagues, donors, volunteers, faculty, and staff.

• High level of professionalism, integrity, and good judgment, and the ability to work in a team environment.

• Prior knowledge and familiarity with fundraising databases and email marketing, preferably within a Salesforce environment.

• Results-Orientated: Achieves results within established timelines. Understands and demonstrates that intentions, activities and results are not the same. Expects that obstacles will occur and refuses to use them as an excuse for not achieving results.

• Analytical Thinking: Breaks down problems and issues into sub-components and then assesses the costs, benefits and risks of various options prior to selecting a particular approach.

• Flexibility: Adjusts quickly and effectively to changing conditions and demands. Discusses change as a necessary and inevitable aspect of organizational life as well as an opportunity to learn new things. Has a similar view and approach to potentially stressful situations. Invests personal energy toward accepting and adapting to change that others use toward resisting or resenting it.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.

Special Instructions

Please Include the following along with your application: - Resume (Required) - Cover Letter (Required) NLU Employees please also submit an Internal Posting Form