Assistant Director of Development, College of Forestry

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Senior Director of Development in the College of Forestry, the Assistant Director of Development (ADOD) for Forestry is part of a front–line fundraising team supporting the expansion of scholarship, experiential learning, its faculty and programs as well as other college priorities. Established in 1906, the College of Forestry is an internationally recognized leader that is transforming education, research and policy for managing and sustaining working forest ecosystems in the 21st century. Fundraising efforts support a number of initiatives across the entire forest landscape; including, programs devoted to refining forest management practices, creating innovative wood products, providing clean air and water, improving wildlife habitats and developing new recreation opportunities. By partnering with faculty, leadership and volunteers, the Assistant Director of Development will expand these programs and the College of Forestry’s reach and funding pathways through strategic relationships with alumni and friends of the college.

The primary responsibilities of the Assistant Director of Development are to leverage technology and processes to:

1. secure annual gift($1K+) at scale, and to
2. grow the pool of potential major gift donors for the future.

The Assistant Director of Development will be expected to devote 80% of work time to fundraising activities and 20% of work time to administrative responsibilities.

The successful candidate will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the first day of employment. 

Work Location

The location for this position will be the OSU Foundation’s Corvallis, Oregon office.

The Foundation offers a program called Core Work Days, a hybrid approach combining remote and in-office work days. Unless traveling for work, Foundation employees are in office on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and work remotely, if preferred, on Monday and Friday.

Key Partners 

Key partners include members of the assigned work team, the fundraising partners within the assigned College and members of the Advancement Services Pipeline Development team.

Measures of Success

The Assistant Director of Development will:

• Meet with a minimum of 150 potential donors each fiscal year, ask each to make a gift of $1K or more and determine major gift capacity.
• Fully participate with the Assistant Director of Development Cohort, utilizing and leveraging the technology and processes to secure annual gifts of $1K or more.
• Secure 15 – 30 gifts (between $1,000 and $49,999) annually.
• Raise between $250,000 - $500,000 annually through a combination of annual gifts ($1,000 - $2,499) and mid-level annual gifts ($2,500 - $49,999).

Major Duties 

• Manage a comprehensive portfolio of  200 – 250  potential donors.
• Participate in cohort activities to connect with and qualify 150+ potential donors on an annual basis through innovative engagement platforms and processes.
• Raise $250,000 - $500,000 dollars per year, as measured by commitments of annual ($1,000 - $2,499), and mid-level ($2,500 - $49,999) gifts.
• Open 20 - 50 ($1,000+) proposals per year.
• Close 15 – 30 gifts ($1,000 - $49,999) per year.
• Conduct 120-160 visits and substantive contacts per year, focused on assigned portfolio and the engagement, cultivation and solicitation of potential donors.
• Work with the College to develop compelling gift opportunities/materials, such as giving circles, advisory groups, and other product-related giving opportunities to facilitate fundraising conversations with alumni and donors on behalf of the College.
• Collaborate with college/university external relations colleagues to broaden and deepen the engagement of alumni, parents and friends.
• Employing sales enablement technology, conduct electronic outreach (i.e. email, video, texting) to garner both video conference and in person visits to build a managed portfolio of donors and pipeline of potential donors.
• Conduct 3-5 visits per travel day.
• Perform related administrative duties, including contact reports, budget management, coordinating engagement activities, and setting up donor visits.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: 

• donor cultivation and engagement

Skills with: 

• Must possess strong oral and written communication skills; ability to articulate a strong and compelling case for support
• Strategic, hardworking, and able to work with a high degree of flexibility in a highly-collaborative, fast-paced, goal-oriented environment
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to create strong professional relationships

Ability to: 

• Utilize technology and technology processes to fulfill work requirements
• Work closely with assigned foundation and academic leadership to advance the philanthropic priorities of the college
• Handle interpersonal relationships maturely, thoughtfully and empathetically, including the ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Effectively represent the interests and fundraising priorities of various colleges/units, while also maintaining a high degree of enterprise perspective by acting in the best interests of the foundation and the university at all times
• Apply creative and entrepreneurial thinking, while applying sound judgment and conducting oneself with integrity
• Approach work assuming the best of intentions from Foundation and campus colleagues

Qualifications and Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline and two or more years of development work experience, ideally in higher education.  Education and experience equivalencies will be considered.  Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate successful middle-to-major gift fundraising experience and have knowledge of the nature and use of forests and related resources. Candidates must possess a valid driver’s license, and must be able to travel by varying modes of transportation.

Core Values  

The Foundation strives to be one of the best places to work in the country. We know that our success depends in large part on the people who carry out our mission. It’s what we do –and how we do it -- that makes the difference. Our core values reflect our approach to work and to each other, and we are committed to conduct consistent with these values.

collaborative · responsible · respectful · inclusive · innovative