Vice President for Alumni Relations and Development

Description

Vice President for Alumni Relations and Development

Offices for Alumni Relations and Development (OARD)

Vermont Law and Graduate School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We grow and learn better together with a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students. In recruiting for faculty and staff, we seek unique backgrounds to enrich and challenge our community. As part of our commitment to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, candidates who meet the qualifications for this position and who require accommodations to apply should contact Human Resources at jobs@vermontlaw.edu. Vermont Law and Graduate School strives to raise the bar for being an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, place of birth, marital status, disability, veteran's status, HIV status, pregnancy, genetic information, health insurance status, and crime victim status.   

Position Summary: 

The Vice President for Alumni Relations and Development provides strategic direction, vision, and management of all alumni relations and fundraising efforts at Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) and serves as the key advisor to the President on all matters related to institutional advancement. This includes managing a team of five in the Offices for Alumni Relations and Development (OARD) focused on increasing constituent involvement and fundraising outcomes. OARD is responsible for the annual fund, corporate and foundation relations and government grants, major gifts and planned giving for the endowment, a planned capital campaign, major donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and all alumni communications and engagement events.

Essential Functions and Principal Accountabilities:

Leadership

• Design and implement annual fundraising plans that incorporate best practices in annual giving, major giving, and planned giving and advance VLGS’s strategic goals.  
• In collaboration with the President, Law and Graduate School Deans, and the Board of Trustees, set and meet fundraising goals including benchmarks for individual and foundation donors and alumni giving rate.
• Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership team.
• Maintain close working relationships with internal and external constituents as well as members of the Board of Trustees and Vermont Law and Graduate School Alumni Association board.
• Oversee a robust donor and prospect research process and ensure prospect managers and solicitors effectively track donor qualification, cultivation, solicitation, gift acknowledgement, and stewardship.   
• Hire, train, inspire, and guide the OARD team toward realistic, accountable, goal-oriented outcomes. 
• Manage departmental budgets and implement annual performance reviews within the department. 
• Provide periodic timely reports that clearly communicate progress and continuing efforts to achieve annual fundraising goals, use donor analytics to gauge constituent engagement, and analyze fundraising success and challenges. 
• Engage trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of VLGS in a culture of philanthropy.

Fundraising

• As designated within overall fundraising plan, inform, and support the fundraising goals of the President, Law and Graduate School Deans, and the Board of Trustees. 
• Maintain a personal fundraising portfolio of top donors and secure major gifts, capital, and planned gifts, as well as annual gifts and endowment support. 
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Foundations on individuals who are considered major donor prospects but who may give through their private foundations.
• Oversee #CountMeIn milestone reunion participation campaign.
• Conduct robust high-touch stewardship programs to both attract new donors and retain existing donors.
• Review and approve quarterly planned giving newsletter, follow up on Stelter analytics to develop planned giving prospect pool.
• Develop a comprehensive implementation plan for the upcoming capital campaign, organize essential steps from articulation to completion, train and prepare campaign volunteers, faculty, and staff.
• Ensure the OARD’s maintenance of donor confidentiality and adherence to tax and other legal obligations.

Communications

• Craft key messages to prospective donors and current donors; including annual fundraising appeals, reunion appeals, and special appeals, gift recognition, and special announcements. 
• Design and implement a comprehensive marketing strategy to increase participation and support alumni relations, annual giving, major and planned giving, and stewardship.
• Supervise the maintenance of accurate alumni database record and alumni outreach.

Management

• Develop and maintains collaborative relationships and programs with VLGS departments, including the President’s Office, Admissions, Career Services, Student Affairs, the Environmental Law Center, and Development. 
• Manages OARD budget.  
• Supervise OARD team members.

Other

• All other duties as assigned by the President. 

Requirements

Required Education, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years of fundraising and/or communications experience, or the equivalent.
• Master’s or JD degree is preferred.
• Understanding of, appreciation for, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including the ability to work with students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, identities, and viewpoints.
• CRM database experience, Raiser’s Edge preferred.
• Must have strong English-language written and verbal skills, with the ability to present information clearly and effectively.
• Must have strong organizational skills and high attention to detail.
• Ability to represent VLGS and interact effectively with a wide variety of individuals and organizations within and outside VLGS.
• Ability to use discretion in handling confidential information.
• Collaborative team player.
• Proficiency in an MS-Windows based environment. 
• Must be able to adapt to new and emerging technology as established and communicated by the law school.

Other Requirements:

• The Vice President must be willing to travel across Vermont and the country in his or her work with donors and as a representative of Vermont Law and Graduate School.
• 85% computer-related work.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines and reorganize under pressure.
• Ability to work independently and within a team.
• Ability to manage the pressure of multiple deadlines.
• Physical ability to perform all essential functions of the job with or without basic accommodations. 
• Must be able to work legally within the United States without sponsorship.
• Willingness and ability to follow any current or future health and safety policies or protocols laid out by the school.  

Note: All job requirements are subject to possible revision to reflect changes in the position requirements or to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a threat or risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to which will be required in this position. Employees will be required to follow other job-related duties as requested by their supervisor/manager (within guidelines and compliance with Federal and State Laws). Continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis.

Salary : $54,000 - $68,400