University of Michigan

Director of Development, School of Information

School of Information (UMSI)

Working Title

: 

Director of Development, School of Information

Posting Number

: 

71923

Job Category

: 

Fundraising - Director of Development

Reports To

: 

Dean, School of Information

Experience Range

: 

7 to 10 Years

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

To apply for this position, please submit your cover letter and resume as one document on the University of Michigan Careers at the U site.

If you are unable to apply via the U-M Jobs site, please submit your cover letter and resume to dev.careers@umich.edu. In the subject line, please type in the Job ID# for which you are applying.

For questions about the U-M application process, please refer to the FAQ page

Position Description

The School of Information (UMSI) was the first in the growing iSchool movement (now 36 schools worldwide), with top-ranked graduate programs, a new first-of-its-kind undergraduate program, a new health informatics graduate program (joint with the School of Public Health), and world-class research. The school's mission is to "create knowledge so people can use information and technology to build a better world, and to educate socially-engaged information professionals." The school has a multidisciplinary approach, balanced equally on social/behavioral and computer sciences. Areas of expertise include social computing, application and interface design, health informatics, digital archiving, web science, and information economics. We have 31 full-time faculty and an additional 15 part-time or affiliated faculty, about 450 students (with planned undergraduate growth of up to 200 more in the next few years), and about 8,000 living alumni. The school moved into the newest academic building on campus, North Quad, a living-learning and technology-assisted showcase, in 2010.

As the chief development officer for the school, reporting directly to the Dean, the successful candidate will be responsible for a comprehensive gift fundraising plan, including participation of individuals, corporations, and foundations. He/She will work with the Dean to specify development goals, will conceive, develop and implement strategy, and will identify and cultivate prospects. The schools primary near-term focus is on major gifts from foundations and corporations, but attention to long-term strength of individual giving program is also important.

The school has a very successful, highly motivated staff supporting its academic mission. The culture is strongly collaborative, with high expectations for individual excellence and leadership at all levels.

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities

*Lead and enhance a growing development program that includes foundations, corporations, and individuals (alumni and friends of the School).

*Identify, qualify, and manage a portfolio of special and major gift prospects, focused first on foundations and corporations, and second on individual prospects.

*Gather data, assess prospects, and develop strategies designed to realize current and future giving potential. In coordination with the marketing and communications team, prepare proposals. Ensure consistent and appropriate contact, facilitate or make solicitations, and ensure effective stewardship. Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward key high-end prospects. Develop innovative approaches to expanding the school's donor base.

*Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of the schools mission and activities, and continually match the interests of prospects with school activities and needs.

*Plan and direct solicitation of prospects by the Dean. Provide executive staff support to the Dean related to fundraising activities, including strategic planning for the Deans fundraising travel, providing briefing materials, and in coordination with the marketing and communications team, draft correspondence and speeches.

*Responsible for fundraising and stewardship activities including donor and scholarship events, alumni communication, participation, and giving, and corporate and foundation relations.

*Responsible for coordinating alumni engagement activities for the purposes of long-term individual donor cultivation.

*Supervise the Assistant Director of Development and the Senior Development Assistant, providing leadership, setting and evaluating individual goals, developing and sustaining appropriate training, mentoring, and assigning and monitoring coverage of primary areas of focus. 

*Work collaboratively with other SI staff, including the director of marketing and communications on the development of promotional materials and regular communications with alumni, the associate director of career services on alumni interactions, the director of admissions and student affairs on the identification of student recruiting and development opportunities, and the associate dean for research and innovation on the coordination of corporate gifts.

*Assess and evaluate efforts and outcomes of development activities, report on them to the dean and to the school's constituencies, and make appropriate revisions to the strategic plan.

*Prepare budget proposals and reports and demonstrate fiscal responsibility for the schools office of development and alumni relations.

*Gather, record, and properly store information about prospects and donors utilizing the University's donor and alumni tracking database.

*Represent the school and the University at designated functions and events related to fundraising.

Required Qualifications

*Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college. 
*Significant experience and demonstrated success in gift fundraising in an organization with a comprehensive development program. Development experience at a university is very strongly preferred.
*Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic development plans, and to organize, initiate and motivate.
*Proven success in proposing to and closing gifts from corporations and foundations.
*Proven success in closing gifts at the six-figure level.
*Ability to analyze prospects for interest match with UMSI priorities, and to assess and determine solicitation approach with respect to size of ask, areas of interest and timing.
*Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and oral. Ability to work in a highly collaborative manner, both with other UMSI staff and with development officers from other units, combined with a willingness and ability to make decisions on a timely basis.
*Strong understanding of and enthusiasm for the information and information technology fields and industries. Substantial knowledge of foundation and corporate missions, goals, cultures and organizational reporting. 
*Ability and willingness to travel, as well as to work outside the normal workday as necessary and required.

Preferred Qualifications

*Knowledge of university policies, procedures, and culture desired. 
*Advanced degree.
*Previous experience closing gifts from corporations and foundations is strongly desired.

Mission Statement

The Office of University Development maximizes private support for the University of Michigan through high-quality collaboration with the development programs of schools, colleges, and units. We also provide fundraising leadership through the stimulation and facilitation of healthy, productive and life-long relationships with our colleagues, alumni, friends, foundations and corporations.

U-M EEO/AA Statement: The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.