Description

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for a collaborative and experienced leader with exceptional interpersonal skills to serve as the Executive Director of Gift Planning at Centre.  Building on a strong record and history of fundraising and gift planning programs at Centre College, this position works with and supports a high-performing Alumni and Development Team (A&D Team). The Executive Director leads the strategy for planned giving, within the overall fundraising strategy, and collaborates widely within the A&D Team, and across campus, to raise funds, solicit and receive planned, blended, and outright gift and commitments, and to empower other gift officers to optimize giving across all types and vehicles.  

Renowned in the world of higher education fundraising, Centre College enjoys a long history of outstanding support from alumni, parents, and friends. Centre has boasted record-breaking alumni giving percentages (for about 20 years, Centre was ranked # 1 in the nation), and remains among the elite in that metric of support. In the most recent capital campaign, The Campaign for the Third Century, the College raised over $210 million in new and deferred contributions. In the most recent three years, since the beginning of the presidency of Dr. Milton C. Moreland, the College has raised just under $140 million in total commitments, of which just over $61 million has been in deferred gift commitments. The current deferred gifts register shows over 400 commitments, revocable and irrevocable, estimated at over $265 million.

The Executive Director leads crucial functions within the A&D Team pertaining to gift planning and fundraising and builds relationships with diverse groups of donors and other external constituencies, including professional advisors.  All this work builds support for the future of the College through current and future gift commitments.

Requirements

Centre College invites applications for the position of Executive Director of Gift Planning.  

The Executive Director will report to Kelly Knetsche, Vice President for Alumni and Development, and work closely with her team to drive success for Centre College and its students.

Essential Job Functions: 

• Identify, qualify, cultivate; solicit, and steward planned gift donors
• Work directly with diverse groups of donors and their professional advisors to craft personalized giving strategies, providing individual planned gift illustrations, consistent with the values and priorities of the donors
• Oversee trust and estate settlement for realized bequests and work with executors, personal representatives, and the general counsel to ensure timely and smooth receipt of estate provisions designated for Centre College
• Partner closely with talented colleagues on the A&D Team, finance office, the general counsel, office of student financial planning, and other offices
• Oversee, in partnership with colleagues in the finance office, the general counsel, and external entities, the College’s portfolio of split-interest gifts, life insurance policies, and other gifts and assets, including appropriate tax reporting and documentation.
• To encourage, inspire, and solicit new planned gifts, and to maintain existing commitments and their donors, the Executive Director will lead a comprehensive marketing and stewardship program along with regular internal training and other strategic initiatives to increase the College’s pipeline of current and deferred gifts.
• Manage vendors in support of planned giving marketing/communications and administration initiatives.
• Lead or partner on stewardship functions for planned giving donors, including events and mailings.
• Document work with donors and details of gift plans; create, use, and manage data.
• Achieve ambitious goals for the College and department, working within a system of performance metrics.
• Demonstrates an appreciation of and commitment to further an inclusive culture for those of diverse backgrounds such as ability, age, class, ethnicity, faith background, gender expression, gender identity, geographic region, national origin, neurodiversity, race, and sexual orientation that comprise individual and group expressions of identity.
• Engage in moderate to heavy travel and some evening and weekend responsibilities required.

Marginal Job Functions:

• Manage budgets and filing.
• Organize and keep current records regarding planned giving.
• Keep current on rules, regulations, tax laws, and current information pertaining to planned giving, taxes, financial and wealth management, and related matters.

Entry Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required, with minimum of four years in progressively complex roles in nonprofit or higher education fundraising, law, or financial services.
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Experience with computers, database management, and record keeping.

Knowledge and Skills

• Systems: Word Processing (Microsoft Word), Excel                       

• Subject Matter: Knowledge of or experience in charitable gift planning, estate planning, investments or financial advising, or real estate.

• Organization: Ability to manage time to accommodate multiple projects from various sources. Ability to manage projects independently from start to finish. Facility with data and data management, and ability to create strategy based on data.

• Interpersonal: Ability to work with various and diverse constituents of the College and those outside Centre’s community, particularly older adults, and to be an outstanding representative for the College. Ability to function well among sophisticated individuals with significant wealth, education, and social status. Highly professional and able to maintain the utmost of confidentiality. Unwavering commitment to customer service and providing prompt, professional responses to all prospect inquiries.

  Physical Requirements: 

  Limited pushing, pulling, lifting. Lifting would not exceed 20 lbs.

 Moblity on campus necessary. Ability to travel long distances and stay one or more nights away from home.

Compensation:  The expected compensation range for this position is based on the skills and experience of the selected candidate. The selected candidate will need to locate in or near Danville, Kentucky.

Education Requirements (Any)

Bachelors degree with two years of experience. Masters degree is preferred.

TO APPLY

Interested applicants must apply through the Centre College Human Resources site at Employment at Centre | Centre College (with a cover letter, resume, and list of references).  Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until filled.  For full consideration, application materials must be submitted online by December 14th, 2023.