The Director of Philanthropy is a frontline fundraising professional who plays a key role in advancing the university’s fundraising efforts by independently managing a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, while also collaborating within a team-oriented environment. This position provides the unique opportunity to contribute to one of two focused fundraising teams: the STEAM Team, which supports colleges and units within Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, and the Business and Law Team, which drives philanthropic efforts for the colleges focused on Business and Law.

In this role, the Director of Philanthropy will independently develop personalized donor engagement and solicitation strategies, cultivating long-term relationships that align donor passions with institutional and team-based priorities. The director will work closely with academic leaders and the advancement team to create compelling proposals and solicit major gifts of $50,000 and above. Additionally, the officer will collaborate with cross-functional partners, including planned giving and principal gifts teams, to ensure a seamless donor experience across these key areas.

Responsibilities

Portfolio Management and Donor Engagement: Manages a portfolio of individual donors and prospects, developing personalized strategies to cultivate relationships and inspire major gift commitments. Creates and implements engagement and fundraising plans that align donor interests with university and team-based initiatives. Conducts regular in-person or virtual donor visits, cultivation activities, and stewardship interactions to strengthen relationships. Delivers exceptional donor experiences focused on joyful, mission-aligned giving. Travels 40% of work time (including overnight travel) and attend evening/weekend donor events as needed. Consistently meets or exceeds annual performance goals, which may include substantial face-to-face visits, qualification visits, solicitation proposals submitted, gifts booked and closed, and total fundraising dollars raised.
Donor Qualification and Solicitation: Identifies and qualifies new individual prospects through discovery visits and outreach. Assesses philanthropic capacity and interest, transitioning qualified prospects into the major gift portfolio. Develops and presents compelling proposals for major gifts in support of university priorities. Collaborates with university leadership to coordinate major gift solicitations and secure commitments.
Team Collaboration and Cross-Functional Partnerships: Collaborates within the philanthropy team to share insights, align strategies, and support a unified approach to donor engagement. Builds and maintains productive partnerships with deans, faculty, and administrative leaders to ensure fundraising strategies reflect academic priorities and instructional goals. Partners with the director of planned giving to identify and pursue opportunities for blended and planned gifts; assist in crafting and delivering planned gift proposals as appropriate. Works closely with the senior director of principal gifts to contribute to principal gift strategy, including the cultivation and solicitation of gifts of $1,000,000 and above. Coordinates with the Engagement Team including annual giving, donor success, and alumni relations to ensure donors experience a seamless, high-quality engagement journey across all advancement journey across all advancement efforts. Participates in regular team meetings, cross-unit planning sessions, and collaborative initiatives that support shared performance goals. Proactively models and activates advancement’s core values – Integrity, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Excellent Communication- in daily interactions and team culture.
Operational Effectiveness and Data Integrity: Embraces and consistently utilizes advancement systems and technology platforms to maximize efficiency, support strategic planning, and promote transparent communication. Maintains accurate documentation of all donor interactions, strategies, and outcomes in the CRM/database. Ensures accurate fund agreements and financial commitments are processed in a timely manner. Collaborates closely with Advancement Records and Gifts to manage the integrity of donor records and gift processing. Actively participates in performance management and goal-setting processes, including contributing to Personal Success Plans and annual work plans.
Other Duties as Assigned

* This recruitment may result in multiple hires.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
Seven (7) years of experience in fundraising, preferably in higher education or a complex nonprofit setting.
Ability to cultivate relationships with those who have an interest in supporting The University of Memphis.
Strong critical thinking and decision-making skills, with the ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to travel 40% work time , including occasional overnight travel, and work some evenings and weekends to engage donors and represent the university.

The University of Memphis is a leading, student-centered, urban public R1 research institution. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, on 1,160 acres. The University serves a population of nearly 20,000 students and 2,500 employees, including more than 1,000 full-time faculty members. The University offers bachelor’s degrees in more than 230 areas of study, master’s degrees in more than 50 subjects and doctoral degrees in 26 disciplines; supported an institutional record of more than $100 million in research awards for FY24; and has an operating budget of close to $500 million.

The University of Memphis

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Director of Philanthropy