Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving, 4-H & FFA                                                           

The Associate Director of Development is responsible for the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of 4-H and FFA donors with the capacity to give at the level of $1,000 – $49,999.

The incumbent will be deeply involved in the fundraising efforts in support of 4-H and FFA program priorities and endowments from individual donors with an emphasis on new donor acquisition, upgrades, growing membership of the Chancellor’s Circle and developing a pipeline for major gifts. 

About the Department 

The mission of the CALS College Advancement is to enhance, promote and support the academic programs, research and extension efforts of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Within CALS Advancement is the NC Agricultural Foundation, Inc., a non-profit, 501c3 organization formed as a means of supporting agricultural research, extension and teaching activities in CALS. The CALS Advancement team works in close partnership with the central University Advancement Office and its partner colleges.

North Carolina 4-H is a research-based youth development program committed to engaging young people through hands-on projects in areas like health, STEM, agriculture and civic engagement in a positive environment where they are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles. Youth experience 4-H in every county of North Carolina through in-school and after-school programs, school and community clubs and our three 4-H camps and centers.

North Carolina Agricultural Education and the North Carolina FFA Association work hand in hand to provide support for the agriculture students, FFA members, and agriculture teachers of North Carolina. FFA is a dynamic youth organization that prepares members for leadership and career success through agricultural education. There are more than 24,000 NC FFA members and 550 NC agriculture teachers. NC FFA is dedicated to growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening agriculture.

The mission of University Development within the Division of University Advancement at NC State is to raise philanthropic support for university goals and priorities that benefit our students, faculty, this campus, and ultimately, the state of North Carolina. The department includes the offices of Annual Giving, Central Major Gifts, Corporate and Foundation Relations, and Gift Planning.

Essential Job Duties      

The Associate Director of Development is responsible for the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of 4-H and FFA donors with the capacity to give at the level of $1,000 – $49,999. The incumbent will be deeply involved in the fundraising efforts in support of 4-H and FFA program priorities and endowments from individual donors with an emphasis on new donor acquisition, upgrades, growing membership of the Chancellor’s Circle and developing a pipeline for major gifts. Solicitations will be multi-channel, including, but not limited to, phone calls, mail, emails, and personal meetings.

The Assistant Director will be reporting to the Senior Director of Development in CALS and will serve as a part of the CALS Advancement team in coordination with the University Development’s Annual Giving team. The Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving, will dually report to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Annual Giving.

The Associate Director of Leadership Annual Giving, will be expected to initiate, develop and cultivate relationships with individuals with the capacity to make gifts of $1,000 – $49,999 to fund programs and priorities defined by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Plan, design, implement, and evaluate strategies to obtain outright leadership annual gifts ($1,000 – $49,999);
• Serve as Executive Director of the NC 4-H Development Fund and provide board leadership, including the management of board meetings, development of budgetary recommendations, solicitation of current members and the recruitment of new members;
• Attend all NC FFA Foundation Board meetings and work collaboratively with the NC FFA Foundation Executive Director;
• Identification, qualification, cultivation, and solicitation of mid-level giving prospects to create and grow a pipeline of Chancellor Circle members and major gift ($50,000 and above) donors for the 4-H and FFA programs;
• Conduct at least 125 personal contacts monthly with a focus on the phone to prospects and donors annually to average 20 solicitations per month of at least $1,000 with a goal of close to 80% of gifts;
• Strategic development and management of a portfolio with approximately 250 prospects and donors capable of making gifts of $1,000 – $49,999;
• Partner with the Advancement Research team as well as the Annual Giving team to identify prospective donors and strategically assess their philanthropic capacity and inclination for the 4-H and FFA programs;
• Be an active and collaborative team member in CALS College Advancement, 4-H and FFA Alumni Engagement, Annual Giving and University Advancement;
• Coordination of stewardship efforts as needed with appropriate CALS Advancement and other campus colleagues as appropriate;
• Attend CALS, university-wide events and University Advancement related meetings;
• Work collaboratively with the NC 4-H State Director and State Agricultural Education Leader (FFA) on priorities for support and arranges joint meetings with leadership annual giving prospects;
• Partner with the Annual Giving team on the design and implementation of the 4-H and FFA annual giving programs, including mail and email solicitations.

Other duties/responsibilities:

• Perform other duties as required or assigned;
• Attend a variety of events throughout the year, which can include regular travel and occasional night and weekend work.

Other Responsibilities  

• While driving a vehicle is not an essential function of this position, we believe it is necessary to have a valid NC driver’s license to perform the essential functions of the job.
• This position will need to travel off-site on occasion, alone and must independently be able to travel from location to location without reliance on others or the advanced notice that is often required of alternative means of transportation.
• Due to limitations in funding, the College cannot afford the high costs that would be required in attaining the services of transportation services such as taxis or car services.
• Should a viable candidate be identified from the recruitment without a license, which we believe to be necessary, we will engage your office and OIED in considering potential alternative solutions that may emerge from a request for a reasonable accommodation.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience     

• Post-baccalaureate credentials or Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in field closely related to area of assignment, and at least 3+ years of professional-level experience in direct solicitation/fundraising.

Other Required Qualifications  

• Ability to work effectively as part of a dynamic team in a large, complex research university;
• Experience in cold calling, negotiating, and closing business deal;.
• Highly motivated professional with the ability to work independently, while maintaining consistent and transparent communication with a team and leadership;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as a good listener;
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, with great attention to detail;
• Self-motivated and self-starting;
• Optimism, perseverance and a positive attitude;
• Computer literacy.

Preferred Qualifications      

• At least four (4) years of successful experience in fundraising, annual giving or closely related field;
• Knowledge of principles, practices, and ethics of fundraising;
• Understanding of the development process and donor cycle;
• Volunteer management experience;
• Prior experience in a comprehensive capital campaign;
• Experience in higher education fundraising;.
• Understanding of the land grant, research tier one university environment;
• Familiarity with youth development programming.

Required License(s) or Certification(s)   

• Valid North Carolina Driver’s License or the ability to obtain with 60 days of the start date.
• Must be maintained as a condition of employment, as regular local travel and some regional/out-of-state travel is required for this position.
• Valid NC Driver's License required

To Apply: Click the Apply to This Position button on this page.