Director of Gift and Estate Planning - University Advancement

APU seeks employees who desire to contribute to our thriving culture by cultivating community through professional interactions demonstrating a posture of lifelong learning and modeling Christlike character. Working together employees at APU commit to establishing a university atmosphere that is edifying to God and one another.

The Director of Gift and Estate Planning is responsible for overseeing a comprehensive program to effectively engage and expand the pipeline of alumni parents and friends who choose to name APU in their estate plans and/or who leverage charitable giftplanning vehicles to maximize their philanthropic investment in APU through current major blended and deferred giving. The Director of Gift and Estate Planning will implement a program and marketing strategy along with goals objectives timelines and metrics to ensure program success and sustainability. The Director of Gift and Estate Planning will partner strategically with the Advancement team and campus partners to engage and build a consistent pipeline of prospects to achieve the current Campaign goals and longterm goals of APU while aligning giving opportunities with donor interests.

Required Education

• Bachelors degree required.
• Masters preferred.

Required Experience

• Minimum of five years of proven experience and success in planned giving and major donor fundraising including knowledge of gift and estate planning vehicles strategies tools and marketing.

Primary Duties/Essential Functions

Overall Program Goals and Expectations

• • Develop a Gift and Estate Planning program that produces $5M $10M annually in current and deferred gifts bequests and commitments aligning with the goals of the campaign.
  • Manage a portfolio of approximately 8090 current and prospective major donors who also qualify as planned giving prospects and a goal of 15 facetoface discovery cultivation and solicitation meetings per month. This may include local regional and national travel.
  • Identify and implement specific strategies for the cultivation and solicitation of major and planned gift donor prospects; review written presentations and materials; work collaboratively with major gift officers to integrate planned giving into comprehensive fundraising plans particularly within the campaign.
  • Represent APU and promote planned giving opportunities to various public audiences possibly through speaking engagements.
  • Develop strategic and collaborative partnerships with the Advancement team campus leaders and partners to broaden the pipeline of engaged gift and estate planning prospects.
  • Serve as successor trustee when needed on behalf of APU.
  • Serve as liaison with the Business Office and Cornerstone Management for gift administration estate gifts and donor contracts.

Strategic Program Development

• • Develop a threeyear rolling strategic plan including specific goals measurable outcomes and timetables to raise major and planned gifts and secure bequest commitments aligned with APUs strategic priorities and donor interests.
  • Ensure that the strategic plan accounts for changes and modifications to applicable tax law; ensure timely communications with donors to take advantage of opportunities that arise from such changes or concerns that factor into gift planning decisions.
  • Develop outreach events and engagement opportunities that expose prospects to the Universitys strategic goals and opportunities for philanthropic investment.
  • Develop a network of vetted professional advisors (real estate agents lawyers accountants financial management executives) who share APUs vision and mission and who will help expand prospect recruitment pipelines.
  • Develop a thorough knowledge of the Universitys departments majors and academic/cocurricular opportunities to present to donors and prospects.

Program Marketing Communications and Events

• • Manage the work of the Planned Giving Coordinator to implement the gift and estate planning marketing strategies communications events and stewardship activities.
  • Provide oversight to the Cornerstone Society membership marketing branding stewardship communication and engagement strategy.
  • Coordinate with the Donor Relations team in providing updates on the impact of gifts and the progress of the campaign.
  • Curate content for the ELegacy Newsletter and website.
  • Plan and develop effective programming for the Financial Advisors Network (FAN) as well as goals strategies budgets and program evaluation.
  • Assist with and attend Advancement and University events (may include evenings and weekends).
  • Record appropriate information documentation and contact reports of all prospect and donor activity in Raisers Edge.

Skills

• Ability to work under pressure exuding a mature demeanor while multitasking in a deadlineoriented environment with accuracy and consistency.
• Ability to work independently and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a team as well as an independent contributor.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and discretionary skills in determining when to act independently and when to consult management prior to taking action.
• Selfstarter with a positive attitude.

Mental Demands

• In agreement with the purpose and goals of Azusa Pacific University in providing a Christianbased higher education for its students.

Physical Demands

• Requires repetitive motions and sitting at a computer keyboard.
• Hearing and speaking on the telephone.
• Able to conduct business at other offices on campus.
• Able to lift bend grasp reach lift up to 20 lbs. occasionally.

Visual Demands

• Reading writing notes and computer monitor.

Environment

• Pleasant office comfortable temperatures.

Technologies

• Proficient in Google Apps. Microsoft Office Word and Excel.

Compensation

• Grade 20: $113778 to $130845 is the annual salary for this role and reflects what Azusa Pacific University reasonably expects to pay for this position. Actual compensation may vary based on the qualifications experience and internal equity addition to compensation APU offers a competitive benefits package.

Azusa Pacific University is a Christcentered multicultural community that values and seeks faculty and staff who are committed to diversity work effectively with diverse populations and engage others in ways that honor our rich cultural mosaic and biblical foundation. Please click the links to learn more about what we believe our mission statement and our statement of faith.

You can learn more about APU by watching the stories of faculty staff and alumni as they carry out our mission here: Pacific University will conduct a background check on all final candidates.

Review of applications will begin immediately and the position will remain open until filled unless otherwise stated. Azusa Pacific University does not discriminate on the basis of race color national origin sex age disability or status as a veteran in any of its policies practices or procedures. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.