Associate Director Donor Communications

The Tufts University Advancement Division (UA) is a comprehensive development and alumni engagement enterprise with a staff of approximately 200 FTEs. Functional units within UA include development/fundraising, alumni engagement, stewardship and donor relations, special events, gift processing, research and prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, and information systems and management. UA's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with Tufts University's constituents, match donors' interests with the university's needs and priorities, and secure the financial resources necessary for Tufts to achieve excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship.

The medical school development team secures critical funding to advance the School of Medicine's mission to become the premiere institution revolutionizing health education and inspiring discovery for future generations. The medical school development team facilitates top university prospect strategy, meetings, tracks top prospects in medicine, and cultivates and solicits many major and principal gift prospects for dean's priorities. Select staff members oversee all cultivation and solicitation strategies for cross-school donors and key university programs.

To ensure strategic, meaningful, and robust relationships with donors, UA must create effective communications that bring donors closer to the university and our health sciences schools. As donors consider commitments and ultimately invest in the institution, the Medical Development Team establishes and maintains a donor-centered communications program that acknowledges, celebrates, and strategically communicates with donors about their support, and ensures that such activities are aligned with institutional priorities and adhere to institutional protocols.

The Associate Director of Donor Communications will report to the Senior Director of Development and Alumni Engagement for Tufts School of Medicine and will serve as the donor engagement point-person for principal gifts strategy at the medical school and other health sciences schools (Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts Dental School, and Friedman School of Nutrition) as needed. This person will create proposal templates, draft custom proposals for high-level prospects, prepare cases for philanthropic support of priority areas, craft donor and prospect communications; and partner with donor relations and annual giving to drive a comprehensive donor communications strategy for the medical school's development team. This person will also collaborate closely with the Univ. Advancement Executive Director for the health sciences to develop multidisciplinary big ideas and related proposals/cases for support.

The Associate Director of Donor Communications will be responsible for driving timely communications to facilitate the solicitation process, including writing proposals. S/he will work with faculty and school leaders to craft compelling cases for philanthropic support and funding opportunities. S/he will collaborate with the Associate Director of Donor Relations to develop high-level stewardship touch points - including impact reports, gift anniversary videos and notes, and individualized stewardship plans for top donors. This person will help develop and execute high-level engagement programs and communications for the Tufts School of Medicine Board of Advisors, relevant Trustees and member of the President's Council. S/he will facilitate strategy sessions with gift officers to proactively assess and manage communications needs for key health sciences donors.

Essential Functions:

Prospect Strategy:

• Accompany Sr. Director of Development and Alumni Engagement to engage with faculty and other senior leaders to position appropriate funding opportunities in written proposals for members of the Medical Development team and Health Sciences
• Development teams. This may include developing new content and/or strategic messaging for emerging campaign priorities.
• Manage and update a cloud-based proposal library and toolkit, which is an inventory of major and principal-gift proposals for internal use across health sciences schools, and provide guidance related to best practices for these communications.
• Work with the Senior Director of Development and Alumni Engagement, and others, to implement strategic plans for the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of top prospects

Donor Engagement and Communications Strategy:

• Develop and implement custom communications for the medical school's top donors. This includes monitoring for consistent engagement touchpoints for the top donors cultivated by members of the Medical Development team
• Create engaging, donor-friendly documents that align with university branding.
• Represent the health sciences on principal gift committees and in monthly meetings related to donor relations to exchange best practices with colleagues.
• Engage in professional development opportunities.
• Work with various faculty and staff on donor relations projects such as recognition events, fund reporting, and personalized stewardship.

Special Projects:

• Assist in the management of special projects as needed.

Please include a cover letter with your application.

Basic Requirements:

• 5+ years professional experience with a focus on writing, preferably in development, alumni relations, marketing or public relations.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent years of relevant experience
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required.
• Excellent writing and proofreading skills are required. Candidates must have a strong customer service orientation and be extremely detail-oriented.
  Must be able to work collaboratively, organize, manage and prioritize multiple projects while meeting defined deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills required.
• Must be poised and be able to interact and respond appropriately to donors and senior officers in an academic setting, as well as interact with University staff and administrators at all levels.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Advance or similar complex database is desirable.
• Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite a plus.