Job Title

Location : Upland Job Type: Full Time Staff Job Number: Area: VP Advancement Department: Regional Staff Opening Date: 10/11/2024 Summary The Director of Development and Estate Giving is responsible for engaging the time and talent of alumni, parents, and friends in the process of securing major and planned gifts with a primary focus on emerging leaders and estate giving. Mission and Commitment Taylor's mission is to develop servant-leaders marked with a passion to minister Christ's redemptive love, grace, and truth to a world in need. As a community, Taylor faculty, staff, and students commit to living out Christ's love and truth in the here and now. We worship together, serve one another, and grow in faith as we learn in the classroom, on the field, at chapel, and anywhere else we're doing Life Together. Duties and Responsibilities This position is primarily responsible to: Testify to personal experience of salvation in Jesus Christ, affirm belief in the University's Statement of Faith, abide by and practice our Life Together Covenant, and both personally agree with and support the Foundational Documents of Taylor University. Implement an identification, engagement, and fundraising program that identifies alumni, parents, and friends who feel a strong affinity with the Taylor mission and the potential to advance it through contributions of their time, talent, and treasure. Interview prospects meeting the aforementioned criteria, determines which are most promising, and develops individual strategies to engage them in the life of the University. Determine which activities on and off campus, as well as which communications and university representatives, will have the greatest resonance with the most promising prospects. Orchestrate a series of positive, personal, productive and progressive interactions with each significant prospect as a means of deepening their commitment to the Taylor mission. Solicit support after orchestrating substantive engagement activities and an alignment of purposes between the prospect and the University. Steward major and planned gifts according to major and planned gift best practices, including discovery visits, cultivation, soft ask, written proposals delivered and discussed in person, follow-up, and stewardship. Coordinate work with Advancement and University colleagues, including Development, Campaigns, Alumni, Parents, Marketing, Admissions, Faculty, Administrative leadership, Board Members, and the President. This includes periodically making fundraising calls with the VP and President. Learn the basics and fundamentals of all planned giving vehicles (Charitable Remainder Trusts, Charitable Gift Annuities, Donor Advised Funds, Bequests, etc.) and apply that general knowledge to identify and cultivate prospects specifically interested in planned gifts at Taylor. Willing to learn the general and basic tax consequences of current, deferred, and planned gifts, enabling substantive conversations with prospects about the tax implications of specific giving options. Diagnose and refer more complex planned giving opportunities to the Director of Planned Giving and VP. Communicate weekly with the Director of Planned Giving to ensure strategic efforts are being made to cultivate and develop planned gifts for Taylor. Participate in weekly phone calls with the Major and Planned Gifts team, monthly one-on-one meetings with the VP, attends two-day monthly meetings on campus, and travels to campus for other selected events (e.g., Homecoming, Parents Weekend, TUGather, and Grandparent's Day, etc.). Seek to develop personal knowledge and expertise in a wide variety of areas around Taylor University to be able to answer questions with confidence and authority. Make a minimum of 150 face-to-face visits each year (manages a portfolio of 150 top prospects). Half of these visits will be with emerging leaders, and the other half will be with loyal donors who are estate-giving prospects over the age of 65. Aim to secure $1 million yearly in commitments from cash/pledges, irrevocable (charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts), and revocable (bequests, beneficiary designation of life insurance, retirement plans, etc.) categories in the first two years and $1.5 million in subsequent years. Other duties as assigned. Typical Qualifications Education and Experience A bachelor's degree is required; an advanced degree is helpful. Experience working for a university or non-profit with a track record of fund-raising success or working in business with a track record of sales/marketing success. Must be a Taylor University alumnus, current or former parents of Taylor students, or someone who has demonstrated an affinity for Taylor. Skills and Competencies Believes in giving and models financial stewardship. S/he believes in helping people be biblical stewards of their resources and values that "God loves it when the giver delights in the giving." (2 Cor 9:7). Highly relational. S/he must be motivated to network socially and have a call and passion for building relationships with a variety of personality types. Self-starter. S/he must work effectively from a home office environment or while traveling around the country. This might not be a good fit for those who draw energy from being in an office of like-minded people. Must be someone who can get up each morning energized by the reality of making phone calls, sending emails, and having appointments to advance the University. Eager to align others with Taylor. S/he will be motivated by the discovery of potential, naturally curious, always following up on leads, and seeking the potential in a situation or prospective donor. Must diagnose donor/prospects' interests and match them with university priorities. Must be comfortable talking about philanthropy, money, and asking for specific gifts, including estate gifts. The Director of Planned Giving is available for more complicated cases. Should have an interest in learning basic estate planning, general tax law and the associated charitable solutions to provide tax relief and increased giving opportunities for individuals and families. Must be thoughtful about finding the balance between relationships and intentionally taking productive steps toward major gifts. Must be strategic in the use of time, resources, and relationships. Enjoyed by others. The successful candidate must be someone whom people will want to include in their social lives. S/he must be comfortable and fluid in one-on-one and small group settings and have excellent communication skills. Project Manager. S/he must assist or manage small to mid-size events. Technologically Savvy. S/he must be competent in using email and a smartphone, using Word to draft and print documents and proposals, using Excel, using the University's fundraising database, and assessing donor/prospect research analysis. A Prospect Research Coordinator provides support services. There is limited administrative assistance. Supplemental Information Physical Demands No or very limited physical effort is required. Work Environment Work is normally performed in a typical interior / office work environment. Environmental Conditions No or very limited exposure to physical risk. It is preferable that candidates live within easy driving distance to campus.