Annual Giving Development Officer (Outreach)

External Relations – Alumni & Development
APT Permanent Salary

SAIT is a global leader in applied education and an institution that empowers employees to make a difference in the lives of our students. Building on more than a century of history, we are looking for innovative employees wanting to create a future with us. As part of our team, you are encouraged to be bold and inventive, bringing new ideas to the table. Change excites you.

SAIT offers the chance to do work with a purpose — preparing the next generation of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, advocates and explorers. We develop leaders in the classroom and our workspaces, encouraging lifelong learning for both students and employees.
Your future starts now … at SAIT.

We are looking for individuals who align with our commitment to excellence and who demonstrates:
o a growth mindset through curiosity, creativity, and collaboration
o leads with a world-class customer experience mindset
o is dynamic and responsible to the needs of stakeholders, speed and agility are critical
o someone who embraces trial and error as an important part of learning

A student’s relationship with SAIT doesn’t end at convocation — we are proud of the life-long relationships we have with our alumni. The Alumni and Development department shares SAIT’s story, connects donors to incredible people, projects and experiences. SAIT is fortunate to receive financial support from our alumni family, industry and community at large. If you’re passionate about nurturing the connections between SAIT and our alumni family, we want to meet you.

The Opportunity

The Annual Giving Development Officer develops, coordinates, and implements activities related to fundraising goals around prospect discovery, gift solicitation and donor engagement. The Annual Giving Development Officer is responsible for overseeing the donor engagement and outreach portfolio with a focus on three main areas:
•President’s Giving Circle – a leadership giving program that focuses on donors who give at the leadership level ($1,000 to $25,000).
•Recurring Giving – a program that allows SAIT alumni and donors to contribute through monthly or recurring gifts.
•Discovery and Renewal Program – this is an area of outreach focused on engaging alumni and donors with an interest in supporting the institution, making memorial gifts or setting up student awards.

In addition to the three priority areas, the Annual Giving Development Officer works in collaboration with the member of the Annual Giving team to support other fundraising initiatives, including Giving Day and Family Campaign, through leadership-level solicitation strategies. In addition to face-to-face fundraising, this role provides opportunities to use digital solicitation tools, like ThankView and text-outreach platforms, to secure, renew and steward annual giving donors.

These initiatives are critical to the overall success of the annual giving program and moving the overall development program forward in key areas. This role requires a person who is able to demonstrate the effectiveness and genuine warmth in contact with others, have a motivating personality, a positive attitude, and be at ease speaking with many people of various backgrounds. The Annual Giving Officer must understand the principles of alumni/donor relations and the importance of building relationships. They must have excellent verbal communication skills; be an energetic and motivated self-starter with strong organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines. As part of a high-performing team that is tasked with multiple responsibilities, they must have the ability to translate plans into action and to meet objectives; and be able to work independently and as part of a team. This position collaborates with stakeholders across the Alumni & Development Department, as well as various schools, departments and internal partners.

This position reports to Manager, Annual Giving.

The Role

President’s Giving Circle (PGC):

• Develop and implement outreach strategy for leadership level-donors, including acknowledging, engaging and soliciting PGC Members.
• Pursue strategies to upgrade leadership-level donors.
• With the Alumni and Donor Relations team, organize two to three annual engagement opportunities for the PGC members.
• In coordination with the Annual Giving team, develop materials to promote the PGC.
• Monitor the effectiveness of implemented PGC activities.

Discovery & renewal:

• Partner with the Development team and Alumni and Donor Relations Team to identify potential prospects.
• Meet with prospects to determine their linkage/ability/interest in donating to SAIT.
• Cultivate, solicit and engage with annual giving donors with an interest in supporting student success initiatives, student awards and/or making tribute gifts, gifts-in-kind and legacy/planned gifts.
• Take an active role in the implementation of appropriate donor recognition and stewardship strategies, policies and procedures, for accounts within the portfolio.
• Record the relationship-building process with contact reports filed in Banner to facilitate open communications and a team-based fundraising environment.

Recurring Giving:

• Develop and implement solicitation strategies to grow the base of recurring donors, including working with internal partners to ensure that monthly and recurring donors are supported through their journey from making their first gift to renewing their commitment.
• In coordination with the Annual Giving team, develop materials to promote recurring giving.
• Monitor the effectiveness of the recurring giving program and report on progress.
• In collaboration with the Annual Giving team members, align leadership-level solicitation strategies and annual giving strategies to support the success of institutional fundraising initiatives, including Giving Day and Family Campaign. Participate in donor and stewardship events. Ensure that solicitation activity is appropriately recorded in the database.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education or diploma in Business, Marketing, Communications, Non-Profit Management of related field. Relevant experience in lieu of a formal credential will be considered.
• Evidence of ongoing education in fundraising practices is an asset.
• Must have 1-3 years’ of experience in fundraising, direct response, annual giving.
• Must have familiarity with Fundraising database systems and spreadsheet applications.
• Must have experience in soliciting philanthropic gifts.
• Must have valid Alberta Class 5 driver’s license.
• Previous post-secondary fundraising experience is preferred.
• Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in good standing is an asset.
• Excellent organizational and time management.
• Excellent communication skills -written, verbal and virtual.
• Ability to work productively under pressure to meet many different deadlines.
• Sound judgement.
• Creative approach to problem-solving.
• An ability to work collaboratively with a variety of people.
• Flexibility, discretion, and ability to maintain confidential information.
• Strong communicator who is comfortable working with a variety of stakeholders, including community leaders, faculty and leadership, and other development team members.
• A strong ability to prioritize tasks, work independently and maintain consistently close attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and exceptional organizational skills.
• Understanding of Canada Revenue Agency guidelines for tax receipting of charitable gifts.
• Strong computer skills, including working knowledge of Banner Database System and MS Office Suite.
• Knowledge of post-secondary culture and operating procedures is an asset.

Position Classification: Junior Development Officer
# of openings: 1
Posting close date: July 5, 2021

SAIT believes excellence is achieved through equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) because EDI creates the conditions for a healthy campus where everyone feels welcome, respected and empowered to succeed. SAIT values fairness, shared accountability and the importance of representation. The institution expects a commitment from its students and employees to continuously develop an equitable and inclusive mindset that celebrates diverse experiences and perspectives. SAIT’s vision is to be a global leader in applied education. Please contact inclusion@sait.ca if you have any questions or comments related to EDI at SAIT.

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