KINSEY INSTITUTE (BL-KINS-IUBLA)

For nearly 80 years, the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University has been a global leader in advancing understanding of human sexuality, gender, relationships, and reproduction through groundbreaking research, education, outreach, exhibitions, and historical preservation. The Institute's work informs public dialogue, shapes policy and practice, and deepens understanding of one of the most fundamental aspects of the human experience.

The Kinsey Institute's mission is to be the premier research institute on human sexuality and relationships. Its vision is to foster and promote a greater understanding of human sexuality and relationships through impactful research, outreach, education, exhibitions, acquisitions, access, and historical preservation.

The Annual Giving Officer serves as the Kinsey Institute's lead fundraising professional for annual philanthropy and donor engagement, responsible for building and growing a sustainable annual giving program that expands donor participation, increases donor retention, and strengthens philanthropic support for the Institute's mission.This is an exciting opportunity for a creative and entrepreneurial fundraiser who enjoys both strategy and execution.

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Helps build annual giving infrastructure from the ground up while serving as a key contributor to the Institute's long-term fundraising growth and philanthropic success.
• Works closely with the Senior Director of Development, Institute leadership, Indiana University Foundation partners, and communications staff.
• Designs and executes multi-channel fundraising campaigns, develops compelling donor communications, and creates meaningful stewardship experiences that inspire donors to invest in the future of the Kinsey Institute.
• Designs, implements, and continuously refines the Kinsey Institute's annual giving strategy across digital, email, social media, direct mail, and emerging fundraising channels.
• Develops and manages a comprehensive annual fundraising calendar aligned with Institute priorities, public programming, special initiatives, Giving Day campaigns, and fiscal and calendar year-end fundraising efforts.
• Establishes annual giving goals, benchmarks, and performance metrics in partnership with the Senior Director of Development and track progress toward fundraising objectives.
• Buildsand maintains the systems, workflows, stewardship practices, and operational infrastructure necessary to support a scalable annual giving program.
• Writes and produces persuasive fundraising appeals, stewardship communications, donor impact stories, campaign messaging, video scripts, and other donor-facing content that inspires engagement and charitable support.
• Collaborates with communications and marketing partners to develop creative concepts, visual assets, digital content, and storytelling strategies that strengthen donor acquisition and retention.
• Maintains a library of evergreen and campaign-specific fundraising content that can be deployed quickly to support Institute priorities and emerging opportunities.
• Designs and oversees the donor lifecycle experience, including welcome journeys, recurring giving recruitment, donor retention initiatives, upgrade strategies, reactivation campaigns, and donor recognition efforts.
• Develops segmented stewardship and impact communications that provide donors with meaningful connections to the Institute's work and demonstrate the impact of their philanthropy.
• Leads efforts to grow and strengthen recurring giving as a key strategy for increasing donor retention and sustainable annual support.
• Cultivates and maintains relationships with annual donors through personalized outreach, stewardship activities, and ongoing engagement opportunities.
• Serves as the Institute's primary liaison with the Indiana University Foundation on annual giving initiatives, gift processing, stewardship, and fundraising operations.
• Builds fundraising campaigns, donor journeys, and related assets within Salesforce and other development systems in collaboration with IU Foundation partners.
• Analyzes fundraising performance data and donor behavior to inform strategy, optimize campaigns, and improve donor outcomes.
• Identifies donors demonstrating increased philanthropic capacity and collaborate with the Senior Director of Development to facilitate leadership annual and major gift cultivation opportunities.
• Serves as an ambassador for the Kinsey Institute by effectively communicating its mission, impact, and funding priorities to donors, alumni, friends, and community stakeholders.
• Partners with Institute faculty, researchers, staff, and leadership to translate complex research and programmatic work into compelling donor-centered fundraising narratives.
• Fosters a culture of philanthropy throughout the Institute by helping colleagues understand and support fundraising efforts.

General Responsibilities

• Plans and participates in solicitation efforts for outright annual fund gifts from alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, and other constituents and supporters of the university via direct mail, email, phone, in person, and/or social media. Fundraising outreach may be focused on programming or funds/needs within 1 school or department or may span multiple schools or departments.
• Cultivates donor relationships through regular communications and outreach events; updates, maintains, and forwards prospective and current donor files and information to other development officers as necessary.
• In coordination with manager, sets annual funds targets, contacts, and timelines by campaign. Tracks progress toward goals, reporting or presenting figures on a regular basis to manager, team, and/or department/school representatives. Progress may be monitored via an incentive plan.
• Creates and distributes compelling print and digital fundraising materials for each campaign; tracks cost, funds received, and metrics such as return on investment for solicitation and pledge to donation yield.
• Researches, compiles, and provides metrics, facts, and general operations information about IU and its schools and departments to donors. Regularly collaborates with colleagues in relevant departments and schools and conveys donor questions/concerns related to their willingness to contribute.
• Provides an excellent donor experience through customer service, active listening, inclusive language, and thoughtful and persuasive discussion, consistently upholding the integrity and mission of Indiana University.
• May take on increasingly complex special projects, such as re-engaging lapsed donors, creating new annual fund campaigns, or developing and executing targeted events for potential donors.
• May delegate administrative tasks, such as preparing and sending digital and direct mail solicitations, to other staff.

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required0

• Bachelor's degree preferably in communications, marketing, public relations, nonprofit management, business, liberal arts, or a related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 2 years in fundraising, sales, a higher education foundation, or related field

Preferred

• 2 years of professional experience in fundraising, development, sales, marketing, communications, higher education advancement, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing individual giving or grassroots fundraising campaigns, including email appeals, giving days, social media crowdfunding campaigns, recurring giving, direct mail, or event-based fundraising.
• Experience building and stewarding giving relationships with individual donors, members, volunteers, advocates, alumni, or community supporters.

SKILLS

Required

• Proficient communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.

Preferred

• Experience managing annual giving, membership, donor engagement, or direct-response fundraising programs.
• Demonstrates success acquiring, retaining, and reactivating donors through digital and multi-channel fundraising campaigns.
• Experience building or significantly expanding fundraising, membership, or donor engagement programs.
• Experience writing fundraising appeals, stewardship communications, and donor-centered content that drives engagement and giving.
• Experience working with Salesforce, Blackbaud CRM, or similar constituent relationship management platforms.
• Strong direct-response copywriting skills and experience creating fundraising communications that inspire donor action.
• Experience with donor segmentation, A/B testing, fundraising analytics, and email deliverability best practices.
• Familiarity with digital fundraising platforms, online giving tools, and donor journey design.
• Experience in higher education, research institutions, nonprofit organizations, membership organizations, advocacy organizations, or public media.
• Knowledge of fundraising best practices related to annual giving, donor stewardship, and recurring giving programs.

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of philanthropy for one of the world's most recognized and influential research institutes. The Annual Giving Officer will help build a modern fundraising program that expands donor engagement, strengthens financial sustainability, and advances research and education that improve understanding of human sexuality and relationships around the world.

A person in this role will join a collaborative team committed to innovation, impact, and excellence and will play a central role in growing philanthropic support for a mission that matters.

Bloomington, Indiana

This position is eligible for a hybrid schedule (mix between remote and in-person work), subject to change in the future based on university policy and business needs.

$60,000 - $70,000 based on experience.

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure.

Career Level: Career

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Development & Advancement

Job Family: Annual Giving

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This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

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