VICE PRES/ACADEMIC SUPPORT (BL-VPAS-IUBLA)

The Scholarships and Student Experience team leads fundraising strategy and results across several key campus units: Office of Enrollment Management, Office of Student Life, Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, Hutton Honors College, and the Wells Scholars Program.

Indiana University (IU) is seeking a dynamic and collaborative Major Gifts Officer to join the Scholarships and Student Experience fundraising team on the Bloomington campus. It sits at the center of Never Daunted: Indiana University's Campaign for the Future, the university's comprehensive fundraising campaign running through 2030, and the IU 2030 strategic plan. This is a true major gifts role and is laser-focused on fundraising and is a person who sees possibilities everywhere, embraces opportunity, and knows how to turn it into game-changing impact.

Department Specific Responsibilities

• Manages their own robust portfolio of high-capacity donors, working alongside a team of major gift officers who share a commitment to students.
• Focuses on securing the philanthropic support that opens doors for IU students.
• Leads the full solicitation cycle for major gifts, from the first conversation to the close, with an emphasis on scholarships, student success, and student experience priorities. Completes and closes gifts annually against goals set with this position's manager.
• Identifies, qualifies, and cultivates high-capacity prospects. Connects donor passions with the needs of Enrollment Management, Student Life, Undergraduate Education, Hutton Honors College, and the Wells Scholars Program.
• Builds and sustains meaningful relationships with donors, volunteers, and university partners. Aligns fundraising priorities with campus leadership and creates innovative partnerships and collaborative fundraising opportunities.
• Develops and executes a portfolio strategy, maintain accurate Customer Relationship Management (CRM) records, and track and report progress toward goals.
• Partners with IU Foundation central services on stewardship, donor relations, and engagement. Supports annual giving initiatives and represent the Foundation and the university with professionalism and strategic insight.

General Responsibilities

• Plans and participates in solicitation efforts for major, planned, and/or principal gifts from alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, and other constituents and supporters of the university. Solicitation efforts are primarily in person through repeated contact, but may vary to include email, direct mail, social media, and phone communications. Fundraising outreach may be focused on programming, capital campaigns, named faculty chairs, or funds/needs of a particularly large school or spanning 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.
• Regularly solicits and closes gifts of various sizes with the goal of increasing gifts of $250,000 - $1,000,000. Ability to help raise donor sights, encouraging annual giving, multi-year commitments, and estate planning.
• Sets annual funds targets, contacts, and timelines by campaign for self; may participate in goal-setting for lower-level development staff, as well. 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.
• Regularly takes on complex special projects, such as re-engaging lapsed donors, performing outreach to engage donors in volunteer leadership opportunities, or developing and executing targeted events for potential donors.
• May participate in committees or strategy teams with department, school, campus, and/or Indiana University Foundation representatives and assist with setting short-term and long-term annual giving strategy.
• May delegate administrative tasks, such as preparing and sending digital and direct mail solicitations and closing communications, 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

Required

• Bachelor's degree in related field.

Preferred

• Advanced degree in nonprofit management, higher education, business, or a related field.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

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

Preferred

• Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising within a complex organization, ideally a university or higher education foundation.
• Experience with scholarship or student life fundraising.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Preferred

• Possesses a valid driver's license with the ability to be insured by Indiana University upon date of hire.
• Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) upon date of hire.

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.
• Possesses a high degree of initiative.

• Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents.

Preferred

• Strong analytical skills and CRM proficiency.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust quickly.
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and bringing clarity to complex situations.
• Ability to work effectively with stakeholders across disciplines and levels, including academic leaders and senior campus partners.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Understanding of scholarship fundraising and the ability to align donor passions with institutional priorities.
• Interest in continuous improvement and practical use of technology.
• Ability to confidently manages and advances a major gift portfolio.
• Understands scholarship fundraising and aligns donor passions with institutional priorities.
• Thrives in a matrixed environment and builds strong academic partnerships.
• Balances competing priorities while maintaining long-term strategic focus.
• Builds authentic relationships with donors, colleagues, staff, and campus leadership.
• Unlocks donor potential by connecting passion with purpose.

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 position requires some evening and weekend work for donor events and occasional in-state travel for donor visits.

$90,000.00 - $100,000.00 on an annualized basis.

Standard business hours

Monday-Friday

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: Advanced

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Development & Advancement

Job Family: Major, Plan, & Principal Gifts

Click here to learn more about Indiana University's Job Framework.

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.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, containing policy statements, crime and fire statistics for all Indiana University campuses, is available online. You may also request a physical copy by emailing IU Public Safety at iups@iu.edu or by visiting IUPD.

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Telephone: 812-856-1234