As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

UW Medicine Advancement has an outstanding opportunity for an Assistant Director for Philanthropy.

At UW Medicine, we work to improve health for all people through excellence in clinical, research, and education and training programs. As the only comprehensive clinical, research and learning health system in the five-state WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region, UW Medicine provides the most up-to-date care for each individual patient, leads one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive medical research programs, and provides innovative learning programs for students, trainees, and practitioners in the health professions.

The passionate, 70-person team at UW Medicine Advancement works collaboratively to connect donors with meaningful opportunities to enhance patient care, expand educational opportunities and advance research at UW Medicine. This inspiring, challenging and rewarding work provides team members an opportunity to grow their careers, while making a difference in people’s lives, in our community and around the world. In the 2022 fiscal year, UW Medicine Advancement raised $284 million in gifts and private grants (46 percent of the University of Washington’s total) from nearly 14,000 donors to support the mission of UW Medicine.

The Assistant Director for Philanthropy (payroll title: Development Officer) is responsible for securing major gifts ($25,000+) and cultivating donors who have the capacity to give at that level to support the Departments of Rehabilitation Medicine, Neurology, and Neurological Surgery. Such activities may include scholarships, professorships, programmatic support, support for faculty initiatives, outright and endowed support, and interdisciplinary projects that may span across UW Medicine. The Assistant Director will help develop annual fundraising plans as assigned.

The Assistant Director reports to the Senior Director for Philanthropy and will be expected to work closely with senior UW Medicine administrative leadership, department chairs, academic leaders, faculty, and volunteers to identify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospective donors for gifts in support of UW Medicine.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct Fundraising Responsibilities:

Manage a portfolio of 100 to 125 major gift prospective donors ($25k+) with a focus on those individuals with potential of $10,000 or more. Donor prospects include grateful patients, faculty, emeritus faculty and alumni, staff, friends of UW Medicine, trustees, and key business and community leaders. Develop and implement a cultivation and solicitation strategy for each assigned major gift prospective donor. Record and track all activity using the University’s prospect management and tracking system. Prepare written proposals, informational materials, endowment agreements, gift illustrations, and other materials needed to secure major gifts. For each major gift donor managed, develop appropriate stewardship activities within the context of the overall stewardship plan.

Maintain a “Top 25” pool of prospective major and planned gift donors who will be solicited in the next 12-18 month period.

Make approximately 8 to 10 strategic cultivation, solicitation, or stewardship contacts each month to major gift prospective donors that move the potential donor toward major gift commitment. Face-to-face visits are preferred, unless the prospective donor indicates otherwise. Seek opportunities to engage prospects, and current and lapsed donors to increase major and principal gift commitments and expand overall donor pipeline.

Develop and present 12 to 20 major gift proposals each year with a target of securing an average of $300,000-$500,000 in new commitments.

As appropriate, identify, recruit, train, and develop leadership roles for volunteers who assist with major gift fundraising activities. Staff volunteer fundraising partnerships and committees as assigned.

Activities in Support of Direct Fundraising:

As needed, coordinate major gift fundraising activities with UW and UW Medicine colleagues in Gift Planning, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Principal Gifts, Regional Gifts, etc.

Work with UW and UW Medicine colleagues to develop special events, marketing materials, and donor relations activities to support major gift fundraising.

Encourage department chairs, division heads and faculty to actively and productively participate in the fundraising process; faculty are very busy with responsibilities in research, teaching, and clinical care.

Working collaboratively with diverse constituencies (faculty, staff, patients, community leaders, volunteers) with diverse goals and expectations.

Work with UW and UW Medicine colleagues to develop special events, marketing materials, and donor relations activities to support major gift fundraising.

Seek appropriate training opportunities, including training necessary for proficiency in the use of gift planning techniques.

Prepare annual operating plan and progress reports as requested.

Complete annual performance self-assessment as key component of Annual Review.

Complete other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree and three or more years of progressively responsible experience in institutional advancement, preferably with experience in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding leadership gifts, and/or working in higher education or health care advancement.

Additional requirements:

Values the UW’s commitment to inclusiveness and UW Medicine’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization. Demonstrates respect and commitment to diversity.

Experience with face-to-face cultivation and solicitation activities.

Ability to write clearly and concisely in order to distill complex scientific/medical information and data; ability to multi-task and complete assigned projects in a timely manner with the utmost attention to detail.

Strong interpersonal skills and customer service orientation. Poised, professional manner and the ability to communicate clearly, directly and empathetically in all interactions: verbal and written communications, one-on-one conversations and in groups, etc.

Ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations, exercise good judgment based on information and analysis in a fast-paced, dynamic, deadline-driven environment in an organized and professional manner.

Demonstrated ability to maintain confidences and protect confidential information.

Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

Equivalent education/experience may substitute for stated requirements.

Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum requirements.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience with grateful patient fundraising in a comprehensive health system setting.

Advancement experience in a health care, higher education and/or research settings.

At least 3 years of major and planned gift fundraising.

Attitudes, Behaviors and Skills We Value At UW Medicine Advancement

Placing team goals before individual goals

Assuming the best of intentions from faculty and colleagues

Embracing a spirit of continuous improvement

o Focus on the highest priorities and manage time accordingly
o Manage and improve programs independently and build ownership over time
o Anticipate needed next steps; think through problems
o Approach work strategically, keeping the big picture in mind
o Address problems proactively and present potential solutions for resolution

Learning from each other

o Demonstrate the desire to learn new things while also meeting current position responsibilities
o Take the time to build fluency in ALL fundraising operations
o Be a proactive problem-solver; show resourcefulness in anticipating and addressing issues and concerns

Demonstrating professionalism

o Transparency: Be honest and straightforward with colleagues and donors
o Attitude: Work with a positive and collaborative approach
o Humility: Share credit generously; take ownership of challenges (“be generous with credit and selfish with blame”)
o Dedication: Consistently follow through; keep your word

Maintaining high emotional intelligence

o Build, maintain and recover relationships with internal and external constituents
o Partner and communicate well with supervisor and peers
o Hone self-awareness, including the ability to admit mistakes and knowing when to correct course

OTHER

Occasional regional travel required. The successful candidate will be expected to have regular, reliable transportation for local travel and be willing to travel when necessary.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.