About the job
Harvard University is seeking a visionary and seasoned fundraising executive to spearhead its Gift Planning program within University Development. With a rich legacy of excellence, Harvard's Gift Planning program is recognized as a leader in the field, managing the largest portfolio of trusts in the industry.
The Harvard Gift Planning (HGP) team serves as the primary strategists for planned giving, collaborating with eight schools and several non-school units. HGP is a vital resource for developing policies, generating leads, capturing knowledge, coordinating marketing efforts, training staff, and fostering discussions on best practices across the university.
Reporting directly to the Senior Executive Director of University Development, the Executive Director will formulate, implement, and supervise a proactive fundraising strategy for planned gifts. This role will continue to set industry benchmarks while enhancing fundraising efforts across all Harvard schools and units, ensuring top-notch donor relationship management. The Executive Director will act as a programmatic leader, team manager, and frontline fundraiser, particularly for principal gift-level contributions. Additionally, this position will foster collaborative partnerships with the Directors of planned giving teams across the Harvard Schools and enhance the department's relationships with various school and unit partners.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and implement a comprehensive strategy to expand the University-wide planned giving initiative, establishing measurable objectives to identify, engage, and solicit prospective donors.
- Oversee a cohesive and effective communication, marketing, and recognition program for donor engagement.
- Facilitate university-wide meetings for planned giving professionals to discuss innovations and best practices, assessing industry trends to inform Harvard's strategies.
- Ensure a robust infrastructure for managing the health and impact of Harvard's planned gifts.
- Lead the integration of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) gift planning program into HGP, restructuring teams to align with FAS priorities while maintaining critical processes for FAS-specific needs.
