Development Associate- Annual Giving (Finance)

Department: Annual Giving Salary: Commensurate with Experience/Education
Description:

Participates in the development and implementation of advancement programs (annual funds, major gifts, alumni relations, special events, stewardship, public relations, etc.); plans and executes related activities and administrative functions; provides technical knowledge and experience in basic fundraising principles and advancement activities.

1. Assists development leadership in developing and implementing alumni and donor engagement strategies, donor identification and cultivation, and major gift prospect research.
2. Directly coordinates with donors, faculty, and advancement staff to facilitate acceptance of gifts in kind, gift transmittals, gift agreements, and naming opportunities.
3. Works with the Office of Annual Giving to develop annual fund solicitations.
4. Develops and prepares acknowledgements, newsletters, brochures, press releases, reports, correspondence, and informational and solicitation materials for various advancement activities.
5. Supports the efforts of the development office to coordinate advisory board meetings, fundraising events, and activities to recruit volunteers, build relations with alumni, and maintain good will with various constituent groups.
6. Provides guidance and supervision as needed to student organizations and other volunteer student organizations involved in fund-raising and other advancement activities.
7. Executes various administrative functions such as preparing and monitoring budgets.
8. Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

MQ: Education: Requires a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of an analytical, technical or professional discipline; or the basic knowledge of more than one professional discipline. Knowledge of the discipline is normally obtained through a formal, directly job-related 4-year degree from a college or university or an equivalent in-depth specialized training program that is directly related to the type of work being performed.

Experience: No experience required.

Certification/Licensing: None

The Position:
• Serves as the lead for securing event sponsorship and driving table/ticket sales for specific events to achieve outlined revenue targets.
• Identification and outreach to previous donors/attendees to encourage attendance and participation.
• Coordinates and executes centralized annual giving projects and programs, including the Fund for UH and other key campaign priorities, such as targeted appeals, donor engagement initiatives and stewardship efforts.
• Supports the planning, implementation and tracking of initiatives including direct mail, email outreach and digital campaigns to drive donor acquisition, retention and revenue growth.
• Represents the internal clients, their funding priorities and the ability to effectively articulate the goals of each initiative.
• Manages internal communications and reporting, including donor segmentation, proofing and quality assurance
• Tracks and analyzes sponsorship and revenue generation performance metrics and provide actionable insights and contribute to continuous improvement.
• Assists in coordinating additional centralized programs, ensuring consistent donor experience and alignment with campaign goals.

Required Experience:
• Experience supporting annual giving, fundraising campaigns, event sponsorship and ticket sales or related development programs.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines and priorities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in CRM systems (e.g., Blackbaud CRM) for data management and reporting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail and proofing ability.
• Analytical mindset with experience tracking and reporting on performance metrics.
• Positive and professional demeanor with a customer-service focus and ability to build strong relationships with colleagues, vendors and donors.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and comfort with email marketing tools and digital platforms.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline- driven environment.

All positions at the University of Houston-System are security sensitive and will require a criminal history check.

The University of Houston System and its universities are an Equal Opportunity Institution.