Director of Special Gifts

Director of Special Gifts

Southern Oregon University


Position Number: A00501

Rate: $66,555 - $76,500@ 1.0 FTE

Position Summary:
The Special Gifts Officer (SGO) is an integral member of the development team responsible for soliciting gifts between $1,000-$25,000 to support the mission and strategic direction of Southern Oregon University. The SGO will cultivate and manage relationships with new and prospective donors throughout the region and western U.S. The SGO will work cooperatively with foundation board members, affiliates, development staff, and members of the university's leadership team to increase the number of donors in the President's Circle and move through the pipeline mid-level donors who can support the university's inaugural comprehensive campaign. The SGO should be an energetic, organized and enthusiastic professional with a demonstrated track record of outstanding customer service and relationship-building skills. This is a tremendous opportunity for an enthusiastic professional to be part of a growing development program and to make a significant contribution to the university and its future. Reports to Vice President for University Advancement.

Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree.
  • Minimum five years of work experience in a professional, related field
     Energetic, creative, resourceful, and demonstrated initiative
  • Excellent communication skills with demonstrated ability to engage individuals in-person and in writing through articulate, compelling, and well-reasoned proposals.
  • Exceptional organizational skills, with the ability to work on deadline and manage multiple
    assignments at once.
  • Outstanding interpersonal and relationship building skills with all constituents along with a
    proven record of working independently and as part of a team, to achieve organizational goals.
  • Interest in and a passion for all aspects of education and a dedication to promoting the
    university's fundraising priorities for the benefit of the campus
  • PC proficiency (MS Office Suite in Windows environment); facility with Word and Excel
    required.
  • Valid driver's license. Local/regional/national travel required.


Preferred Qualification:
  • Experience working in a college environment with alumni and parent constituencies.
  • Previous work experience in fundraising.
  • Work with fundraising database software, Raiser's Edge preferred.


Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Excellent communication skills; ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing information in a clear and understandable manner.
• Ability to organize, train, and motivate staff particularly in the gift entry and biographical maintenance functions of the fund raising system.
•Ability to supervise and ensure the accurate processing of gifts and pledges and ensure processing deadlines are met.
•Knowledge of gift processing and stewardship policies and procedures, including IRS regulations. Organization, prioritization, judgment, discretion and problem-solving skills.
•A comprehensive understanding of Advancement Services as a functional area, including gift processing, stewardship, donor relations, customer service, prospect management, information security, and data maintenance
•Ability to understand alumni and development database structures, database development, and database management
•Ability to work under pressure in a thorough, organized, calm, and detail-oriented manner.
•Understanding of the confidential nature of fund raising efforts and donor information.
• Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
• Ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to adapt to and work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization.
• Working knowledge, or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies and procedures.

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) letter providing some detail of the applicant's qualifications and interest in the position; (2) current resume/CV; and (3) the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three professional references. If you are unable to attach the supplemental materials to the online application please contact Human Resources for assistance:

For inquiries and additional information, please contact: Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.

To view SOU's offers very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit: https://inside.sou.edu/assets/hrs/Benefits/2021_Employee_Benefits_Overview.pdf
Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://inside.sou.edu/hrs/comp-calc.html , demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.

Special Conditions
•Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
•Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
•Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
•Under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA):
-Position classification defined as "exempt" are not subject overtime
-Position classifications defined as "non exempt" are subject to overtime
•The person holding this position is considered a "mandated reporter" under the Oregon Revised Statues and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon department of Human Services.

Notice to Prospective Employees

Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the "Clery Act"),requires that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on use, possession and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.

An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR)can be accessed at the following link:
https://inside.sou.edu/assets/security/AnnualCrimeReportFinal.pdf. A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy please visit the Campus Public Safety Office at 382 Wightman Street, Ashland OR 97520. For more information call 541-552-6258, or email clerycoordinator@sou.edu.

All applicants must apply online at https://jobs.sou.edu/postings/10540 .

Diversity Statement
Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

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