Associate Director of Annual Giving, Office of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy

Thank you for your interest in working at William Paterson University.

We invite you to join William Paterson University: a wonderful community to learn, work, grow, and thrive. William Paterson University has been named to Forbes’ prestigious “Best Employers by State” list for 2024, recognizing the institution as one of the best-ranked employers in New Jersey based on nationwide surveys. WP is one of four education institutions on the Garden State’s list this year. Here is the link to the article forbes-best-in-state-employers-new-jersey-2024. William Paterson University is among more than 40 companies and organizations that will be honored with a 2024 NJBIZ Empowering Women Award for their commitment to supporting and elevating women employees.

William Paterson University employs approximately 1000 full time employees in the state who work in a variety of positions ranging from professors to administrative assistants and administrators, physical plant operations, campus police, athletics coaches, academic advisors, and more. William Paterson University supports a remote friendly hybrid work schedule for this role. William Paterson also boasts a four-day summer work week from mid-May to mid-August (Fridays off), during which all employees participate in our award-winning Summer Learning series.

Spanning more than 400 wooded acres in suburban Wayne, New Jersey – just 20 miles from New York City – our campus is one of the most diverse in the nation and it ranks in the top 4 percent of colleges for social mobility. William Paterson is a strong proponent of employees growing their careers there. More than fifty percent of the University’s roles are filled by promotions from within. We’re not only committed to social mobility for our students, but also for our employees.

Your work as a member of our team is important to our students and to the progress of our University. What you do here matters, and we value every contribution.

William Paterson University invites applications for the full-time 12-month position of Associate Director of Annual Giving within the Office of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy.

Reporting to the Director of Annual Giving, the Associate Director of Annual Giving will participate in the development and implementation of the comprehensive annual fund solicitation program which includes personal visits, direct mail, phonathon, email, texting and crowdfunding.

The Associate Director will be responsible for securing leadership gifts to the Annual Fund at the $500 level and above.  Gifts will include new, upgraded and renewal gifts across all University constituencies with a concentration on alumni. 

Department overview:

William Paterson University is dedicated to student success. Here students are challenged academically, mentored by their professors, and learn to become leaders and productive citizens. 

With state support declining, we are more dependent on private support to meet University needs.  This includes resources for the classroom, student scholarships and financial support for student and faculty research that will prepare students to compete in their discipline.

Many of our students struggle to afford the cost of tuition and graduate with more debt than their predecessors. The Office of Institutional Advancement is dedicated to bridging that gap.

For more information, please visit wpunj.edu/giving/

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Meet measurable targets related to personal visits, fundraising goals, solicitations of annual gifts, and cultivation and stewardship activities.
• Manage annual digital fundraising program by identifying and implementing opportunities for growth in online giving and donor counts with special attention to engagement and retention; setting goals and objectives; and developing action plans to achieve those goals and objectives.  Write copy, create web assets and develop marketing tool kits for campus partners to maximize giving.
• Serve as lead project manager for signature crowdfunding campaigns such as Fall Giving Day. Identify ways to strengthen the relationship between university and donor interests through use of best practices pertaining to solicitation content.
• Partner with the Institutional Advancement team and University colleagues to promote and manage pipeline of prospects and donors.
• Lead senior class giving program and manage senior class gift graduate assistant. Manage crowdfunding platform, collaborate with campus partners and publicize through in-person events.
• Participate in the planning and execution of cultivation events for donors and potential prospects.
• Develop annual fund materials to support the department’s operational and strategic plans.
• Assist in the analysis of data regarding annual giving strategies and giving trends for the purpose of improving program results.
• Manage a portfolio of annual giving prospects with the responsibility for cultivation, solicitation and stewardship annually. Conduct a minimum of seven face-to face prospect visits a month.

​Required qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s Degree
• At least three years of prior Annual Fund experience or related development experience.
• Measurable success in achieving fundraising goals.
• Working knowledge of social media and relevant technology skills.
• Working knowledge of Banner Advance or similar fundraising software.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel applications.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Ability and willingness to travel within the local area.
• Ability and willingness to attend University events both on and off campus, some are on nights and weekends.

 Personal traits and attributes:

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in written and oral format.
• Able to chart a clear vision of future objectives and capable of prioritizing work to achieve stated and agreed upon goals.
• Able to hold confidential information with discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to build networks and collaborative relationships in a complex environment with competing needs and wants.

Invitation to apply

Interested candidates will be prompted to complete an application and submit a cover letter and resume/CV.

Submission of all documents listed is required for consideration and all documents should be uploaded where prompted to upload your resume/cv.

General questions related to this application process, please contact talent@wpunj.edu

Total Rewards:

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EEO Statement

William Paterson University is dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race or ethnicity, sex/gender (including pregnancy), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, civil union status, familial status, religion, national origin or citizenship, military service status, or any other category protected by law. William Paterson University does not discriminate on the basis of any category stated above or as prohibited by applicable law. Individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit University Facts