Position Classification Title: Associate Director of Donor Relations

Incentive Compensation: 10% of Base Salary

About Us:

The New Mexico State University Foundation invites you to apply to join our diverse, dynamic, and welcoming team in Las Cruces, NM. The NMSU Foundation seeks to provide the pinnacle career experience for each member of our team. The Foundation is seeking talented individuals who are passionate about the mission of NMSU and committed to a continual pursuit of excellence. We build strong relationships with alumni, supporters, NMSU partners, and each other, while personifying our core values of integrity, teamwork, stewardship, innovation, and fun.

Established in 1959, the New Mexico State University Foundation’s mission is to build a brighter future for NMSU, one relationship at a time. As an independent nonprofit organization, the Foundation is the primary fundraising and alumni relations institution for NMSU. We are charged with raising and managing gifts of all types and coordinating the alumni association. We invest endowed gifts and disburse funding each year for the purposes designated by donors. The Foundation coordinates the efforts of the NMSU Alumni Association, which galvanizes the enthusiasm and loyalty of the NMSU alumni network of over 147,000 graduates to support the mission of NMSU while becoming better connected with each other.

Our team partners with alumni, corporations, foundations, and other supporters who want to match their charitable passions with opportunities for purposeful philanthropy and personal engagement at NMSU. Gifts create scholarships, advance faculty endeavors, enhance student programs, and make new and renovated educational and athletic facilities possible. These generous investments greatly enhance NMSU’s land grant mission to provide the highest quality academic programs, develop new understandings through research and creativity, and provide extension services across our state and region.

We offer a highly competitive salary including incentive compensation, an industry-leading benefits package, and a fun and fulfilling work environment. Qualified individuals with a high level of energy who are looking for a work environment that nurtures vision, performance, productivity, superior quality, and unsurpassed integrity are encouraged to apply for this career opportunity.

NMSU is New Mexico’s flagship land-grant and space-grant institution. Founded in 1888, NMSU is the oldest institution of higher education in the state and is a Hispanic-serving institution and a comprehensive research university dedicated to teaching, research, service, and outreach. NMSU serves more than 14,000 students from 49 states and 89 foreign countries and is among the best universities in the nation at moving students from the lowest income tier to the top. Over 50% of NMSU students are first-generation college students and over 60% are Hispanic, meaning that NMSU is one of the most important and effective drivers of economic mobility in the state. Las Cruces is located 45 miles north of El Paso, TX, and features an average of 294 days of sunshine annually. Situated in the heart of the historic Mesilla Valley between the Organ Mountains, Robledo Mountains, and Picacho Peak, Las Cruces is ideal for job seekers who enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and birdwatching. Las Cruces is New Mexico’s second-largest city and home to 111,000 residents. The median home price in Las Cruces is $285,000, far below the national average of $425,000.

Job Summary:

Provides leadership, strategic vision, and management of the day-to-day operations for stewardship and donor relations efforts to support the Foundation’s advancement goals. This position will be responsible for providing outstanding customer service and enhancing relationships with donors via the Foundation’s existing infrastructure, while innovatively developing new stewardship programming to ensure that donor receive a joyful and fulfilling philanthropic experience. Additionally, this position will provide leadership to the development and external relations staff to implement programs that leverage donor relationships to connect with and increase donor engagement. This position will also cultivate and broaden donor interest in continued financial support of the Foundation and in planning and implementing major events, while ensuring that donors are properly stewarded for their philanthropic support.

Essential Functions:

• Oversees and is responsible for the strategic planning, implementation and evaluation of stewardship and donor relations initiatives that support the Foundation’s advancement goals and that are in alignment with the university's strategic plan.
• Liaises and consults with donors and advisory councils within NMSU departments and college and University leaders, such as Deans, Department Heads, Student Success, and Marketing and Communication in order to increase engagement with donors.
• Utilizes market research, stewardship and donor relations best practices, and trends to develop and pilot new programs as well as establish and implement engagement metrics to measure and evaluate effectiveness.
• Develops and manages donor activities and giving societies based on Foundation and university priorities.
• Establishes functional reporting system for university partners that is focused on stewardship and donor relations.
• Creates and sustains a program of donor recognition. Collaborates with campus affiliates to create and communicate recognition events for donors. Maintains awareness of external recognition opportunities to elevate the state, national, and global recognition for donors.
• Collaborates with internal stakeholders to streamline cultivation efforts to ensure a consistent and professional approach, and to provide multiple opportunities for donor stewardship.
• Serves as a representative of the Foundation at events, internal and external to campus.
• Responsible for hiring, training, supervising, and motivating a strong and strategically-focused team. This includes goal setting, performance evaluations, and assisting with employee relations issues.
• Manages and coordinates the processes that support data collection, data transfer, direct mailings, broadcast emails, social media, and promotional events.
• Participate in the strategic and long-range planning for new initiatives and programs designed to enhance the donor relations and/or stewardship activities.
• Plans and coordinates special events, including donor recognition events, receptions, and giving societies.
• Develops and presents educational programs for donors, including lectures, seminars, and workshops.
• Coordinates and trains volunteers who work on events, projects, and programs.
• Manages budgets.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Required Education, Knowledge, Experience & Certification/License

• An energetic, well-grounded, innovative, service-oriented personality and calculated risk taker with a bias for action, a record of setting and surpassing objectives, and the proven “can do” attitude and drive to execute strategies and produce results beyond expectations.
• Willingness to try new approaches and learn new skills.
• Must be organized, versatile, and a self-starter.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to be a team player in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
• Willingness and ability to be involved in the local community and beyond as deemed appropriate.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of communications and public relations and its role in advancing an organizational agenda.
• Ability to collaborate and influence, with integrity, and represent the Foundation in a professional manner.
• Knowledge of data management techniques.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Skill in the use of personal computers and related software applications. Database management skills.
• Ability to plan, organize, and facilitate a range of special events.
• Ability to develop, prepare, and deliver effective education programs, seminars and workshops relating to donor relations.
• Ability to train and motivate volunteers.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Public Relations, Communications, Education, Higher Education, or a related field.
• 6 years experience in customer service, project management, external relations, higher education alumni or advancement, non-profit fundraising, community organizations, or a related field.
• 1 year of experience supervising full time employees.