City : Hamilton

Category : Other

Industry : Education

Employer : McMaster University

Are you interested in helping to create a Brighter World?

McMaster University fuels curiosity, inquiry and discovery.  Every day, we push the boundaries of knowledge through our world-class, interdisciplinary research and our ground-breaking approaches to teaching and learning.  Our students, researchers and staff are among the best and brightest.  

University Advancement at McMaster University is an integrated department working collaboratively with McMaster’s Faculties and units across campus. These areas coordinate their activities and work as a team to build relationships, reputation, and resources on behalf of the University.

The Development team within University Advancement formulates strategies, develops programs, and executes campaigns and initiatives as the primary area of the University responsible for raising private revenue for McMaster. Providing support to the President and the Vice-Presidents and working with the Deans and other leaders and units across campus, the department ensures that McMaster is well-positioned for continual growth to help lift the University’s overall fundraising and revenue generation performance on a sustainable basis.

As one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, McMaster is committed to advancing inclusive excellence and employment equity in the workplace. We encourage qualified candidates to apply from equity seeking groups such as women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, persons with a disability, persons who identify in the LGBTQ2S+ community and others who reflect the diversity of Canadian society.

Job Summary:

The Director of Advancement, Bequests and Planned Giving is responsible for developing and overseeing a comprehensive planned giving program for McMaster University and creating planned giving strategies for the university and its units. This position is responsible for the development and monitoring of McMaster’s planned giving policies, marketing efforts, and fundraising strategies to enhance and grow the philanthropic base of planned gifts to support McMaster’s strategic priorities.

Reporting into the Chief Development Officer (Programs), the Director of Advancement, Bequests and Planned Giving is a leader within the University Advancement team. The incumbent shares responsibility for achieving University Advancement’s mission:

Inspired by McMaster’s tradition of collaboration and innovation, we strengthen relationships, reputation and resources in pursuit of our goal to be the best.

The position is also instrumental in University Advancement’s vision:

Together, we enable McMaster to advance human and societal health and well-being.

The Director of Advancement, Bequests and Planned Giving builds relationships on behalf of the University that support the overall institutional mission and proactively develops relationships and seeks opportunities for new revenue in support of McMaster’s research and educational goals, with many of the University’s funders and supporters. The Director of Advancement, Bequests and Planned Giving is responsible for leading development initiatives for Faculties and units related to gift planning.

The Director meets with donors, attorneys, trustees, and financial advisors to discuss opportunities to support McMaster and its Faculties/units through deferred and planned giving vehicles. The position requires extensive background and expert knowledge of bequests, annuities and trusts, giving through life insurance, and other pertinent future giving options. The position involves a full range of donor cultivation duties, including working with University Advancement colleagues to develop planned giving as a critical component of a strategic fundraising plan. The position requires work with the lead philanthropy staff in each of McMaster’s Faculties/units as part of a team to diversify funding resources and engage in long-term financial planning, including creation of endowment and other permanent financial resources and works with donors to secure major and planned gift support.

Responsibilities:

• Devise a strategic planning approach in the creation and implementation of bequest and planned giving goals.
• Develop strategies for researching, identifying, engaging, and soliciting donors and prospects to secure planned gifts for McMaster University
• Driving plans for philanthropy leads for each of McMaster’s Faculties/units to develop a targeted planned giving plan for each faculty/unit.
• Develop strategies to ensure confirmed future gifts to the university, and individually confirm future gifts and current gifts.
• Develop and lead charitable gift annuity, endowment, bequest, life insurance and other planned and complex gift options to benefit McMaster University.
• Develop and execute strategic and creative planned giving communications including articles, presentations, brochures and other marketing and educational materials to market planned gifts to donors in collaboration with the marketing and communications staff.
• Establish and provide oversight of recognition opportunities.
• Personally build and manage portfolio of high net worth major and principal planned gift donors and prospects with significant impact on overall institutional financial goals and revenue.
• Design and implement individual giving strategies, and engage donors and prospects through written proposals, personal contacts, and visits.
• Work within a key performance indicator environment to achieve quantifiable goals based on mutually agreed upon targets of irrevocable and revocable gifts while documenting prospect and donor actions and contacts through the university’s prospect management system.
• Identify and participate in planned giving speaking engagements and opportunities throughout the province.
• Deliver regular internal educational planned giving presentations to staff and volunteers on planned gift options, and serve as a subject matter expert for colleagues.
• Work closely with professional advisors regarding charitable estate planning to educate about the work of McMaster University, and charitable gift options to enhance their clients’ financial and estate plans.
• Maintain current knowledge and advise on the impacts to changes in tax laws and other emerging issues in the planned giving field.
• Maintain active involvement in planned giving and philanthropy professional associations at provincial and national level.
• Advise in the development and monitoring of McMaster’s planned giving policies.
• Lead the planned giving team in the development and execution of bequest and planned giving goals.

Qualifications:

Education:

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree at minimum. A Master’s degree would be considered an asset.
• Preferred Education: Advanced degree in law, business, communications, organization management, or health would be considered desirable
• CFRE designation desirable

Experience:

• 8-10+ years of related work experience required.
• 8 years minimum of demonstrated fundraising experience in planned giving with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Experience in leading a team is required.
• Specialized training in financial and/or estate planning, tax law, and philanthropy.
• Philanthropy-based experience in a university or other complex organization highly desired.
• Knowledge of planned giving vehicles, current trends in philanthropy, donor advised funds and basic estate and financial planning for individuals, including tax implications of charitable giving.
• Public relations and marketing experience is a plus.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Working knowledge of the post-secondary sector and current trends advancement in North America.
• Proficiency with computerized information management in an advancement setting.
• Strong oral and written communications skills and organizational skills; self-directed with ability to meet deadlines.
• Thorough knowledge of and substantial experience with leadership, capital campaigns, and planned giving.
• Able to deal effectively with people and inspire others to perform at a high level of efficiency and productivity.
• The ability to communicate effectively with academics, colleagues, donors, and university leadership.
• Achievement oriented, a team player, and a successful team builder.
• Capable of developing and implementing clear goals, systems, and priorities.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and skilled at developing relationships both internally and externally with various constituencies.
• Professionalism and discretion in interpersonal communications.
• Willingness to travel to meet with alumni and donors.