Position Overview:

This is a full-time (1.0 FTE) exempt, regular, benefit-eligible staff position. Travel, as well as some evening and weekend work, is expected

The Associate Director is a key leader within the high-performing and collaborative Alumni Annual Fund (AAF) team. Collectively, the AAF team raises over $11 million annually and is recognized as a national model for alumni participation. This role helps drive the growth of two critical pillars of the Alumni Annual Fund’s success: Reunion Giving and the Three Oaks Society.

Compensation:

The expected starting salary range for this position is between $77,300 and $79,900. Actual pay will be adjusted based on job-related factors permitted by law, such as experience and training; licensure and certifications; market factors; departmental budgets; and responsibility.

Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities:

Relationship Management

• Cultivates and maintains productive working relationships with alumni leaders, including current and former Trustees, major and planned giving prospects, and the AAF Board.

• Acts as a strategic consultant to class leaders, guiding them in setting ambitious yet attainable goals that align with the College’s fiscal year participation and dollar goals.

• Identifies, recruits, and motivates a diverse pipeline of new AAF volunteers.

• Collaborates with the Alumni Relations team to provide a seamless, high-touch experience for reunion planning and fundraising committees.

• Partners directly with high-profile volunteers and gift prospects during their 15th and 20th Reunions.

• Coordinates with development colleagues on integrated strategies for major gift prospects, ensuring class-wide goals and individual gift strategies are aligned.

• Conducts regular check-ins with Three Oaks volunteers and prospects to provide "insider" institutional updates and gather donor feedback.

• Integrates with the Major Gifts team by attending their staff meetings to provide progress updates, coordinate outreach for staff-managed prospects, and maintain accurate donor lists to ensure a seamless strategy for Three Oaks and Bonfire Circle members, including those in the discovery phase.

Project Management:

• Facilitates class team meetings, ensuring volunteers remain accountable to project timelines and fundraising milestones.

• Develops and deploys compelling solicitation and stewardship content via mail, email marketing, texting, and video platforms.

• Strategizes plans and executes two to four Three Oaks Society stewardship events annually (virtual and in-person) to deepen donor engagement.

• Collaborates with divisional leadership to design elevated stewardship opportunities for the Bonfire Circle membership.

Program Management: Three Oaks Society

• Defines the strategic direction and annual goals for the Three Oaks Society in coordination with the AAF Board’s Leadership Giving Committee.

• Aligns messaging for leadership annual giving in partnership with the Director of Parent & Family Giving to ensure a unified donor experience across the Three Oaks Society.

• Ensures Three Oaks Society branding and opportunities are integrated into all class-based outreach.

• Monitors and analyzes donor data and giving patterns to identify new leadership-level prospects.

• Oversees the production of the annual Three Oaks Recognition Booklet and invitation materials, directing the work of the AAF Office Coordinator on data segmentation and fulfillment.

• Drafts high-level talking points and messaging for Development and Alumni Relations colleagues and volunteers to use in gift solicitations.

Program Management: Reunion Giving

• Innovates new methods to increase Three Oaks-level participation ($2,500+) within reunion classes in partnership with the Associate Director of Milestone Reunions.

• Develops specialized training and programming for volunteers during the Carleton Alumni Volunteer Experience (CAVE) to increase solicitation success.

• Tracks and analyzes income by reunion cohort, partnering with Development Operations to improve data systems and reporting.

Carleton College is an AA/EEO Employer: We are committed to developing our staff to better reflect the diversity of our student body and American society. Members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Required:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree.

• Mission Alignment: A deep appreciation for the residential liberal arts college experience.

• Strategic Mindset: An interest in how engagement, volunteerism, and philanthropy intersect to support an institution’s mission.

• Fosters a Culture of Belonging: Demonstrates a clear and consistent commitment to the College’s inclusion, diversity, and equity goals.

• Organization: Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple complex priorities.

• Communication: Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the discretion to handle sensitive and confidential information.

• Adaptability: Proven ability to work effectively with diverse communication and work styles in a team-oriented environment.

Carleton also offers a robust suite of benefits, including: A generous 403(b) retirement plan with a 10% employer contribution and 2% employee contribution. Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance. Paid time-off, including 25 annual leave days, 8 paid holidays, and extra days at the end of the calendar year to make a continuous week off before New Year’s. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all employees. A dependent tuition program after six years of service.

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college of roughly 2,000 students located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota. Carleton College occupies more than 1,000 scenic acres of campus, arboretum, over 100 campus buildings, and athletic fields. Located 40 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Carleton offers access to the cultural advantages of a major metropolitan area.

About Carleton College

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college of roughly 2,000 students located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota. Nationally recognized as the nation’s top college for undergraduate teaching, Carleton is known for its academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, and sense of humor. Carleton offers 33 majors and 38 minors in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, and social sciences.

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