Job Title: Major Gift Assistant
Classification: C4
Department: University Development               
Updated: March 2019

Job Summary

This position assists the Directors of Corporate Giving, Foundation Giving, major gift officers and the Seidman College of Business Development Officer to achieve their campaign goals by providing support and administrative support services.  This position must exercise discretion and confidential and administrative judgment concerning the procedures to use in accordance with University Development policies.

Essential Functions

• Responsible for specific projects and activities whether self-initiated or initiated by the Director(s) which may involve planning and coordinating work, and analyzing and preparing reports, complex correspondence, making recommendations and other duties associated with the successful conducting and completion of campaigns and securing special gifts.
• Performs administrative work, correspondence and calls of al confidential nature.
• Compiles, initiates, and logically formats complex reports of gifts, pledges, payments received from major fundraising projects, assuring accuracy of multiple sources of information including donors, designation, recognition, statistical data, and campaign reports.
• Develops, prepares, proofreads and/or composes correspondence requiring excellent judgment and discretion, routinely edits materials for internal and external communications.
• Maintains and monitors/analyzes complex budgetary campaign records and reports by performing duties such as reconciling, monitoring, verifying expenditures, reviewing budget statements regarding status of accounts and making recommendations as to projected budget.
• Acts with a high degree of independence as liaison with inside and outside contacts in preparing meeting materials, minutes, campaign and project updates, and other support functions.
• Originates and crafts correspondence, reports and other materials to major individuals, corporate and foundations prospects, and donors, as appropriate.
• Receives information and requests from diverse publics, both internal and external to the University and determines the appropriate way to handle.
• Interacts with the public including calling and scheduling appointments for campaign and projects asks, which can and often includes coordination with the Vice President of Development, Executive Leadership, Deans, Board of Trustees and Grand Valley Foundation members and other major donors.
• Compiles data and materials for presentations, meeting, and proposals, often confidential in nature.
• Maintains, processes and manipulates data on a personal computer using work processing, data and spreadsheet software.
• Assists in developing and editing campaign and special project structure, which includes; assisting in creating campaign materials, committee rosters, setting up data files in computer for committee members, tracking prospects & donors for solicitation letters, proposals, etc.
• Responsible for all campaign information for current major campaigns (proposals to corporations, foundations & individuals; invitations & RSVPs to campaign fundraising events and committee meetings; tracking sheets, committee correspondence and thank-you letters to donors) and stewardship information for all past campaigns.
• Receives information in various forms and determines the appropriate method of processing (pertaining to current major campaigns, the GVU Foundation members, or donations to GVSU).
• Compiles and logically formats statistical data and tracking of various information such as creation and updating Campaign Gift Charts, prospect charts & Donor tracking charts, etc.
• Disseminates information which may require explanation and interpretation of established Development Office policies and procedures, and directs individuals to sources of additional information.
• Creates reports unique to each campaign that motivate both the donors & committee members.
• Responsible for monitoring RSVPs for Campaign and/or Special Gifts events and committee meetings, making attendance lists, and follow-up correspondence.

Non-Essential Functions

Not Applicable

Required Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Minimum of four years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated administrative and organizational skills.
• Experience with various computer software applications such as Microsoft Office and/or equivalent.
• Data entry experience.
• Typing and spelling competency with grammar and proofreading skills.
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully provide quality customer service.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully work independently, organize own work and coordinate work activities of others.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully coordinate large projects.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully handle multiple demands efficiently.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully organize and prioritize workload.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully navigate challenging situations in the workplace, while using good judgement.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully maintain satisfactory work performance and attendance records.
• Ability to successfully maintain positive intercultural and interpersonal relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Higher education experience
• Supervisory experience

Supervision Received

Receives minimal supervision from a designated supervisor. Much of the work is self-initiated.  Person is expected to function with considerable independence and apply appropriate policies and procedures within the assigned area of responsibility.

Supervision Exercised

Hire, train, schedule and coordinate the work of student employees and may act as lead worker to PSS staff members within the department/unit/division. 

Physical Demands

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

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