Senior Advancement Officer

Kappa Delta Sorority Memphis, Tennessee, United States

About this position


  

JOB TITLE: Senior Advancement Officer
SUPERVISOR: Director of Development
STATUS: Full-Time Exempt

LOCATION: Remote or Memphis, TN (candidates in proximity to Memphis, TN required to work in office 4-days)

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The Kappa Delta Foundation exists to raise funds that enable Kappa Delta to fulfill its vision: to build confidence and inspire members to action. The Senior Advancement Officer is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a portfolio of approximately 100 to 125 qualified major and planned giving prospects. This position plays a pivotal role in securing transformational support for scholarships, leadership programs, and philanthropic priorities. The Senior Advancement Officer will design and execute strategies to deepen donor relationships, increase giving, and ensure long-term donor engagement in alignment with the Foundation’s fundraising goals.

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS/WHAT YOU’LL INFLUENCE:

The Senior Advancement Officer directly fuels the scholarships, leadership experiences and educational initiatives that build confidence and inspire members to action. Through strategic relationship-building and thoughtful solicitation, this role will help transform generosity into opportunity, ensuring members have access to the resources that shape their college experience and their lives beyond graduation. The work will influence not only annual fundraising results but the long-term strength of our endowment, campaign success and the Foundation’s future sustainability.

This role will influence:

  • The expansion and health of our major gift pipeline
  • The success of future campaign priorities
  • Donor retention and portfolio upgrades
  • Long-term endowment growth and sustainability
  • Alumni engagement in philanthropy at a deeper level

The ability to move donors from interest to investment ensures that our scholarships, leadership programs and educational priorities continue to grow in both reach and impact. This is not simply a fundraising role, it is a relationship leadership role that shapes the Foundation’s future.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

  • Major & Planned Gift Fundraising
  • Develop and implement strategies to grow major and planned gifts, focusing on endowment, leadership, and campaign priorities.
  • Manage a portfolio of100to 125 qualified prospects, each with an individualized cultivation and solicitation plan.
  • Conduct at least 100 meaningful donor interactions annually, including personal visits, phone calls, and virtual engagements.
  • Solicit and close major gifts both personally and through Foundation leadership and volunteers.
  • Collaborate with communications staff to develop proposals and tailored donor materials.
  • Prospect Identification & Pipeline Growth
  • Research, identify, and qualify new major gift prospects using prospecting tools and referrals.
  • Advance prospects through the moves management cycle, ensuring timely progress toward solicitation.
  • Provide Director of Development with weekly updates and submit monthly and quarterly reports for executive and board review.
  • Donor Stewardship & Relationship Management
  • Ensure personalized stewardship and recognition for all major donors, with acknowledgments sent within 5 business days of receipt.
  • Maintain regular contact with donors, ensuring at least5 to 7stewardship touchpoints annually for each portfolio donor.
  • Serve as a spokesperson for the Foundation when appropriate, articulating the mission and impact of donor support to diverse audiences.
  • Board & Committee Support
  • Serve as staff support on assigned Foundation board committees.
  • Provide donor insights and updates to support board engagement in fundraising efforts.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS & LEVELING ALIGNMENT:

Targeted Goals:

  • Maintain a portfolio of 100 to 125 qualified prospects with updated cultivation and solicitation strategies.
  • Responsible for achieving an annual personal fundraising goal aligned with Foundation benchmarks and campaign priorities.
  • Achieve an annual portfolio upgrade/retention rate of 50% or higher.
  • Identify and qualify new major gift prospects for future pipeline development.
  • Ensure 100% on-time submission of weekly, monthly, and quarterly donor activity reports.
  • Play a key role in preparing for and executing comprehensive campaign initiatives, including leadership prospect identification and campaign strategy support.
  • Ensure timely and accurate documentation of all donor activity in the Foundation’s CRM systemin accordance with established reporting standards.

Qualifications:

  • Exhibit persuasive oral and written communication skills to build a case for financial support. 
  • Work well with others, be a team player with Superior interpersonal skills. 
  • Highly motivated, self-directed and achievement oriented.
  • Willingness to travel for cultivation and solicitation visits as directed by the Director of Development and to other events as directed.
  • Proven track record of cultivating, soliciting and stewarding donors for annual and major gifts.

Key Attributes:

  • Positive attitude and strong work ethic
  • Team-oriented professional work style
  • Strong organizational skills and detail oriented
  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and strong interpersonal skills
  • Attention to deadlines with the ability to manage competing demands for time
  • Strong computer skills, proficiency in MicrosoftWord, Excel and PowerPoint with the ability to learn new technology quickly
  • Experience with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and moves management process is a plus
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking skills
  • Willingness to travel (up to 25%) for conferences and donor cultivation, solicitation and events.
  • Membership in Kappa Delta Sorority or another Greek organization is a plus

Physical and Environmental Requirements: 

  • Must be able to operate a computer and navigate applications with a smart phone, computer, and or tablet.
  • Position may require prolonged periods of sitting.  
  • Must be able to use hand and arms for repetitive movement such as movement of wrists, hands, and fingers while typing. 
  • Must be able to converse with colleagues via phone and computer programs. 
  • Vision required to see electronic devices.
  • Some travel is required.
  • When working remotely work should be performed in a private, quiet space with minimal background noise.

Job responsibilities and tasks are subject to change based on the needs of the organization and at the direction of the Director of Development and/or the Executive Director.