Executive Director, Annual Giving Channel Fundraising

Department
ADV Communications
About the Department
The University of Chicago has partnered with Lindauer, a national search and talent firm, to conduct this search. Andrew Machado, Senior Consultant is leading the recruitment. Inquiries, applications, and nominations must be sent by email to Andrew Machado, Senior Consultant or Faith Montgomery, Executive Vice President. Please note all job seekers wishing to be considered for the position must also submit their materials through the University’s Workday site.
The University of Chicago Advancement team cultivates lifelong connections with more than 220,000 alumni, current students, parents, and friends worldwide, building community through intellectual, professional, and other meaningful experiences on campus, around the world and online. Advancement empowers every division, school, department, and institute to thrive, generating support for esteemed faculty, pioneering researchers, visionary practitioners, and ambitious students.
During the Chicago Minds campaign, Advancement seeks to raise over $1 billion annually. This unprecedented philanthropic effort is designed to stretch the boundaries of what is possible, fueling bold discovery and amplifying the University’s global impact.
Our work is rooted in the belief that meaningful connection and lasting experiences inspire ambassadorship and enduring commitment. We champion a culture of innovation and excellence, inviting every member of our community to participate in a future defined by creativity, intellectual rigor, and shared purpose. Through collaborative partnerships, strategic stewardship, and investment in talent, Advancement is reimagining alumni and donor engagement while ensuring UChicago remains a catalyst of impact for generations to come.
The Communications team within the Office of Advancement advances ambitious fundraising and constituent engagement goals by partnering with stakeholders across the University to shape and brand communications that engage, inspire, steward, and inform alumni, donors, and friends of the University of Chicago.
Job Summary
The Executive Director, Annual Giving Channel Fundraising leads the development, execution, and management of a comprehensive, multi-channel direct response program. This position balances high-level strategy and organizational leadership with direct oversight of the annual giving appeals team, ensuring both the vision and day-to-day operations of the program are executed with excellence. This position also manages multiple related teams of managers and professional staff responsible for the institution’s campaign for annual gift support from all constituents, including alumni. A key priority of this role is cultivating and elevating awareness and understanding of the importance of annual giving across the University community, building a culture of philanthropy that engages alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends as active participants in the institution's long-term success.
Reporting to the AVP of Marketing and Communications for Advancement, the Executive Director will lead the strategy and execution of the University’s multi-channel annual giving direct marketing program for the schools and divisions that rely on central support, with an emphasis on donor retention, acquisition, and pipeline development. The Executive Director will also serve as a strategic counsel and partner to the University’s Directors of Development, helping them identify opportunities to increase capacity in their areas beyond the support provided by the University Advancement team. This is also an opportunity to build upon the recent rollout of the Chicago Fund, the University's first cross-institutional annual fund, and to help establish a more unified, recognizable annual-giving identity among its community of stakeholders.
The successful candidate will bring genuine command of annual giving as a discipline, paired with the instincts of an entrepreneur and a talent for building trust across a large, complex organization. This leader will also be an experienced manager who can mentor a talented team, with the latitude to hire into several open roles and shape the function from the ground up. Above all, the University is looking for a leader who's genuinely excited by the challenge and sees this moment as a chance to help shape how a great university builds lifelong philanthropic culture among its alumni.
This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.
Responsibilities
Develops and implements comprehensive and innovative annual giving strategies for units managed by University Advancement, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and maintaining consistent messaging and donor experience standards.
Serves as a strategic advisor and partner to unit leadership and Directors of Development, helping identify opportunities to build lasting fundraising capacity with and beyond University Advancement support.
Designs and manages multi-channel fundraising programs including direct mail, digital campaigns, and events, adapting strategies for different donor segments and personas.
Stewards the University’s ongoing rollout of the Chicago Fund, the University’s first cross-institutional annual fund, sustaining productive relationships with units navigating this institutional shift.
Analyzes giving trends, donor behavior, and campaign effectiveness across all units, providing actionable insights and establishing key performance indicators to measure success and inform strategic decisions.
Recruits, trains, and manages annual giving staff, ensuring consistent professional standards and fostering collaboration across the federated structure.
Brings an external view of best practices across higher education broadly, not limited to direct marketing, serving as a primary source of new ideas and approaches for a growing team.
Develops and oversees annual giving budgets for central operations and coordinates with federated units on resource allocation, ensuring cost-effective operations and maximum return on investment.
Ensures all annual giving activities comply with institutional policies, legal requirements, and ethical standards while partnering with donor relations to maintain appropriate donor recognition and stewardship programs.
Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars and seminars, and building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
Plans, manages, supports, and develops annual giving fundraisers and staff, and directs the sharing of resources, ideas, and information to accomplish goals requiring cross functional collaboration. Participates and advises in the formation of annual giving objectives, goals, and strategies. Collaborates with communications staff to design annual, strategic communications, solicitations, create newsletters, senior class campaign materials, volunteer and staff training presentations, and marketing plans tailored to specific audiences in order to maximize fundraising effectiveness and annual support and engagement from these audiences.
Works closely with annual giving and University leadership across the campus, as well as with faculty and staff to synthesize the interests and philanthropic capabilities of alumni and friends of the University in order to increase the level of giving and the number of annual donors to the University.
Assesses donor behavior, acquisition rates, retention rates, etc. Segments audiences in order to maximize unrestricted support for the University. Works with Information Technology to develop, evaluate, and implement management information systems and uses these systems to synthesize data and draw conclusions.
Develops and manages relationships with donors, volunteers, and top administrators.
Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Certifications:
---
Preferred Qualifications
Educations:
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college.
Experience:
At least seven years of professional experience with demonstrated depth in annual giving, direct response fundraising, or a closely related discipline, such as nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, or sales.
At least four years of staff management experience, with preference for hiring and building teams.
At least two years of experience developing and monitoring budgets.
Background within a research university or other large, decentralized, multi-unit organization strongly preferred.
Technical Skills or Knowledge:
Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to Advancement, including Phoenix, the University's Donor Relationship Management System.
Proficient in a Microsoft Windows computer environment, especially Microsoft Outlook, Word