Assistant Director of Gift Planning

At Holy Cross, we are focused on creating a world-class workforce by attracting and retaining employees dedicated to fostering a culture of professionalism, pride, mutual trust, and respect-one that values appreciation and recognition, empowering each of us to flourish both individually and collectively. We seek candidates who are inspired by our mission and values, and who are eager to make a meaningful difference on our campus. Learn more about Life at Holy Cross here.

The College of the Holy Cross seeks an Assistant Director of Gift Planning who appreciates the important role of charitable gift planning, and who understands that every action we take can be an important stewardship move in this meaningful area. Gift Planning is the fundraising field dedicated to guiding donors to establish future gifts for the College from their estates. It also includes assisting donors in establishing gifts that pay them an income for life with the residuum benefiting the College. "Gifts-in-kind" such as the donation of art or books are also processed through our office, as are gifts of real estate. Each type of gift requires its own unique reporting within our gift reporting system, and provides differing tax benefits for the donor. As Holy Cross prepares to launch an ambitious, comprehensive campaign, the Gift Planning team will play an important role in meeting the College's long-term objectives.

The Assistant Director of Gift Planning will support the Director and the Associate Director of Gift Planning in their efforts to raise and steward planned gifts from Holy Cross's dedicated community of alumni and friends locally, regionally, and nationally. The responsibilities of the Assistant Director include: program reporting and analysis, assisting with marketing activities, recording gift agreements, creating and maintaining an efficient filing system, working with the College''s life income investment manager, and managing a portfolio of open estates and assisting estate administrators. The Assistant Director serves as the initial point of contact for the Gift Planning program and manages the telephone line and will be expected to respond to basic inquiries and refer more complex matters appropriately. Further responsibilities involve coordinating paperwork and event logistics, managing the office operations, and other office duties, as assigned.

Job Description

Major Areas of Responsibility

• Prepare reports as needed, such as prospect and donor reports; produce spreadsheets, graphs, and charts for planned giving reporting; and track all planned gifts by gift type using the department's database management software.
• Generate mailing lists for assorted Gift Planning communications, including reunion newsletters, targeted marketing pieces, and 1843 Legacy Society event invitations.
• Assist with marketing analytics by streamlining tracking processes for follow-up to inquiries in response to: newsletters, Holy Cross Gift Planning website, and alumni survey questionnaires, etc. Perform analysis of marketing responses/inquiries to inform communications strategy..
• Database management for all life-income gift arrangements and bequest intentions. Serve as central point of contact for all documented planned gifts and bequest intentions and create proposals in customer relationship management (CRM) database to confirm and track these gifts and bequest·intentions.
• Create and maintain efficient filing system for all new and existing 1843 Legacy Society members, ensuring that appropriate documentation has been collected such as the confirmed and documented bequest intention form and supporting documentation (e.g., copy of will or trust naming College of the Holy Cross; copy of beneficiary designation form, etc.). Prepare welcome letters for signature by the Director.
• Working with State Street Global Advisors (the College's life-income investment manager) and Director of Gift Planning, to update reports. Maintain filing of all trust investment statements and related correspondence.
• Working with the Associate Director of Gift Planning, maintain an up-to-date Pending Bequests (Estate Settlements) database. Create a file of each incoming bequest once notified by the executor/estate attorney. Send out appropriate correspondence requesting necessary documentation: copy of will/trust; estate inventory; and final accounting; monitor for appropriate follow up. After the Director/Associate Director of Gift Planning reviews paperwork, file documents in the donor's bequest file.
• Assist the Director and Associate Director in trip preparation, execution, and follow-up. This may include: assistance with donor/prospect outreach, prospect-list creation, itinerary preparation, expense processing, and trip follow-up items.
• Build and maintain productive and collaborative relationships with staff, faculty, and administrators across Holy Cross, e.g. Legal and Finance Offices, Cantor Art Gallery, academic departments.
• Train in Planned Giving Manager and run basic gift calculations and assist Director and Associate Director with proofing and assembling gift proposals.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Interest in Advancement and fundraising with a self-motivated desire to learn the areas related to Gift Planning and Estate Administration.
• Computer literacy and proficiency in MS Office Suite including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and ability to learn and utilize database management software required.
• Must be accurate, detail oriented, and interested in learning complex reporting rules for various types of planned gifts.
• 3-5 years prior experience in financial services, trust operations, or law offices preferred.
• Strong written and verbal skills and a pleasant and patient demeanor are necessary.
• Resourcefulness, multitasking, meeting deadlines, and working with a team are essential.
• Ability to assess issues and determine solutions, work with diverse internal constituents, and maintain discretion in handling highly confidential information required.

Compensation: This salary range for this position is $58,000-$62,000

Weekly Hours:

40

Annual Work Schedule:

Application Instructions

An updated resume and cover letter are required as a part of your internal application. In your cover letter, please reflect on how your professional and personal values align with the Mission of the College of the Holy Cross to form individuals of integrity and purpose who are committed to the flourishing of all.

Additional Information

To review our generous benefits options, please review our detailed information here or check out our Benefits at a Glance.

The College also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities during the hiring process in compliance with law. Please contact Human Resources for questions or to request an accommodation via email at hr@holycross.edu, or by calling 508-793-3391.

The College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning Equal Opportunity in the workplace.

The College does not provide immigration sponsorship for staff positions. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship.