Leadership Gift Officer

Leadership Gift Officer

University Advancement and External Relations

JOB SUMMARY:

The Leadership Gift Officer (LGO) is an agile front-line fundraiser responsible for identifying, qualifying, cultivating, and soliciting donors within Adelphi University’s leadership giving tier ($1,000 to $10,000+). Reporting to the Director of Leadership and Planned Giving, the LGO actively manages a dynamic portfolio of approximately 200 prospects.

This position focuses on discovering new potential support by mining unmanaged prospect pools, parent lists, and young alumni cohorts. Through proactive outreach and regional visits, the LGO builds a consistent pipeline for institutional priorities while identifying prospects with high major gift capacity ($25,000+) for referral to senior gift officers.

SALARY INFORMATION:

In compliance with New York’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is $66,300 - $75,000. Adelphi University considers factors such as departmental budgets, scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. An annual base salary higher than the range may be warranted in circumstances where a candidate has demonstrable equivalent prior higher education experience at another University.

Adelphi University provides a comprehensive benefit package for faculty and staff employees. For a list of benefits provided to employees, please click here.

REPORTS TO:Director of Leadership and Planned Giving

RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

1. Portfolio Management: Actively manage ~200 leadership gift prospects through all stages of the donor lifecycle, ensuring steady progression toward formal solicitations.

2. Discovery & Prospect Qualification: Conduct proactive discovery work across unmanaged alumni and parent lists to identify prospective donors with high inclination and capacity to support Adelphi.

3. Solicitation & Performance Metrics: Complete 100+ substantive prospect visits/engagements annually and meet defined solicitation targets for the Annual Fund and special institutional initiatives.

4. Pipeline Transition: Evaluate portfolio constituents for major gift capacity ($25,000+); partner with senior gift officers to transition qualified prospects into major gift portfolios.

5. Collaborative Outreach: Partner with the Alumni Relations and Advancement Services teams to leverage regional events and institutional communications for lead generation.

6. Administrative & Professional Integrity: Maintain accurate and timely documentation of prospect interactions, contact reports, proposals, and stage movements in the advancement database.

7. Perform other related duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities):

1. Self-motivated and proactive approach to initiating contact with new or unmanaged prospects via phone, email, virtual meetings, and in-person visits.

2. Clear understanding of basic donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship techniques.

3. Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

4. Ability to organize time, manage multiple prospect tracks, and meet performance metrics.

5. Willingness to travel regionally and work occasional evenings/weekends for donor visits and events.

6. Proficiency with basic database entry, Microsoft Office, and Google Workspace applications.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

1. Bachelor’s degree is required.

2. Minimum of three years of experience in development, annual giving, sales, admissions recruiting, or customer-facing outreach required.

3. Experience within higher education is preferred.

ABOUT ADELPHI:

Adelphi University, New York, is a highly awarded, nationally ranked, powerfully connected doctoral research university dedicated to transforming students’ lives through small classes with world-class faculty, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support academic and career success. Adelphi offers exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training, with particular strength in our Core Four—Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, the Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness. Recognized as a Best College byU.S. News & World Report, Adelphi is Long Island’s oldest private coeducational university, serving more than 7,300 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, at learning hubs in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, and online.The University offers students 72 undergraduate programs and 92 master’s degree and doctoral programs in the liberal arts, the sciences and professional training. With powerful partnerships throughout the New York area, more than 123,000 graduates across the country, a growing enrollment of students from 44 states and 63 countries, and rising rankings from top publications and organizations, Adelphi is a dynamic community that plays a leadership role on Long Island and in the region.