Planned Giving Officer

Position Type:

Full time

Remote Type:

Hybrid

Salary Range:

$85,000 - 120,000

Job Shift:

Job Description:

The Planned Giving Officer is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors and prospects. Approximately 80% of the role will focus on planned giving, including estate commitments, charitable gift annuities, IRA gifts, charitable trusts, and other planned giving strategies. The remaining 20% will focus on major gift opportunities, particularly blended gifts that combine current and future commitments to maximize a donor's impact. This position will play a critical role in building a sustainable pipeline of planned giving donors, enhancing stewardship of existing commitments, and expanding the culture of legacy giving at Dunwoody. This position reports to the Senior Director of Major and Planned Giving.

The Planned Giving Officer will:

• Manage a portfolio of 100+ prospects, with a primary focus on individuals who are interested in or have the capacity to make planned gifts.
• Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward planned giving donors and prospects, with emphasis on estate commitments, IRA rollover gifts, charitable trusts, and blended gifts.
• Develop and implement individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies, including preparing and presenting proposals and gift illustrations in partnership with the Senior Director of Major and Planned Giving.
• Work closely with donors and their advisors to clarify philanthropic objectives and match them with Dunwoody’s priorities.
• Partner with major gift officers and annual giving staff to integrate planned giving into donor conversations and elevate blended gift opportunities.
• Steward current planned giving donors and ensure timely follow-up on bequest expectancies and estate administration matters.
• Support and participate in planned giving marketing and communications strategies to increase awareness of legacy giving opportunities.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, volunteers, and the Institutional Advancement team to identify and qualify prospective planned giving donors.
• Maintain accurate and timely records of all donor interactions, proposals, and commitments in the donor database.
• Represent Dunwoody at donor events, professional advisor gatherings, and outreach activities that advance planned giving.
• Assist in building a culture of philanthropy that includes legacy giving as a key component of Dunwoody’s long-term fundraising success.
• Commit to ongoing professional development in charitable gift planning and estate law to remain current on trends, best practices, and tax implications.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Strategic Skills: Understands planned giving vehicles and strategies; provides sound advice and solutions for donors; applies judgment to complex philanthropic and estate scenarios.
• Operating Skills: Manages donor relationships efficiently; makes timely decisions; documents process, progress, and results; committed to continuous improvement in planned giving strategy.
• Courage: Able to have direct and sensitive conversations with donors about estate intentions, legacy, and philanthropic goals.
• Energy and Drive: Self-motivated, action-oriented, and consistently pushes for results in growing the planned giving program.
• Organizational Positioning Skills: Can navigate complex donor situations with discretion and sensitivity; understands how to work across teams to maximize donor impact.
• Personal/Interpersonal Skills: Builds constructive and effective relationships; practices active listening; maintains confidentiality and trust with donors and colleagues; aligns with Dunwoody’s values.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 6 years of experience in professional fundraising, estate planning, financial advising, or related relationship-based role.
• Leadership ability and experience, especially the ability to plan, coordinate, and evaluate activities required to achieve the Institutional Advancement goals
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills that support a collaborative work environment and frequent constituent interactions
• An appreciation of the culture of technical higher education
• Able to balance competing priorities, complex situations, and tight deadlines in a changing environment
• Ability to travel to donor and prospect meetings regularly.
• Excellent demonstrated written and oral communication skills (writing samples required)
• Familiarity with and willingness to use development and organizational communication software such as Raiser’s Edge, Crescendo, and Microsoft Teams
• Proficient in MS Office Suite with emphasis on Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, along with Google in order to be as self-sufficient as possible in day-to-day operations.

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Why work at Dunwoody?

Since our founding, all who have worked at Dunwoody have been dedicated to the success of every one of our students. For over 100 years, we’ve held true to our values while continuing to discover ways to grow and become even more inclusive and innovative.

Working in a collaborative, supportive work environment such as Dunwoody fosters a true team approach, with open communication and cross functional teams committed to getting the job done.

In addition, Dunwoody offers a flexible work environment, including:

• Hybrid work arrangements, including on-campus and remote, that allow you to serve students while accommodating your work style

• An emphasis on work-life balance, including 35+ days off per year

• A focus on employee-managed, results-based work

• A full suite of technology to support dynamic work environments

As a smaller institution, Dunwoody empowers its employees to try new things, implement new ideas, and work with people who are willing to help one another grow. Because our faculty stay connected to their industries, they are true experts in their field, passionate about their work, and dedicated to educating and developing the next generation of employees.