How to Apply
A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, one page or less, please let us know how this role aligns with your career aspirations and skills. Due to system limitations, submit both a cover letter and resume as one file.
At the University of Michigan School of Dentistry Development and Alumni Relations Team, we are dedicated to fostering a vibrant community of support among our alumni, donors, and friends. As part of the nation's #1 ranked dental school, we are committed to advancing dental education, research, and patient care. Our team works diligently to create meaningful connections, generate philanthropic opportunities, and steward the resources that help maintain and elevate the excellence of our programs. Together, we ensure that the University of Michigan School of Dentistry continues to lead the way in shaping the future of oral health care.
Job Summary
In this role, you will oversee the identification, management, and stewardship of class agents, reunion volunteers, and reunion-giving initiatives while being responsible for soliciting high-end annual fund donors contributing between $1,000 and $10,000. Key responsibilities include developing strategic initiatives to engage targeted audiences to drive donations and designing a comprehensive communication plan for annual giving fundraising. Additionally, You will create and execute tailored stewardship plans for all donors with named funds, establish processes for gathering student impact statements, photos, and feedback for donor correspondence, and collaborate with departmental and school-wide committees to review the allocation and use of endowed donor funds. We ask that you be a strategic thinker with strong communication skills and a passion for donor engagement and stewardship.
Mission Statement
MDentistry: Advancing health through education, service, research, and discovery.
MDentistry Core Values: Compassion, Leadership, Excellence, Responsibility, Trust, Creativity, and Inclusion.
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving, and applying knowledge, art, and academic values and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future. The University of Michigan is committed to fostering learning, creativity, and productivity and to support the vigorous exchange of ideas and information, not only in the classroom but in the workplace by:
- Creating a work environment where people treat each other respectfully and with dignity, regardless of roles, responsibilities, or differences.
- Providing support, direction, and resources enabling us to accomplish the responsibilities of our jobs and to reach the goals that are set for professional and personal growth.
Why Work at Michigan?
Being part of something greater, of serving a larger mission of discovery and care ? that's the heart of what drives people to work at Michigan. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. It's adding a purpose to your profession. Work at Michigan and become a victor for the greater good.
Benefits at the University of Michigan
In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family, and plan for a secure future.
- Benefits include:
- Generous time off
- A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
- Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
- Life insurance
- Long-term disability coverage
- Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
Responsibilities*
Annual Fund
- Analyze available data to create a comprehensive annual giving strategy
- Write and design annual appeals for email, direct mail, social media, and phone campaigns
- Be the liaison to U-M's Annual Giving, Stewardship, and Reporting Information Analysis teams
- Work with advancement team colleagues on alumni and donor-related events and programs, which may include writing remarks for college leadership
- Monitor annual giving funds and expenses for forecasting, prepare standard and custom reports, respond to inquiries from SoD constituencies, and analyze annual fund programs for return on investment
Stewardship
- Produce specialized stewardship materials for scholarship donors
- Help with stewardship strategies for high-end donors, including individualized mementos and letters
- Update stewardship and other interactions in DART, record student scholarship information in DART
- Build a comprehensive stewardship plan under the direction of the Director of Development
- Lead production, guest list preparation, and other logistics for annual donors and scholar's event
- Lead School of Dentistry's Gift Fund Captain work relative to endowment use and donor intent
Development Support/Collaboration/General
- Build relationships with faculty and staff to identify and enhance opportunities for annual giving, donor stewardship, and engagement
- Oversee endowed accounts, scholarships, professorships, and other funds to ensure accurate tracking of donor intent and fund balances
- Work with the CFO and related teams in regular meetings to manage stewardship and adhere to U-M's fundraising guidelines and performance standards
- Collaborate with key stakeholders, including the Alumni Officer and the Dental Honor Fraternity, to establish donor engagement plans, manage databases, assist with events, and handle financial documentation and office duties
The above statements provide a general overview of the responsibilities and do not exhaustively list all tasks associated with the role
Required Qualifications*
- Bachelor's degree and 2-4 years in annual giving/development
- Experience with DART or other alumni donor database use
- Experience with communication, marketing or development writing, and promotions
Work Schedule
Punctual, regular, and consistent attendance is required. You may be required to work during non-business hours and on weekends.
Work Locations
- Will require travel locations on and off campus
- Will require domestic travel
- A hybrid work schedule may be allowable, but candidates must be available to work in person at our Ann Arbor office at least 3 days per week. UM SoD retains the right to change remote work schedules if/when necessary
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Background Screening
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.