Director, Estate and Gift Planning

Director, Estate & Gift Planning

The ASU Foundation (ASUF) fosters partnerships between ASU and like-minded individuals, corporations and foundations who believe in ASU’s mission and provide resources for ASU to manifest its charter into meaningful impact.  

The Director of Estate and Gift Planning is a frontline fundraising professional with strong development experience who assists in developing, implementing, and refining innovative estate and gift planning strategies in collaboration with the Executive Director of Estate and Gift Planning and other colleagues across the enterprise. This individual will be a proven fundraising leader who deeply understands estate and gift planning and takes a strategic, collaborative, and entrepreneurial approach to developing and strengthening a sustainable Estate and Gift Planning program and individual relationships. The Director will secure and increase significant philanthropic support in partnership with ASUF development staff and other collaborators across the enterprise to advance long-term financial support for the ASU Foundation and Arizona State University through planned giving vehicles. This position is joining an extensive but growing team during a comprehensive university-wide campaign launch, where estate giving will be a major priority.  The Director will serve as an integral member of the Estate and Gift Planning team.

What you'll do:

• Assists in conceptualizing and implementing strategies to advance the comprehensive estate and gift planning development program that supports the ASU Foundation’s fundraising priorities.

• Responsible for achieving enterprise wide, unit, and personal fundraising goals and metrics.

• Building and maintaining a personal portfolio of major and principal gift prospects; secures philanthropic investments in support of Arizona State University’s priorities; works within the ASU Foundation prospect management and tracking system, following all protocols for visits and solicitations.

• Primary responsibility for collaboratively conceptualizing and overseeing, along with the ASU EP Outreach Hub, a results-oriented comprehensive planned giving communication and marketing plan that builds the prospect pipeline and shares impact with donors which leads to increased gift conversions.

• Establishes and nurtures effective, collegial working relationships with ASUF colleagues, ASU Enterprise Partners collaborators, university partners, volunteers, prospects, and donors.

• Assists the Executive Director in engaging with and developing a large external community volunteer network in support of planned giving at ASU, including but not limited to attorneys, financial planners, trust administrators, family office staff, and personal bankers.

• Serves as a member of the Strategic Philanthropy Crew Leadership Team, which is a working group of unit-based development professionals who receive extensive planned giving training to increase knowledge of estate and gift planning throughout the development enterprise.

• Collaborates with Executive Director and Donor Relations, to maintain and expand the stewardship program for planned giving donors and their families while leveraging existing Cornerstone Legacy Society.

• With ASU Enterprise Partners Centers of Excellence (Finance, Legal, Gift Administration), partners with the Executive Director and Estate Administration Specialist to structure, document, and record all planned gifts in accordance with Federal, State, and IRS guidelines and ASUF policies and procedures.

• Aids in establishing reliable reporting protocols for monthly, quarterly, and annual analysis of estate and gift planning metrics; furnishing timely reports on progress toward assigned goals.

• Proactively collaborates across the University enterprise to leverage the maximum philanthropic potential of each prospect and donor.

• Promotes education of ASUF and ASU colleagues in aspects of planned giving, and ensures program effectiveness and transparency.

• Makes recommendations on tools, training, and software to enhance the effectiveness of the estate and gift planning program.  

• Other duties as assigned.

What you'll need:

• Knowledgeable in the use, application and administration of planned giving instruments, tax legislation, real estate transactions, and IRS regulation/code as it relates to planned giving.

• Broad knowledge of fund-raising principles and techniques, preferably in a complex academic setting and proven success in building productive, long-term relationships with senior university leaders, key professional advisors, faculty, staff, institutional boards, volunteers, and donors.

• Strong, collegial interpersonal skills and excellent written and oral communication ability as reflected in face to face solicitations, written proposals, oral presentations, and strategic plans.

• Ability to set goals and priorities, take initiative, and demonstrate accountability while remaining nimble to match the Foundation’s strategic direction and evolving priorities, experience with budgeting and financial analysis.

• Team-oriented strategist able to effectively manage complex situations involving numerous and sometimes competing constituencies; comfortable working in a fast-paced, results oriented environment; demonstrated experience successfully managing staff and volunteers.

• Experience with Salesforce CRM, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Workday Finance, Workday HR, Affiniquest, PG Calc, and Crescendo (or similar tools). 

• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and responsibility regarding information related to Foundation and University business and prospect information.

• An advocate’s belief in the vision of ASU as the New American University and an ability to represent the institution well.

Relevant qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.

• 5-7 years of successful development experience, preferably in higher education, estate planning, financial advising or tax advising.

Preferred education and experience:

• Advanced degree (JD, MBA, MPA) or equivalent.

• Certification (CFP, CAP, CPA) or equivalent.

ASU Enterprise Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer