CGU- Gift Officer

Job Posting Location:

Claremont, CA

Job Posting Title:

CGU- Gift Officer

Job Description:

Established in 1925, The Claremont Colleges includes five undergraduate liberal arts colleges and two graduate institutions: Pomona College, Claremont Graduate University, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, and Keck Graduate Institute. Located on contiguous campuses in the Southern California city of Claremont, each institution has its own student body, faculty, governance, curricular emphasis, culture, and mission. Intercollegiate cooperation provides university-scale services and facilities. With 8,500 students and 3,300 faculty and staff located on more than 540 acres of land, The Claremont Colleges benefit from the diverse missions, character and culture, and the integration of academic and extracurricular programs that make up this truly unique consortium. Nestled in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills, Claremont is 32 miles east of Los Angeles and part of the greater Los Angeles County.

Salary Range: $82,000 - $90,000/year

Applicants, please note that actual compensation is determined by several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, certifications, relevant education or training, and specific work location, among others. The offered wage or salary is only one aspect of an employee's total compensation

PRIMARY PURPOSE/GENERAL DESCRIPTION :

Claremont Graduate University (CGU) runs a boutique fundraising operation. The University is building a team with an outsized impact—one that is focused on supporting CGU’s academic transformation. It is a highly entrepreneurial environment, and every role is dedicated to strengthening the University’s sustainability through this period of change.

The Gift Officer builds and advances relationships with CGU donors and prospective donors, meeting primarily with alumni across a wide range of ages, career stages, professions, and life experiences.

The Gift Officer’s primary fundraising priority is the newly created Transformation Fund, which provides a bridge to fund CGU needs as it begins its next chapter. The Gift Officer helps alumni understand the University’s transformation, connects them with its vision, and invites them to support it.

This is a highly external role. The Gift Officer spends substantial time outside the office, meeting alumni where they are: corporate offices and workplaces, on campus, in community settings, and at retirement communities. The Gift Officer must relate easily to those in senior leadership positions, mid-career professionals, and retirees alike.

The role calls for firsthand experience in higher education. The Gift Officer must be able to speak about graduate education with ease.

The Gift Officer is accountable for individual portfolio and fundraising outcomes, including monthly targets, within a collaborative, team-based portfolio management model. The Gift Officer develops ask amounts, donor strategies, and next steps with advancement leadership and fundraising colleagues, and the broader team supports both individual goals and the team’s overall goal.

The role suits an entrepreneurial, self-directed professional who wants to work at a fast pace on a small, focused fundraising team. The right candidate represents CGU with professionalism, sound judgment, adaptability, and warmth, and is fully at ease in building and managing one-to-one relationships.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS :

1. Portfolio and Fundraising Goals

• •Manage a portfolio composed primarily of CGU alumni, moving relationships toward deeper engagement and giving through purposeful visits and timely follow-up.
• •Meet monthly targets for donor engagement, portfolio movement, solicitations, and fundraising results, contributing to the team’s overall goal.
• •Generate support for the Transformation Fund, helping alumni understand why bridge funding matters during the University’s transformation.
• •Conduct stewardship conversations, discuss giving opportunities, and make direct gift requests.
• •Maintain accurate contact reports, strategies, ask amounts, and next steps in Slate so that each prospect has a current stage and a dated next action.

2. Alumni Relationships

• •Build authentic one-to-one relationships with alumni across generations, professions, and career stages.
• •Host donors and prospective donors on campus, and create opportunities for them to engage with CGU’s leadership, faculty, and students.
• •Represent CGU at meetings and events with professionalism and discretion.

3. Team Strategy and Leadership Meetings

• •Take part in team portfolio management meetings with advancement leadership and fundraising colleagues to evaluate donor movement, set strategies, determine ask amounts, and define next steps.
• •Lead donor meetings independently and coordinate joint meetings with the Office of the President, faculty, and advancement leadership from start to finish, including scheduling, logistics, materials, and follow-up.
• •Prepare meeting participants with donor background, meeting objectives, proposed roles, discussion points, and expected next steps.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

• •Monthly targets met for donor engagement, portfolio movement, and solicitations.
• •Transformation Fund support raised and alumni donors engaged.
• •A healthy portfolio in Slate, with current stages, strategies, and dated next actions.
• •Well-prepared joint meetings with leadership and timely follow-up.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES : Individual must possess knowledge, skills and ability to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position, or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

• •Firsthand experience working in higher education, with the ability to speak about graduate education and its value with ease.
• •A record of success in a highly external, goal-driven role with defined monthly targets, including frequent one-to-one meetings that move relationships toward a specific outcome.
• •Experience in advancement, admissions, alumni relations, or another relationship-driven role.
• •Ability to connect with people of different ages, professional backgrounds, and life experiences.
• •An entrepreneurial, self-directed approach to finding opportunities, solving problems, and moving relationships forward.
• •Ability to achieve individual goals while seeking input, sharing information, and contributing to team results.
• •Strong communication and listening skills, with the ability to build trust, discuss financial commitments, and follow through with prospective donors.
• •Experience working with those in senior leadership roles and the judgment to represent CGU confidently.
• •Strong preparation, coordination, and organizational skills.
• •A valid driver’s license and willingness to travel regularly throughout Southern California.
• •Experience with Slate or a comparable higher education constituent relationship management (CRM) system.

QUALIFICATION STANDARDS :

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE : Bachelor’s degree or any combination of education and experience that provides the required skills and abilities. Master’s degree preferred. Minimum of five years of experience in fundraising, alumni relations, admissions, or a related area in higher education or a comparable organization.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATES : If applicable, i.e. driver's license, etc.

OTHER PREFERENCES : Preference will be given to applicants with oral and written communication skills relevant to an academic setting.

HOURS : The regular work schedule for this position is generally Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Work hours and schedules may vary based on university, departmental, and operational needs. This position is primarily on-site; however, flexib