How to Apply
Interested candidates must apply through the UM Jobs website (umjobs.org/). In addition to your resume, please submit a cover letter, not to exceed one page. In the body of your letter, please describe how the position fits with and advances your career goals. (Please submit your cover letter and resume together as a single electronic document, as the system will accommodate only one attachment.) Your resume and cover letter will serve as a writing sample for the initial screening process.
Please note: The Major Gifts team is hiring for another position and we are looking for candidates with similar skills and qualifications. Please consider also applying for those positions which can be found on our Join Our Team website along with additional information about our department.
Summary
Who we are
LSA Advancement champions the liberal arts at the University of Michigan by creating access and opportunities for learning, engagement, and giving that will improve the world. We are more than 80 professionals building a positive work environment that supports the excellence and transformative power of the college's liberal arts mission through values-based fundraising, marketing, and communications. To learn more about what we do, our culture (including our practice of positive organizational scholarship), and our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, visit our Join Our Team Website.
Who you are
You are an active listener who enjoys meeting new people and can encourage someone to share their story through clarifying and thoughtful questions. You are a curious lifelong learner with curiosities on topics ranging from Astrophysics to Native American studies to Van Gogh. You have a passion for the goals of higher education and can share them with a sophisticated and diverse audience. You are a strategic thinker who enjoys working toward a goal. You approach challenges with creativity and collaboration. If this describes you, we'd love to hear from you.
What you'll do
Major gift fundraisers in LSA have conversations about student support and scholarships, dinosaurs, economic recovery, and English literature all in one day, sometimes in one discussion. Our alumni live in all corners of the world, work in every imaginable field, and have one thing in common - their love for Michigan and their liberal arts education.
Members of our team travel to assigned regions of the country to meet with alumni, parents, and friends who have the potential to make gifts of $100,000+. You will talk to them about their experience on campus and the path that they have followed since graduation. You will guide a discussion to help alumni understand the priorities of LSA and connect those to their philanthropic involvement with LSA in a way that is meaningful for them. You will work with college leaders, faculty, staff of our academic departments, and other colleagues across campus to cultivate potential donors and steward existing donors to be sure that they recognize the impact of their giving. You will also partner with 4-5 academic departments or programs to help position them to receive major gifts.
You will report to the Executive Director of the Western Region or the Executive Director of the Eastern Region.
The salary range for this position is mid-70s to low-80s (intermediate) and mid-90s to $107,000 (senior).
Mission Statement
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.
Why Work at 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, including vacation time, sick time, holidays, and season days
- 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
In addition, LSA offers:
- Enhanced tuition support programs for LSA courses
- Strong commitment to work/life balance
- Flexible work arrangements with respect to campus stakeholder needs
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.
You can see a summary of the benefits you will be eligible to receive here.
Required Qualifications*
Here are the things you already have:
- A bachelor's degree.
- Experience in fundraising or a related field, such as sales, financial industry, education, or marketing, whether inside or outside of academia - three to five years for intermediate level and five + years for senior level.
- Excellent written communication skills in a complex work environment.
- Experience working with sensitive and confidential data.
- Experience engaging with senior executives and/or ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
- Must be able to travel and work occasional evenings and weekends.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Additional Information
Individuals who are women, LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, or veterans are encouraged to apply.
As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.
To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion in LSA, please visit lsa.umich.edu/lsa/dei.
To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.
Travel requirements:
Individuals must be able to travel by air and car to their assigned region, including areas that may not have reliable public transportation, such as Uber, Lyft, etc. Travel will include overnight stays several days a month and occasional evening and weekend work responsibilities such as attending donor meetings, sporting events, lectures, tailgates, dinners, etc.
Work Location:
Our office is currently located at 101 N. Main Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As part of the University of Michigan's Future Work Initiative and LSA Advancement's Flexible Work Arrangements, this position can work on-site or hybrid (both remote and on-site).
Work Authorization:
Authorization to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment, and applicants for this position will not be sponsored for work visas.
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.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.