Advancement Director

Role Overview

The Advancement Director at the Hillel of San Diego, will direct the planning and implementation of a multi-pronged fundraising strategy for one of the premier Hillels in the nation, striving to support Jewish life at UCSD, SDSU, CSUSM, and USD. 

The Advancement Director will be a strategic thought partner to the Executive Director, serve as a senior leadership team member, and supervise the development staff, including the Advancement Officer and Advancement Associate.  The primary responsibilities of the Advancement Director will be to oversee and direct our annual fundraising campaign including management of our major gifts, implement our grassroots fundraising channels, and special events as needed. The Advancement Director will also play a critical role in larger comprehensive endowment campaigns. 

Who We Are Looking For

You are a fundraising generalist and have strong skills in diverse fundraising strategies. You have a passion for sustaining vibrant Jewish life on campus. Your enthusiasm and storytelling ability have a way of capturing the imagination and support of your diverse audience. Colleagues and friends recognize you as a highly detailed and organized individual – you prioritize and execute responsibilities as well as manage multiple projects simultaneously. You bring a get-to-yes mentality, a commitment to excellence, a determination to succeed, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced setting.  You have strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to develop excellent relationships and approach your work with a collaborative mindset, bringing kindness and empathy, and a desire to see your colleagues succeed.

What You’ll Do

Development Strategy & Management

• Design and implement a comprehensive annual development plan that maintains the fiscal health of the organization.
• Exercise daily oversight of progress toward fundraising goals.
• Strategically focus on the identification of new major gift prospects and cultivation of major gift donors. 

Donor & Stakeholder Management

• Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of donors throughout San Diego and the broader southern California region.
• Curate a portfolio of major donors for the Executive Director.
• Develop and implement stewardship plans for all donors in partnership with the Advancement Officer.
• Manage broad reaching communications through Facebook, WhatsApp groups, Instagram, phone calls, emails, etc.

Board & Volunteer Management

• Serve as the professional coordinator of the fundraising activities of the Board of Directors.
• Establish, convene, and staff the Advancement Committee of the Board of Directors with the VP of Advancement.
• Assist in identifying prospective board members.

Mass Solicitation & Communication

• Oversee and execute the strategy and implementation of the annual campaign through the management of our grassroots fundraising efforts which include direct mail and digital appeals.  
• Creatively deploy a mix of mass-solicitation tools like email, text messaging, social media, and snail mail campaigns.
• Oversee Hillel Annual Report.

Event Management

• Direct planning and execution of all donor-centric events like Hillel’s annual parent events, parlor meetings, alumni gatherings, breakfasts, and other niche events as needed.

Fiscal & Data Management

• Ensure donor data and interactions are accurately captured in the Little Green Light (LGL) database.
• Work with the finance team to ascertain congruous record-keeping across the development and financial operations.
• Serve as lead for alternative gift vehicles such as matching gifts, payroll giving, and donor-advised funds.
• Research donor and foundation prospects.
• Systematically manage lists for special attention by the Executive Director, members of the Board, and the Advancement Committee.
• Ongoing data analysis of the campaign, donor trends, and tactics.
• Identify and apply for an array of grants including through the city, county, private foundations, etc.

Organizational Leadership

• Serve on the senior leadership team of Hillel of San Diego. 
• Contribute to organization-wide strategy.
• Represent the organization to key stakeholders including Federations, Foundations, and University development departments. 

Additional Responsibilities

• Attend Hillel programs on evenings and weekends as necessary, such as select Friday night Shabbat dinners, High Holiday events, Parents’ Weekend, Israel Week, etc.
• Travel as necessary for donor meetings, cultivation events, conferences, etc.

Who You Are

• A bachelor’s degree is required; a relevant master’s degree is preferred, and CFRE is a plus.
• A minimum of 6+ years of fundraising experience in higher education and/or the Jewish community.
• Successful track record managing multiple fundraising campaigns, one-on-one solicitation, grant writing, and reporting.
• Supervisory experience including the ability to provide constructive feedback.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient in Excel and Microsoft suite.
• Experience with CRM and data management; LGL experience is ideal.
• Passion for the Jewish community, Israel, and familiarity with the Jewish calendar and religious practice.
• An awareness of current trends in the Jewish community and philanthropy.

What You’ll Receive

• Competitive salary in the non-profit marketplace. Salary range of $125,000-$140,000 commensurate with experience.
• Health insurance, retirement plan, life insurance, long-term disability (LTD), vacation/sick time, and generous parental leave.
• Paid opportunities for professional development, peer engagement, mentoring, and skill-building.
• A supportive and committed board of lay leaders and a passionate alumni base.
• Travel regionally and nationally for work.

About Hillel of San Diego

San Diego is not just the cooler sister to L.A. and it’s not just filled with beach bums. America’s finest city is home to a vibrant Jewish community with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are leaders in tech, social justice superheroes, and just a lot of really nice and welcoming down-to-earth people.  Hillel of San Diego is a decades old leader in Jewish life locally with a start-up mentality. Constantly seeking to better the way we reach students in creative and innovative ways, we are a small but mighty team of Jewish professionals who genuinely love the work. We serve four different campuses but operate as one cohesive team—always seeking opportunities to collaborate and connect. We like to laugh a lot, work really hard to deliver the best quality experiences, and in our spare time we take long walks on the beach and play with puppies. 

Hillel of San Diego is affiliated with Hillel International. Hillel International enriches the lives of Jewish students so they may enrich the Jewish people and the world, and envisions a world where every student is inspired to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life, learning and Israel.