ABOUT BENNETT COLLEGE:
Bennett College, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, is a nationally recognizedprivate, historically Black liberal arts college for women. With a proud legacy of educating women of color and producing leaders ineducation, business, healthcare, public service, and the arts, Bennett is committed to preparing women for purposeful leadership andlifelong learning.
As we position the College for future growth and sustainability, philanthropy plays a vital role in providingscholarships, advancing academic innovation, and revitalizing campus infrastructure. The Director of Annual Giving will be at the forefrontof this important work, ensuring Bennett thrives for generations to come.
GENERAL SUMMARY:
Bennett Collegeseeks a dynamic, innovative, and mission-driven Director of Annual Giving to design, lead, and grow a comprehensive annual giving programthat strengthens a culture of philanthropy and expands financial support for the College.
As a key member of the InstitutionalAdvancement team, the Director will play a pivotal role in cultivating alumnae, donors, faculty, staff, parents, and community partners tosupport the College’s mission of providing a transformative liberal arts education to women of color. The Director will bring fresh energyand strategic vision to annual campaigns, digital engagement, giving days, and affinity-based fundraising efforts.
This role isinstrumental in advancing Bennett’s institutional priorities, including student scholarships, academic excellence, campus revitalization,and long-term sustainability—in the context of today’s competitive higher education environment and the philanthropic landscape of NorthCarolina and beyond.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
Annual Giving Leadership
- Develop andimplement a strategic, data-informed annual giving plan that increases participation, donor retention, and total giving year-over-year.
- Manage and execute multi-channel campaigns including direct mail, digital, text-to-give, social media, phonathons, crowdfunding, andGiving Tuesday initiatives.
- Lead efforts to expand faculty/staff, parent, and student philanthropy programs.
- Partnerwith Communications and Marketing to craft compelling donor messages that highlight the impact of giving on Bennett’s students, programs,and mission.
- Regularly analyze giving trends and produce reports on donor participation, retention, acquisition, and ROI ofcampaigns.
Alumnae & Donor Engagement
- Build and sustain meaningful connections with alumnae throughevents, regional networks, class year giving challenges, and digital engagement.
- Collaborate with the Office of Alumnae Engagementto encourage lifelong support of the College.
- Manage a portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects, cultivating, soliciting,and stewarding gifts that set the stage including planned giving.
- Coordinate with Director of Major Gifts on cultivating,soliciting, and stewarding major gifts.
Collaboration & Teamwork
- Work closely with Advancement Servicesto ensure accurate data integrity and reporting.
- Partner with Major Gifts to ensure seamless donor experiences across the givingpipeline.
- Serve as a visible ambassador of Bennett College in the local and statewide community, building partnerships thatadvance annual fundraising goals.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Strong ability to articulatethe mission, vision, and impact of Bennett College to diverse audiences.
- Skilled in designing, implementing, and evaluatingcomprehensive fundraising programs.
- Proven capacity to analyze data and apply metrics to improve donor acquisition, retention, andengagement.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to engage, inspire, and motivate donors, alumnae, volunteers, andcolleagues.
- Proficiency in CRM (Raiser’s Edge preferred) and donor database platforms; comfort with Microsoft Office Suite andemerging fundraising technologies.
- High ethical standards of conduct, discretion, and confidentiality in handling donor andinstitutional information.
- Ability to balance multiple projects in a fast-paced environment, meeting deadlines while maintainingattention to detail.
- Demonstrated creativity in leveraging digital tools, social media, and storytelling to strengthenphilanthropy.
- Willingness to travel and work occasional evenings/weekends to support key events and donor engagementopportunities.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Minimum 3–5 years of progressive experience in fundraising, annual giving, donor relations, sales, or nonprofit management.
- Provensuccess in planning and executing multi-channel fundraising campaigns.
- Strong project management and organizational skills, withthe ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communicationskills with a talent for storytelling.
- Commitment to confidentiality, high ethical standards, and the mission of BennettCollege.
Preferred:
- Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising.
- Familiarity withdonor databases/CRM platforms (e.g., Raiser’s Edge, Talisma, or similar).
- Demonstrated ability to analyze giving data and applymetrics to strategy.
- Creative, tech-savvy, and comfortable leveraging social media, digital tools, and emerging fundraisingplatforms.
