Executive Director, Estate and Gift Planning

Executive 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 Executive Director, Estate and Gift Planning is a
senior fundraising professional with strong development experience
who develops, implements, and refines innovative estate and gift
planning strategies alongside the Vice President of Engagement and
Outreach 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 Executive 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 Executive
Director will serve as an integral member of the Vice President’s
leadership team.
 
 
What you’ll do: 

• Conceptualizes and implements 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.
• Engage with and develop 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.
• Establishes and nurtures effective, collegial working
  relationships with ASUF colleagues, ASU Enterprise Partners
  collaborators, university partners, volunteers, prospects, and
  donors.
• Serve as Executive Sponsor, partner, guide, and mentor
  to the internal Strategic Philanthropy Crew, 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.
• With the ASU EP Outreach Hub, collaboratively
  conceptualize and oversee 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.
• With Donor Relations, partner to maintain and expand
  the stewardship program for planned giving donors and their
  families while leveraging the existing Cornerstone Legacy
  Society.
• With ASU Enterprise Partners Centers of Excellence
  (Finance, Legal, Gift Administration), partner to structure,
  document, and record all planned gifts in accordance with Federal,
  State, and IRS guidelines and ASUF policies and procedures.
• Establishes reliable reporting protocols for monthly,
  quarterly, and annual analysis of estate and gift planning metrics;
  furnishes timely leadership reports on progress toward assigned
  goals.
• Proactively collaborates across the University
  enterprise to leverage the maximum philanthropic potential of each
  prospect and donor.
• Educates ASUF and ASU colleagues in aspects of planned
  giving and ensures program effectiveness and transparency.
• Make recommendations on tools, training, and software
  to enhance the effectiveness of the estate and gift planning
  program.  
• Hires, supervises, mentors, and evaluates any assigned
  staff.
• Other duties as assigned

 
 
What you’ll need:

• Knowledgeable in the use, application and
  administration of planned giving instruments, tax legislation, 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
• 10-15 years of successful development experience,
  preferably in higher education, estate planning, financial advising
  or tax advising

 
 
Preferred education and experience

• Advanced degree (JD) or equivalent

 
 
Benefits:  

• Hybrid work schedule. We work from home two days a
  week!  
• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical,
  dental, and vision insurance 
• 401(k) plan with matching employer
  contribution 
• 22 days of vacation time 
• 11 holidays, including your birthday 
• Parental leave
• Significant tuition reductions 
• Professional development is highly valued at ASU
  Enterprise Partners, where employees are encouraged to look across
  the organization and nurture new areas of interest 
• $30 bi-weekly cell phone reimbursement 

 
 
At ASU Enterprise Partners: 
 
We serve. 
We serve the faculty and staff of ASU to bring them
resources so they can do all the great things that they
do. 
 
We innovate. 
We’re always looking for new ideas, new solutions, new
approaches and new ways to address the challenges facing
ASU. 
 
We engage. 
We engage our donors, philanthropists, investors and
partners, connecting them to ASU and helping them share their time,
talent and treasure. 
 
We care. 
When we serve, innovate and engage, it shows that we
care — about faculty, staff, donors, fellow employees and other
partners as we bring resources to ASU. 
 
ASU Enterprise Partners and its subsidiaries is an
equal opportunity employer that is firmly committed to promoting
justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within our organization
and throughout our sphere of influence. Because we embrace a spirit
of innovation and achievement, we will endeavor to maximize the
talent and potential of all employees, directors, and volunteers
through bold and strategic action aimed at building success and a
sense of belonging. All employees are expected to act in good faith
to support these actions and to not impede the efforts of others to
build a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive
organization.