Job Details

Basic Function and Responsibility:

The Advancement Officer plays a pivotal part on the Annual Giving team, which is responsible for securing approximately $3 to 4 million annually for the Biola Fund from a robust, sustainable pipeline of donors as we cultivate a robust culture of generosity among alumni, parents, faculty/staff, and friends of the university. This position focuses on identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding leadership-level donors (donors who give $1,000-$9,999 annually).

In addition to managing a personal donor portfolio, this role leads the Biola Parent Council in partnership with the Office of University Marketing and Communications and the Office of Enrollment Management (with partnership from the Office of Student Engagement) to foster a vibrant and philanthropic parent community. This position reports to the Senior Director of Advancement Communications and Annual Giving, with a dotted line to the Senior Director of Major and Planned Giving, to ensure strategic alignment with Development and strategic moves management.

Essential Duties:

Donor Engagement and Annual Giving

* Achieve the annual Biola Fund revenue goal (one of the university's top funding priorities) in partnership with the Senior Director of Advancement Communications & Annual Giving, the Assistant Director of Annual Giving and the Assistant Director of Donor Engagement.

* Manage a portfolio of approximately 800 constituents, focusing on leadership-level annual giving through personal outreach through digital, phone, and in-person meetings to cultivate, solicit and steward donors.

Prioritize the identification and engagement of current and past Biola alumni and parents to grow parent and alumni giving and deepen the connection to the university.

* Communicate Biola's mission and strategic priorities to donors, steward donors by sharing gratitude and impact reports, praying with and for donor needs, and inviting increased investment through the Biola Fund.

Support the goals of the President's Circle and The Fount, Biola's leadership and monthly giving societies, by contributing to donor acquisition and renewal strategies.

* Provide exceptional customer service to Biola's constituents, acting as an ambassador of the university with the greatest amount of professionalism and expressing the highest sense of urgency for our annual giving needs.

Parent Council Leadership

* Serve as staff lead for the Biola Parent Council, including recruitment, orientation, communication and ongoing relationship management.

* Partner with the Office of University Marketing and Communications and Enrollment Management to coordinate parent communications, events, giving and volunteer opportunities.

* Plan and implement meaningful engagement experiences for Parent Council members-including stewardship, hospitality, and student-facing events.

* Provide regular updates and strategic input to internal stakeholders on parent engagement trends and outcomes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

* Partner with Advancement Operations and utilize Raiser's Edge NXT to document interactions, track goals, and generate insights.

* Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Donor Engagement and the Assistant Director of Annual Giving to bring new parent and constituent leads into the giving pipeline.

* Work in tandem with front line fundraisers and planned giving team to surface and transition high-capacity prospects and families of interest to other portfolios.

* Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Performance Metrics

Performance will be evaluated using key metrics such as:

* Growth in leadership-level support

* Growth in parent and alumni giving

* Increases in first-time and recurring/monthly donors

* Increases in LYBUNT and SYBUNT renewals

* Movement of parents and donors into higher engagement or major gift portfolios

* Effective management of Parent Council participation and retention

* Number of Strategic touchpoints (calls, visits, emails)

Supervision Received:

This position reports to the Senior Director of Advancement Communications and Annual Giving, with a dotted line to the Senior Director of Major and Planned Giving.

Qualifications

* At least two years of full-time work in the field of Annual Giving and/or related fields of sales and fundraising.

* Bachelor's degree required.

* Demonstrated track record of managing a portfolio and solicitations.

* Must demonstrate strong verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills.

* Ability to articulate the purposes and goals of Christian higher education.

* Is committed to Biola and supports its goals in ministry and development.

* Demonstrates a personal commitment to the Christian faith.

* Team player and able to collaborate with a diverse group of individuals, both

internal and external to the organization; shows flexibility in the workplace.

* Ability to prioritize multiple tasks, manage workflow to hit key deadlines, and

remain calm and professional while under stress or pressure.

* Strength in utilizing Word, Excel, and other computer programs.

* Preferred experience with Raiser's Edge and/or Blackbaud products