Overview
Cummings School’s Alumni Office has three primary objectives: continue to increase participation and leadership gifts in its annual fund program as a vital source of unrestricted funds, to sustain and grow philanthropic contributions following the school's conclusion of its comprehensive campaign, and to create and sustain long-term relationships with its alumni of the school’s various degree programs with high quality and relevant engagement activities, services, and publications.
What You'll Do
The Associate Director for Alumni Relations and Giving will be instrumental in developing and maintaining a creative, goal-oriented approach to alumni relations with an aim for broadening the base of alumni engagement with Cummings School and increase alumni giving.
CUMMINGS ALUMNI RELATIONS
• Develop and implement strategy and tactics for the outreach to a pool of 2,400+ alumni
• Encourage and assist the work of the Tufts University Veterinary Alumni Association - cultivate new alumni volunteer leaders, leverage technological advances to increase the efficiency of their outreach, and provide support to association leadership as necessary.
• Liaise with traveling faculty for a combination of individual alumni visits and group cultivation
• Craft broadcast communications to alumni segments, with nuanced messaging tailored for graduates of Masters Programs in addition to the DVM alumni majority
• With guidance from Sr. Director and Director, recruit and train top alumni leaders for new campaign volunteer committees
• Participate as a member of Cummings School’s standing Outcomes Assessment Committee, supporting the periodic surveying of alumni audiences
• Plan and execute all aspects of Cummings School’s annual Alumni Reunion and Comeback activities, including volunteer engagement, budget and vendor management
• Utilizing new online alumni relations tool (Salesforce) develop and manage content strategies
ALUMNI GIVING
• Maintain and manage a portfolio of approximately 50 alumni donors and prospective donors
• Arrange visits with alumni, averaging five (5) visits per month
• Cultivate, solicit and steward donors and prospective donors
• In collaboration with Director of Veterinary Annual Fund, provide creative content guidance for 2-3 annual alumni appeals
• Manage all aspects of Veterinarian’s C.A.R.E. (Companion Animals Remembered) memorial giving program through direct mail and visits. Maintain stewardship with existing alumni/practices already enrolled by providing thank you letters and visits.
• Identify alumni leaders for leadership giving, and potential alumni sponsors for gift challenges
• Manage and implement class gift campaign by 4th year DVM students
ENGAGEMENT & COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES
• Create and implement alumni relations communications strategies that complement annual fund strategies
• Assist in promotion of fundraising objectives through electronic newsletters leveraging content sharing between the school’s Department of Marketing, Media/Public Relations office, and University Publications
• Oversee and edit alumni web content and manage Cummings School’ online alumni community and select student activities to increase the profile of our office. Work to promote campaign goals and objectives
• Manage the production timelines of print and email invitations, programs, and registration materials for all events
• Develop and execute social media strategy for Facebook and other social media
• Liaise and guide TUVAA’s nomination process for annual “Outstanding Alumni Award” and “Faculty Hall of Fame” inductee
• Speak publicly at alumni gatherings to promote the imperatives of alumni involvement with Cummings School and its current students
MARKETING, SERVICES, CROSS-OFFICE COLLABORATION
• Work with the Cummings Support Center to improve networking opportunities and events
• Work with Admissions to facilitate alumni contact with prospective and newly admitted students.
• Work with Masters of Animals In Public Policy (MAPP) and Masters in Conservation Medicine (MCM) faculty and administrators to build affinity among these graduate communities
MISCELLANEOUS
• Interface with Tufts University’s central Office of Alumni Relations on alumni award nominations, volunteer leadership summits, and Tufts Travel-Learn Program
• Participate in Tufts Alumni Relations Strategy Council
• Respond to alumni special requests, emails, oversee special mailings, and additional projects, as necessary
• Track quarterly projections on alumni budget
What We're Looking For
Basic Requirements:
- 5-7 years of experience in alumni relations, donor relations, development, or comparable constituent relations experience
- Required education: BA/BS
- Required computer/technical skills: Microsoft Office (Word Excel)
- Other (Describe – i.e., domestic/foreign travel, foreign language): Must have excellent interpersonal and presentation skills and experience presenting to a wide range of audiences in various formats. Must have superior writing and organizational skills. Demonstrated experience in recruitment, training and support of volunteers is essential. Demonstrated understanding of, or experience in fundraising is required. Must have strong customer service skills and experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 1-2 years direct solicitation/fundraising experience preferred.
- Background employment in higher education or hospital/healthcare administration is a desirable plus. Complex database experience (Advance, Razor’s Edge, Millennium, Access, etc.) is strongly preferred as is comfort with web applications.
