Director of Annual Giving

Under the general direction of the Executive Director, the Director of Annual Giving provides strategic leadership, administrative oversight, and operational direction for the University’s annual giving program.

This position is responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated annual giving strategies designed to increase donor participation, grow revenue, and strengthen the pipeline of prospective donors. The Director ensures that annual giving operations align with university priorities and serve as a primary entry point for long-term donor engagement and philanthropic growth. The position exercises independent judgment in appeal strategy, resource allocation, data analysis, program administration, and staff supervision.

• Independently lead the development and execution of a comprehensive annual giving strategy, establishing program priorities, resource allocation, and performance benchmarks aligned with divisional and institutional advancement goals.
• Design, execute, and evaluate integrated multi-channel fundraising appeals including direct mail, email, digital, social media, text, and online solicitations.
• Establish measurable goals for donor acquisition, retention reactivation, and upgrades.
• Lead strategic analysis of donor data and campaign performance to drive annual giving revenue, optimize return on investment, and inform advancement leadership decision-making.
• Provide regular reports and strategic recommendations to advancement leadership.
• Ensure compliance with CSU policies, industry best practices, and institutional advancement standards.
• Develop and manage the annual giving operating budget to ensure effective and efficient use of resources.
• Provide managerial oversight of annual giving operations through supervision of staff and coordination with cross-functional teams and external partners, establishing work priorities, performance expectations, and workflows to achieve program goals.
• Oversee vendor relationships and external service providers supporting fundraising execution.
• Develop and implement program-level procedures and operational guidelines for annual giving and contributes to divisional strategy discussions and advancement planning efforts.
• Monitor and evaluate program outcomes and implement continuous improvement strategies.
• Develop strategies to identify, qualify, and transition annual donors with major gift potential.
• Serve as a key liaison within University Advancement and with external partners, advising leadership on annual giving pipeline strategy and representing program initiatives in cross-divisional planning efforts.
• Create structured upgrade pathways from annual giving to major giving portfolios.
• Provide data insights and donor trend analysis to inform major gift strategy discussions.
• Ensure timely and appropriate acknowledgement and recognition of annual donors.
• Develop stewardship strategies to enhance donor retention and satisfaction.
• Coordinate with Advancement Services and Development staff to maintain accurate donor records and consistent communication.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Master’s degree in marketing, communications, creative writing, or other relevant field.
• Five (5) years of experience in direct annual giving.
• One (1) year of experience in direct higher education fundraising
• Background in marketing, communications, or data analytics supporting annual giving or fundraising campaigns.
• Experience supervising professional staff in advancement or fundraising operations; experience supervising subordinate managers preferred.
• Experience managing budgets for annual giving or fundraising programs.
• Experience leading or supporting process improvement or operational changes within fundraising programs.
• Experience participating in advancement planning and serving as a liaison with internal or external partners supporting donor engagement.

• Comprehensive knowledge of the principles, practices, and standards within the assigned professional field.
• Knowledge of strategic planning, organizational development, and institutional policy implementation.
• Ability to develop and implement divisional policies and procedures.
• Ability to align operational objectives with institutional strategic goals.
• Ability to oversee multi-unit operations and integrate complex systems and processes.
• Ability to manage financial, human, and physical resources.
• Ability to supervise subordinate managers and professional staff.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change and process improvement initiatives.
• Ability to analyze institutional data and apply findings for strategic decision-making to interpret fundraising metrics and trends
• Skill in executive-level communication, presentations, and reporting.
• Ability to build effective partnerships across divisions and external entities.
• Ability to exercise broad discretion and sound judgment in high-impact situations.

California State University, Stanislaus serves the San Joaquin Valley and is a critical educational resource for a six-county region of approximately 1.5 million people. The University is fully committed to creating a culture of diversity and inclusion – one in which every person in the University community feels safe to express their views without fear of reprisal. Widely recognized for its quality academic programs, the University has 10 nationally accredited programs and 662 faculty members. 94 percent of full-time faculty holds doctorates or terminal degrees in their fields. The University offers 43 undergraduate majors, 16 master's programs, 7 post-graduate credentials, a doctorate in education and serves more than 10,000 students. New instructional facilities have been built for the unique pedagogy of professional programs, laboratory sciences and performing arts.

Stanislaus State continues to receive national recognition with its ranking as one of the best 384 colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. The University was one of 12 public universities in the nation to be recognized by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for demonstrating exceptional performance in retention and graduation rates. In addition, U.S. News and World Report ranks Stanislaus State in its top 10 among public universities in the West, while Washington Monthly honored Stanislaus State as the West’s No. 1 university for the money. Stanislaus State also is recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) by the U.S. Department of Education.

Clery Act Disclosure

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the annual security report (ASR), is now available for viewing at https://www.csustan.edu/annual-campus-security-report. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and sexual assault prevention information, and drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery Act crimes for Stanislaus State for the previous three years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the office of the Clery Director located at One University Circle, Turlock, CA 95382.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The university is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.  The person holding this position is considered a ‘mandated reporter’ under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083, revised 7/21/17, as a condition of employment.

Applicants requiring necessary accommodations to the application process may contact the Human Resources Department at (209) 667-3351.  California Relay Service is available at (800) 735-2922 voice and (800) 735-2929 TDD.  As a federal contractor, we are committed to attracting a diverse applicant pool.  Please consider completing the Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability form (your response will not be shared with the search committee) at:  Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability PDF Form.

CSU Stanislaus hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States.  In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

The CSU is a state entity whose business operations reside within the State of California. The CSU prohibits hiring employees to perform CSU-related work outside California.

The individuals who appear to be the best qualified for this position will be contacted by telephone or email for an interview.

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE