Overview
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)*, the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for UW-Madison, is recruiting for a Development Program Specialist to support UW-Madison, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. This is a non-exempt development operations position that is responsible for donor and campus relations, stewardship, prospect data management, and office administration activities that advance team goals and objectives. This is a hybrid position that will require you to work on-site in our Madison, WI office location at least two days weekly.
Please Note: We can hire this position as a Development Program Specialist or Senior Development Program Specialist, depending on the skills and experience of the selected candidate.
Who is WFAA?
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is a private, nonprofit corporation that encourages individuals and organizations to make gifts to the university and to connect with the UW. In 2014, the UW Foundation merged with the Wisconsin Alumni Association® to better serve a growing population of UW alumni and donors. We believe that private support grows out of good relationships between campus leaders, faculty and program staff who need support, and the alumni and friends who want to invest in UW–Madison. We provide important engagement opportunities to link UW–Madison alumni to each other and to their alma mater, building a strong community of Badgers.
Diversity and Inclusion:
Just as the university community benefits from differing viewpoints, perspectives, and experiences, inclusion and diversity are imperative for the success of our mission. WFAA values people and the differences that they bring to the organization, and creates an environment in which all staff members and constituents feel respected and have opportunities to thrive.
Essential Functions
Donor and Campus Relations
- Serve as primary liaison to campus partners, working to build mutually beneficial relationships, improve communication and collaborative teamwork, and increase campus understanding of the development process.
- Act as the development operations liaison with the administrative lead in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Office of the Dean to ensure a strong and effective operational partnership between WFAA and the Dean’s office.
- Actively participate in meetings and other activities with campus partners that support unit development efforts.
- Provide directors of development with materials in preparation for donor visits and appropriate follow-up in Constituent Relationship Management (CRM), etc.
- Collaborate with directors of development on donor visits to campus, including on-site logistics, greeting and hosting guests, and responding to miscellaneous needs as they arise.
- Respond to donor and campus questions regarding unit gifts and funds, identifying those inquiries, requests, or issues that require additional review and action.
- Collaborate with directors of development on the drafting, signature routing, and final distribution of gift agreement documentation (e.g., Memoranda of Agreements, Fund Operation Agreements, Pledge Agreements, etc.) in accordance with established WFAA business processes.
Stewardship
- Manage and execute stewardship programs, impact reporting, special projects, acknowledgements, and initiatives within the unit, including design work as needed using Canva and other platforms.
- Oversee the signature stewardship program that connects scholarship donors to scholarship recipients within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
- Work with development operations leadership and directors of development in reviewing and implementing new opportunities for donor stewardship and engagement.
- Coordinate fund administration process and fund stewardship, including all activities related to the creation, documentation, notification, and review of unit funds.
- Coordinate and distribute routine gift reports.
Prospect Data Management
- Manage stewardship, fund, and constituent activities in CRM.
- Maintain contact updates, donor biographic information, and other constituent management duties.
- Utilize self-service reports and work with the business intelligence team as needed, refine and customize alumni and donor lists for internal and external special mailings, invitations, stewardship projects, donor recognition, etc.
Office Administration
- Coordinate the direct mailing of solicitations, stewardship projects, announcements, event invitations, and advanced administrative needs when necessary or appropriate.
- Suggest areas for process improvement and assist in the implementation.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- 1 + years of relevant professional work experience.
- Proficient in MS Office, particularly Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Other Qualifications
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- High degree of familiarity with online communities, social media, and the Internet.
- Previous database reporting and experience with constituent relationship management software preferred.
- Creativity, innovation, flexibility, and the ability to work with loosely defined parameters.
At WFAA, we are dedicated to creating an inspiring, creative, and respectful work environment for our employees. We offer competitive pay and an outstanding benefits program, including a generous 10% 401k contribution after just one year of service! Join us and be part of a team that values your growth and well-being. Click here to learn more about our employee benefits!
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is an Equal Opportunity Employer *The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association is the “doing business as” name of the merged organization comprising the University of Wisconsin Foundation (supportuw.org) and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (uwalumni.com). Its legal corporate name is registered as the University of Wisconsin Foundation.