Director of Development / Senior Director of Development – California Regional Officer

Overview

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)—the private fundraising and alumni relations organization for the University of Wisconsin–Madison—is seeking a Director of Development / Senior Director of Development to lead major gift fundraising across the state of California.

You’ll manage a portfolio of prospects, cultivate relationships with high‑priority alumni and parents, and secure significant philanthropic commitments to support UW–Madison. Success in this position requires strong relationship‑building skills, sound judgment, and the ability to represent a wide range of campus priorities with clarity and purpose.

This is a newly created position, and you will join a growing team of Regional Directors of Development and university‑wide fundraisers. You will work closely with colleagues across WFAA to identify opportunities, develop regional strategies, and strengthen donor engagement throughout California.

We can hire for this position at either the Director of Development or Senior Director of Development level, depending on the selected candidate’s skills and experience.

Please note: Although this role focuses on California, it is not based in California. Frequent travel to the region will be expected. Remote work is available only in the following WFAA‑approved states: Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. Preference will be given to candidates based in Wisconsin, Colorado, or Arizona.

Who is WFAA?

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) 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

Major Gift Development:

• Implement development strategies within the region, managing a portfolio of prospects and donors in varying stages of involvement to advance them strategically through the development continuum.
• Qualify and cultivate prospective major gift donors on behalf of the entire University, with a focus on high-priority, unengaged alumni and parent prospects.
• Educate potential donors about philanthropy and the case for supporting the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
• Artfully ask for the right gift, at the right time, in the right way, being mindful of both the donor’s philanthropic passions and university priorities
• Plan and implement recognition for donors, such as writing thank yous, making personal calls, arranging meetings, delivering stewardship reports and gifts, hosting events, etc.
• Understand the mission and needs of the University and articulate them effectively to potential donors and volunteers

  Regional Strategy:

• Work with WFAA research and development colleagues to identify and build a portfolio of regional major gift prospects from existing and potential donors.
• Curate and review data to understand fundraising opportunities in the region and prioritize time accordingly.
• Collaborate with alumni relations colleagues, the parent philanthropy program campus units, and other Directors of Development on region-specific fundraising and engagement initiatives.
• Maintain a knowledge base about the region, such as regional news/information that may benefit colleagues or general information about donors, trends, and opportunities.
• Make recommendations regarding WFAA/campus leadership travel to the region, prospect cultivation opportunities, and occasionally staff donor meetings with campus leaders and WFAA events.

  Collaborative and Administrative

• Take initiative to become familiar with campus units and ensure strong internal working relationships with unit and programmatic leads.
• Support and offer feedback on alumni and parent engagement activities in the region when needed.
• Prepare briefings and other reports for volunteers, campus partners and WFAA.
• Utilize WFAA’s customer relationship management (CRM) tool to plan, implement and record all development-related activity in a timely manner. This includes regular progress reports on prospect qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Plan and execute travel arrangements with responsibility for tracking and submitting related expense reports.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional work experience.
• 3 + years of professional fundraising/ development experience or related experience.
• Excellent oral, written, interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills required.
• Ability to meet travel requirements (@25% and up to 50% on occasion).

Other Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to be highly accountable, highly communicative, and highly self-motivated to deliver results.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and execute good judgment with both external and internal stakeholders.
• Knowledge base and/or a connection to both California and the Madison community is a plus.
• Post high school training, college degree, or equivalent preferred.

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 (advanceuw.org) and the Wisconsin Alumni Association (uwalumni.com). Its legal corporate name is registered as the University of Wisconsin Foundation.