Associate Director of Gift Planning

State Title:

Associate Director Bargaining Unit:

Non-Unit Employment Type:

35 hours per week/

Full-time Salary Range:

$90,000 - $100,000 NON-UNION

POSITIONS

: For non-unit positions, salary commensurate with experience and is accompanied by a competitive benefits package. About TCNJ Founded in 1855, TCNJ offers a highly personalized and collaborative liberal arts education with over 7,400 undergraduates and 700 graduate students. The college is consistently ranked among the top comprehensive colleges in the nation, offering small classes, a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, and an immersive living-learning experience. With a 4-year graduation rate ranked #1 in New Jersey and #9 among U.S. public institutions, TCNJ is a model for public higher education.

Position Overview:

The Associate Director of Gift Planning is a frontline fundraising professional responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding planned and blended gifts in support of The College of New Jersey's philanthropic priorities. Reporting to the Senior Director of Gift Planning, this role contributes to the continued growth and success of the College's gift planning program. Working collaboratively with colleagues across the Office of Advancement, the Associate Director will identify, develop, and secure planned gift commitments from alumni, parents, faculty, and friends of the College. The role requires a relationship-oriented fundraiser who brings strong donor engagement skills, strategic thinking, intellectual curiosity, and exceptional attention to detail.

Responsibilities:

Manage a portfolio of approximately 100 planned giving prospects and donors, executing strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward legacy commitments. Conduct ~100 donor visits annually to advance prospects through the pipeline. Achieve annual goals by managing approximately $1.5M in solicitations and securing $500,000 in planned and blended gift commitments, focused on gifts of $25,000+. Build relationships with alumni, parents, faculty, friends of TCNJ, and their advisors. Serve as a resource to donors and colleagues on charitable gift planning strategies, including bequests, beneficiary designations, and life-income vehicles. Assist in structuring planned and blended gifts through preparation of illustrations, proposals, and documentation. Collaborate with donors' professional advisors as appropriate and maintain current knowledge of gift planning strategies, tax considerations, and industry best practices. Support the growth and stewardship of the College's planned giving recognition society through donor engagement, communications, and membership welcome activities. Implement strategies to expand the planned giving pipeline and increase society membership, including adding approximately 10 new members annually. Ensure appropriate recognition of donors and support stewardship of realized planned gifts in partnership with Sr Dir of Gift Planning &Advancement Services. Partner with frontline fundraisers and advancement colleagues to identify and pursue planned gift opportunities through joint visits, strategy discussions, and training. Collaborate with Sr. Dir of Gift Planning on marketing and communications to support planned giving outreach and engagement. Represent the Office of Advancement at alumni events and College programs, as necessary, to strengthen relationships and increase awareness of planned giving. Maintain accurate records of donor interactions, planned gift commitments, and prospect activity in the advancement database. Partner with advancement services to track prospects, evaluate donor trends, and prioritize leads. Assist in refining workflows related to planned giving inquiries, pipeline movement, and reporting.

Qualifications:

Required:

Bachelor's degree required. 4-7 years of experience working in higher education advancement or nonprofit fundraising environments. Familiarity with charitable gift planning vehicles such as bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, or other life-income gifts. Experience working with donor databases and advancement systems (e.g., Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT) and using donor data to inform prospect identification and pipeline development. Exposure to planned giving tools or resources, such as gift illustration software (e.g., PGCalc), or similar platforms used to model charitable gift scenarios. Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated success in relationship-building, donor engagement, and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituents including alumni, parents, professional advisors, faculty, staff, and senior leadership. Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with sound judgment, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to navigate complex or sensitive conversations with tact, diplomacy, and emotional intelligence. Highly organized with strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain exceptional attention to detail in reviewing technical materials such as gift illustrations, proposals, and agreements. Ability to learn and apply charitable gift planning concepts, including bequests, beneficiary designations, and life-income gifts, with an interest in developing deeper expertise in philanthropic planning strategies. Professionalism and discretion, including the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information, along with a willingness and ability to travel for donor visits, alumni events, and advancement-related activities as needed. Persons with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations in order to perform the essential functions of the position. If the requested accommodation(s) cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, the applicant may not be eligible for the position. Employer Qualifications Employment at TCNJ is contingent upon the successful completion of an applicable background check, reference checks, and verification of identity and authorization to work in the United States (Form I-9).

Accommodation:

Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview should contact hr@tcnj.edu . Employee Benefits As a member of The College of New Jersey Community, you will be a part of an exciting and rewarding public college career. Eligible full-time employees will be able to take advantage of a generous benefits package that includes health, welfare, and retirement benefits, including: Comprehensive benefit plans covering medical, dental and prescription plans Generous leave entitlements program and Energy Savings Program Employee and dependent Tuition Waiver and Reimbursement Program Pension, retirement, and deferred compensation plans, group life insurance Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Employee affinity groups New Jersey State Employee Discount Program (Pet insurance, cell phone plan discounts, discounted amusement park tickets, etc.) Access to extensive learning opportunities To view a comprehensive list of benefits available to employees, visit our Health Benefits Plans and Programs page to learn more! How to Apply Qualified candidates should apply online and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be considered until a viable finalist has been found. The College is committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus community that respects and uplifts individuals from all backgrounds. We value the varied perspectives, experiences, and talents of all members of our community and strive to create an environment where everyone has equitable access to opportunities for success. As an equal opportunity employer, we comply with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. We encourage applications from individuals whose lived experiences and professional interests align with our institutional mission of academic excellence, access, and integrity.